Charles Bacarisse, district clerk for Harris County, Texas, testified on May 21 before the Social Security subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee regarding uses of the Social Security number (SSN). The subcommittee, which is chaired by Rep. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.) is planning to introduce legislation on this issue soon. Last year, Shaw proposed legislation to regulate the use of the Social Security number as an identifier, including mandating that the SSN be removed from public documents.

While the bill was not enacted, the appropriations bill for the District of Columbia included language ordering the General Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct a study of the use of the Social Security number and the potential costs to states and local governments of removing the SSN from public documents. NACo has been working with the GAO on this study. The study, however, is not yet complete and may not be available in time for committee action.

In addressing the issues raised by concerns over identity theft, Bacarisse covered several critical questions. First, he addressed the issue of potential costs to counties of redacting public documents to exclude the Social Security number. “We estimate the cost of redacting one document at $8.07,” said Bacarisse. As an example of the scope of the problem, Bacarisse said that the county granted 16,000 divorces last year. Divorce decrees contain the Social Security numbers of each party as well as the children.

Bacarisse pointed out that the cost associated with redacting these and other documents that contain SSNs is due to the need to hire more staff to perform this task. As an example of how many new staff members would have to be hired, he quoted Michael Jeanes, the clerk of the court for Maricopa County, Ariz., who said, “In order to maintain our existing levels of public service, we would require approximately 25–30 new staff and related clerk’s office accessories.” According to Jeanes, the cost of hiring 25 additional staffers is $1 million per year. Bacarisse estimated a similar financial impact.

Bacarisse emphasized that having Social Security numbers on public documents serves a valuable public purpose. For example, the Social Security number is used to help identify absent parents who may owe child support. He suggested that the committee should consider the potential loss in child support collections if restrictions on the use of SSNs are implemented.

In addition to addressing the issue of cost, Bacarisse questioned whether an effective alternative to accumulating and using SSNs could be developed. “That horse has left the barn, long ago. In fact, the government helped burn down the barn!”

Many of the requirements to collect and display Social Security numbers are the result of federal law. For example, the Federal Child Support Enforcement Act required states to implement several provisions related to SSNs. This law is the reason divorce orders contain SSNs. The SSN of any individual subject to a support order, paternity determination or acknowledgement must also appear on the record. SSNs must also be recorded on applications for professional, occupational, driver’s, recreational and marriage licenses. Social Security numbers must also be recorded on death certificates.