4:015-E1 – Letter to Employees Regarding Protecting the Privacy of Social Security Numbers

On District Letterhead

Date:

Re:  Protecting the Privacy of Social Security numbers (SSNs)

The Illinois Identity Act 5 ILCS;179/, contains requirements applicable to school districts and their employees.  This letter’s purpose is to help you understand the protections and requirements of this law.  In implementing this law and the Board’s policy, I am seeking to:

1. Increase the awareness of the confidential nature of the SSN and the risk of identity theft related to unauthorized disclosure;
2. Have every employee understand that he or she is prohibited from collecting displaying or using another individual’s SSN unless authorized by a member of the District administration staff; and
3. Ensure the use of consistent protocol regarding SSNs throughout the District.

I have copies below sections of the Identify Protection Act that must be followed by every school employee.  I have also attached the School Board’s Policy 4:015 Identity Protection.  Please carefully read these documents.  You will be contacted if you are scheduled to receive training on the protocol of collecting, using, maintaining and disclosing SSNs.  An employee who has substantially breached the confidentiality of social security numbers may be subject to disciplinary action or sanctions up to and including dismissal in accordance with District policy and procedures.

Sincerely,

The  Superintendent

ATTACHMENT #1:  Relevant Sections from the Identity Protection Act, 5 ILCS 179/

Section 10. Prohibited Activities.

(a) Beginning July 10, 2010, no person or State or local government agency may do any of the following:

1. Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an individual’s social security number.
2. Print an individual’s social security  number on any card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person or entity.
3. Require an individual to transmit his or her social security number over the Internet, unless the connection is secure or the social security number is encrypted.
4. Print an individual’s social security on any materials that are mailed to the individual, through the U.S. Postal Service, any private mail service, electronic mail, or any similar method of delivery, unless State or federal law requires the social number to be on the document to be mailed.  Notwithstanding any provision in this Section to the contrary, social security numbers may be included in applications and forms sent by mail, including, but not limited to, any  material mailed in connection with the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Act, any material mailed in connection with any tax administered by the Department of Revenue, and documents sent as part of an application or enrollment process or to establish, amend or terminate an account, contract, or policy or to confirm the accuracy of the social security number.  A social security number that may permissibly be mailed under this Section may not be printed, in whole or in part, on a postcard or other mailer that does not require an envelope or be visible on an envelope without the envelope having been opened.

(b)  Except as otherwise provided in this Act, beginning July 1, 2010,no person or State or local government agency may do any of the following:

1. Collect, use or disclose a social security number from an individual, unless (i) required to do so under State or federal law, rules or regulations, or the collection, use or disclosure of the social security number is otherwise necessary for the performance of that agency’s duties and responsibilities; (ii) the need and purpose for the social security number is documented before collection of the social security number; and (iii) the social security number collected is relevant to the documented need and purpose.
2. Require an individual to use his or her social security number to access an internet website.
3. Use the social security number for any purpose other than for the purpose for which it was collected.

(c) The prohibitions in subsection (b) do not apply in the following circumstances:

1. the disclosure of social security numbers to agents, employees, contractors, or subcontractors of a governmental entity or its agents, employees, contractors, or subcontractors if disclosure is necessary in order for the entity to perform its duties and responsibilities; and if disclosing to a contractor or subcontractor, prior to such disclosure, the governmental entity must first receive from the contractor or subcontractor a copy of the contractor’s or subcontractor’s policy that sets forth how the requirements imposed under this Act on a governmental entity to protect an individual’s social security number will be achieved.

Date Adopted:    May 11, 2011

Date Amended:   April 22, 2015