UCLA

I. REFERENCES

1. Federal Privacy Act of 1974.  

II. BACKGROUND

The Federal Privacy Act restricts the University's ability to ask persons for their Social Security numbers. The following guidelines are for use by campus units in requesting Social Security numbers.

III. STATEMENT 

1. Persons may no longer be required to provide their Social Security numbers to the University, although they may be asked to volunteer the information, unless obtaining the number is required by Federal law, or was required by State law or a University policy which was in effect prior to January 1, 1975. 

2. All forms upon which persons are either required or requested voluntarily to provide their Social Security numbers must now contain or have appended to them a statement explaining the University request and its purpose. All forms originating in a campus unit or prepared or printed under the direction of that unit must be identified and contain the following statements as appropriate as attachments or be included on the forms at their next reprinting.

   (To avoid duplication of effort, campus units should be concerned only with forms which are prepared or printed under their direction and not those which are supplied to them by other University offices.) 

   1. If the Social Security number is collected pursuant to Federal law, or pursuant to a State law which was in existence before January 1, 1975, the following statement should be used on the form: 

      The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 requires that you be notified that disclosure of your Social Security number is required pursuant to (the name or section number of the law, e.g., the Internal Revenue Code). The Social Security number is used to verify your identity. 

   2. If the Social Security number is collected on a University form and for a University record keeping system which was not required by law but which was in existence prior to January 1, 1975, and it is necessary to continue to collect the number, the following statement should be used: 

      The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 requires that you be notified that disclosure of your Social Security number is mandatory pursuant to the authority of The Regents of the University of California under Art. IX, Sec. 9 of the California Constitution.. This record-keeping system was established prior to January 1, 1975. The Social Security number is used to verify your identity. 

   3. If the Social Security number is collected under any other circumstances, or if it is desired to give persons the option of providing their number and assigning dummy numbers to others, then the following statement should be used: 

      The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 requires that you be notified that disclosure of your Social Security number is voluntary under this record-keeping system which was established pursuant to the authority of The Regents of the University of California under Art. IX, Sec. 9 of the California Constitution. The Social Security number is used to verify your identity. 

   If there are any questions about this matter, please contact the Records Management Coordinator's Office at extension 42600.