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California Enacts Law Prohibiting Schools from Collecting Social Security Numbers
Practical Law Legal Update w-003-2753 (Approx. 3 pages)
California Enacts Law Prohibiting Schools from Collecting Social Security Numbers
by Practical Law Intellectual Property & Technology
| Published on 30 Aug 2016 • USA (National/Federal) |
The Governor of California has signed AB 2097 into law, which prohibits California schools from collecting Social Security numbers, or the last four digits of Social Security numbers, from students or their parents or guardians unless otherwise required to do so by state or federal law.
On August 25, 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2097 into law. The new law prohibits California schools from collecting Social Security numbers, or the last four digits of Social Security numbers, from students or their parents or guardians unless otherwise required to do so by state or federal law. The California State Department of Education may also prohibit school districts from collecting other personally identifiable information as recommended by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and approved by the State Board of Education.
The statute also:
- Repeals the current state law which authorizes the Superintendent to collect and use special needs students' Social Security numbers to evaluate the effectiveness of special education programs.
- Provides a two-year transition period, beginning with the 2017-2018 fiscal year, for the Superintendent to assign a student identification number to special needs students.
The new law arose from concerns regarding identity theft risks and potential data disclosures by the state and school districts.