HB3375 amends the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act to limit when a data collector may routinely collect an Illinois resident’s Social Security number. The bill states that a data collector may not routinely collect a Social Security number unless there is a “specific and immediate need,” and it directs that term to be defined in the statute. The measure is aimed at reducing unnecessary collection of highly sensitive personal information and narrowing the circumstances under which businesses and other data collectors ask for SSNs.
The bill would change Section 45 of the Personal Information Protection Act, which already requires reasonable security measures for records containing personal information and requires contracts for disclosure of such information to include similar protections. By adding a restriction on routine SSN collection, HB3375 would impose an additional compliance obligation on data collectors handling Illinois residents’ personal information. It would likely affect businesses, employers, financial institutions, health care entities, landlords, schools, and other organizations that collect SSNs as part of ordinary intake or account-opening processes.
The general sentiment reflected by the bill text is privacy-protective and consumer-focused. Although there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the caption and language suggest the bill is intended to curb overcollection of sensitive identifiers rather than expand data use. The measure appears to be framed as a targeted privacy safeguard within existing data security law.
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials, but likely areas of debate would include how narrowly “specific and immediate need” is defined, whether the restriction could interfere with legitimate verification, compliance, or fraud-prevention practices, and what operational changes data collectors would need to make. Supporters would likely emphasize identity-theft prevention and data minimization, while opponents or cautious stakeholders might focus on administrative burden and ambiguity in compliance standards.
Impact
HB3375 would amend 815 ILCS 530/45 of the Personal Information Protection Act by adding a substantive limitation on the routine collection of Social Security numbers from Illinois residents. It would require data collectors to have a specific and immediate need before collecting an SSN, thereby tightening state privacy rules and potentially reducing the volume of SSNs stored by private and public entities subject to the Act. The bill would affect any covered data collector that gathers, maintains, or stores personal information about Illinois residents.
Sentiment
The available information suggests a generally supportive, privacy-oriented posture toward the bill, with the legislation designed to reduce unnecessary collection of sensitive personal data. Because there are no committee transcripts or votes provided, there is no recorded opposition or floor debate to assess directly. On its face, the bill reflects a consumer privacy and data-minimization approach that would likely appeal to privacy advocates.
Contention
No formal contention is documented in the provided record, but the main likely points of dispute are the scope of the phrase “specific and immediate need,” the practical burden on businesses and other data collectors, and whether the restriction could complicate legitimate identity verification, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance. Stakeholders favoring stronger privacy protections would likely support the limitation, while organizations that routinely collect SSNs may seek a broader exception or clearer statutory guidance.