The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a new report that found that use of social security numbers (SSNs) in the federal government is still widespread despite requirements to eliminate the unnecessary collection and use of SSNs.
House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) and former Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) requested the report from GAO.
In 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered federal agencies to create plans to reduce the use of SSNs but the Social Security Administration and the Office of Personnel Management abandoned their early initiatives.
“For years, I’ve called for solutions to address the federal government’s unnecessary use of Social Security numbers,” Johnson said. “The House has made important progress by getting my legislation to remove SSNs from Medicare cards signed into law, but as this report confirms, we have more work to do to protect the American people from identity theft. We will continue to work to reduce the unnecessary use of SSNs.”
The GAO report recommended that OMB require agencies to submit new reduction plans, providing criteria on determining unnecessary use of SSNs and establishing performance measure to monitor progress by federal agencies.