(A) The village adopts this Identity Protection Policy pursuant to the Identity Protection Act, 5 ILCS 179/1 et seq. The Identity Protection Act requires each local and state government agency to draft, approve, and implement an Identity Protection Policy to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of Social Security numbers agencies collect, maintain, and use. It is important to safeguard Social Security numbers (SSNs) against unauthorized access because SSNs can be used to facilitate identity theft. One way to better protect SSNs is to limit the widespread dissemination of those numbers. The Identity Protection Act was passed in part to require local and state government agencies to assess their personal information collection practices, and make necessary changes to those practices to ensure confidentiality.
(B) Whenever an individual is asked to provide this office with a SSN, the village shall provide that individual with a statement of the purpose or purposes for which the village is collecting and using the Social Security number. The village shall also provide the statement of purpose upon request.
(C) The village shall not:
(1) Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an individual’s Social Security number. PUBLICLY POST or PUBLICLY DISPLAY means to intentionally communicate or otherwise intentionally make available to the general public;
(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 a Social Security number over the Internet, unless the connection is secure, or the Social Security number is encrypted; and
(4) Print an individual’s Social Security number 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 Security number to be on the document to be mailed. SSNs 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, being 820 ILCS 405, 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 is permissibly mailed will 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.
(D) In addition, the village shall not:
(1) Collect, use, or disclose a Social Security number from an individual, unless:
(a) 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 the village’s duties and responsibilities;
(b) The need and purpose for the Social Security number is documented before collection of the Social Security number; and
(c) 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 the purpose for which it was collected.
(E) (1) The village shall comply with the provisions of any other state law with respect to allowing the public inspection and copying of information or documents containing all or any portion of an individual’s Social Security number. The village shall redact Social Security numbers from the information or documents before allowing the public inspection or copying of the information or documents.
(2) When collecting Social Security numbers, the village shall request each SSN in a manner that makes the SSN easily redacted if required to be released as part of a public records request. REDACT means to alter or truncate data so that no more than five sequential digits of a Social Security number are accessible as part of personal information.
(F) Only employees who are required to use or handle information or documents that contain SSN will have access. All employees who have access to SSNs are trained to protect the confidentiality of SSNs.
(Ord. 11-01, passed 3-7-2011)