REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF CERTAIN IDENTIFYING INFORMATION BY RETAIL FOOD STORES AND WHOLESALE FOOD CONCERNS.

SEC. 1735. REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF CERTAIN IDENTIFYING INFORMATION BY RETAIL FOOD STORES AND WHOLESALE FOOD CONCERNS. (a) In General.— Section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) is amended— (1) by redesignating clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv) as clauses (iv), (v), and (vi), respectively; (2) by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively; and (3) by inserting after clause (ii) (as redesignated) the following new clause: “(iii) In the administration of section 9 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2018) involving the determination of the qualifications of applicants under such Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may require each applicant retail store or wholesale food concern to furnish to the Secretary of Agriculture the social security account number of each individual who is an officer of the store or concern and, in the case of a privately owned applicant, furnish the social security account numbers of the owners of such applicant. No officer or employee of the Department of Agriculture shall have access to any such number for any purpose other than the establishment and maintenance of a list of the names and social security account numbers of such individuals for use in determining those applicants who have been previously sanctioned or convicted under section 12 or 15 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2021 or 2024). The Secretary of Agriculture shall restrict, to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, access to social security account numbers obtained pursuant to this clause only to officers and employees of the United States whose duties or responsibilities require access for the administration or enforcement of the Food Stamp Act of 1977. The Secretary of Agriculture shall provide such other safeguards as the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines to be104 STAT. 3792 necessary or appropriate to protect the confidentiality of the social security account numbers.”. (b) Confidentiality of Social Security Account Numbers.— Section 205(c)(2)(C) of such Act (as amended by subsection (a) of this section) is further amended by adding at the end the following new clause: “(vii) (I) Social security account numbers and related records that are obtained or maintained by authorized persons pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990, shall be confidential, and no authorized person shall disclose any such social security account number or related record. “(II) Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 7213(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall apply with respect to the unauthorized willful disclosure to any person of social security account numbers and related records obtained or maintained by an authorized person pursuant to a provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990, in the same manner and to the same extent as such paragraphs apply with respect to unauthorized disclosures of return and return information described in such paragraphs. Paragraph (4) of section 7213(a) of such Code shall apply with respect to the willful offer of any item of material value in exchange for any such social security account number or related record in the same manner and to the same extent as such paragraph applies with respect to offers (in exchange for any return or return information) described in such paragraph. “(III) For purposes of this clause, the term ‘authorized person’ means an officer or employee of the United States, an officer or employee of any State, political subdivision of a State, or agency of a State or political subdivision of a State, and any other person (or officer or employee thereof), who has or had access to social security account numbers or related records pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990. For purposes of this subclause, the term ‘officer or employee’ includes a former officer or employee. “(IV) For purposes of this clause, the term ‘related record’ means any record, list, or compilation that indicates, directly or indirectly, the identity of any individual with respect to whom a request for a social security account number is maintained pursuant to this clause.”. (c) Required Submission of Employer Identification Numbers.— Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to identifying numbers) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(f) Access to Employer Identification Numbers by Secretary of Agriculture for Purposes of Food Stamp Act of 1977.— “(1) In general.— In the administration of section 9 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2018) involving the determination of the qualifications of applicants under such Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may, subject to this subsection, require each applicant retail store or wholesale food concern to furnish to the Secretary of Agriculture the employer identification number assigned to the store or concern pursuant to this section. The Secretary of Agriculture shall not have access to any such number for any purpose other than the establishment and maintenance of a list of the names and employer identification numbers of the stores and concerns for use in determining those applicants who have been previously sanctioned or convicted under section 12 or 15 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2021 or 2024). 104 STAT. 3793 “(2) Safeguards.— The Secretary of Agriculture shall restrict, to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury, access to employer identification numbers obtained pursuant to paragraph (1) only to officers and employees of the United States whose duties or responsibilities require access for the administration or enforcement of the Food Stamp Act of 1977. The Secretary of Agriculture shall provide such other safeguards as the Secretary of the Treasury determines to be necessary or appropriate to protect the confidentiality of the employer identification numbers. “(3) Confidentiality and nondisclosure rules.— Employer identification numbers that are obtained or maintained by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to this subsection shall be confidential, and no officer or employee of the United States who has or had access to the social security account numbers shall disclose any such employer identification number obtained thereby in any manner. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘officer or employee’ includes a former officer or employee. “(4) Sanctions.— Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 7213(a) shall apply with respect to the unauthorized willful disclosure to any person of employer identification numbers maintained by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to this subsection in the same manner and to the same extent as such paragraphs apply with respect to unauthorized disclosures of return and return information described in such paragraphs. Paragraph (4) of section 7213(a) shall apply with respect to the willful offer of any item of material value in exchange for any such employer identification number in the same manner and to the same extent as such paragraph applies with respect to offers (in exchange for any return or return information) described in such paragraph.”.