FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-9263
April 23, 1997
No. SS-4
Congressman Jim Bunning (R-KY), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Social Security Administration's on-line program to provide workers with Social Security earnings information and projected benefits via the Internet. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, May 6, 1997, in room B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. The Subcommittee will receive testimony from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Inspector General of SSA, the U.S. General Accounting Office, privacy experts, and others who will comprehensively review SSA's on-line initiative. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND:
Ten years ago, SSA began providing Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statements (PEBES). These statements provide individuals with their earnings by year, Social Security taxes paid, and an estimate of future benefits. Individuals have been able to request these statements by mail.
As part of its initiative to improve service to the public, SSA developed a project to request PEBES via the Internet. Last month, after a year of testing, SSA began providing individuals with the opportunity to obtain their actual PEBES statement on-line. The Internet request form required five authenticating elements (name, Social Security number, date of birth, place of birth, and mother's maiden name). According to SSA, a number of security features were built into the service.
Following press reports of privacy concerns, along with negative public and Congressional reaction, SSA suspended the on-line PEBES service to "conduct a rigorous evaluation of the system's security features," according to an SSA statement.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Bunning stated: "While I appreciate SSA's desire to provide fast and expedient service, such action should never put the privacy of millions of Americans at risk. The public trusts SSA to keep personal records safe and secure. This hearing will provide important information for SSA, and the American public to consider, as we review the fate of PEBES access via the Internet."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The Subcommittee is interested in receiving witnesses views regarding whether, and how: (1) privacy and security of the information can be protected, (2) violations of the process can be detected, and (3) such violations can be investigated and prosecuted.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit at least six (6) copies of their statement and a 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or ASCII format, with their address and date of hearing noted, by the close of business, Tuesday, May 20, 1997, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Social Security office, room B-316 Rayburn House Office Building, at least one hour before the hearing begins.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be typed in single space on legal-size paper and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. At the same time written statements are submitted to the Committee, witnesses are now requested to submit their statements on a 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or ASCII format.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, full address, a telephone number where the witness or the designated representative may be reached and a topical outline or summary of the comments and recommendations in the full statement. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please
call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event
(four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to
special accommodation needs in general (including availability of
Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the
Committee as noted above.