Personal information: social security numbers: state agencies.

Existing law prohibits a state agency from sending any outgoing United States mail to an individual that contains personal information about that individual, including, but not limited to, the individual's social security number, telephone number, driver's license number, or credit card account number, unless that personal information is contained within sealed correspondence and cannot be viewed from the outside of that sealed correspondence. This bill would prohibit a state agency from sending any outgoing United States mail that contains an individual's social security number unless the number is truncated to its last 4 digits or in specified circumstances, including when federal law requires inclusion of the social security number or when documents are mailed to a current or prospective state employee. The bill would require each state agency that mails an individual's full or truncated part of a social security number to that individual to report to the Legislature, on or before September 1, 2021, regarding when and why it does so. The bill would require a state agency that, in its own estimation, is unable to comply with the restrictions on mailing social security numbers that have not been truncated to submit an annual corrective action plan to the Legislature until it is in compliance. The bill would make the reports, action plans, and related correspondence confidential and would prohibit their public disclosure. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.