BILL REQ. #:  H-0407.2 

Read first time 01/24/2003.   Referred to Committee on Fisheries, Ecology & Parks.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Federal law (P.L. 104-193, 1996) requires states, including Washington, to collect social security numbers as part of the application process for recreational licenses; and
     WHEREAS, As required by this law, all applicants for an original, replacement, or renewal of a recreational license in Washington state must furnish the licensing agency with the applicant's social security number which is then recorded on the application; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature has found that if social security numbers are accessible to the public, it will be relatively easy for someone to use another's social security number fraudulently to assume that person's identity and gain access to bank accounts, credit services, billing information, driving history, and other sources of personal information; and
     WHEREAS, This law compounds and exacerbates the disturbing trend of social security number-related fraud and identity theft; and
     WHEREAS, This law infringes the United States and state constitutional guarantees against invasion of privacy; represents an unfunded federal mandate; and encroaches on the 10th Amendment by requiring a state to administer a federal regulatory program; and
     WHEREAS, The state is doing an excellent job of collecting support payments, and the social security number collection requirement as it applies to applications for recreational licenses is not necessary to further that collection process; and
     WHEREAS, It is important to petition the federal government to promote personal privacy and to limit overreaching regulations on the states;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress protect federalism by eliminating the social security number collection requirement as it applies to applications for recreational licenses or, in the alternative, by issuing a waiver to the social security number collection requirement as it applies to applications for recreational licenses.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.