Pub. L. 109-8, tit. II, subtit. C, sec. 234
PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION.
SEC. 234. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION. (a) Restriction of Public Access to Certain Information Contained in Bankruptcy Case Files.—Section 107 of title 11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(c)(1) The bankruptcy court, for cause, may protect an individual, with respect to the following types of information to the extent the court finds that disclosure of such information would create undue risk of identity theft or other unlawful injury to the individual or the individual’s property: 119 STAT. 75“(A) Any means of identification (as defined in section 1028(d) of title 18) contained in a paper filed, or to be filed, in a case under this title. “(B) Other information contained in a paper described in subparagraph (A). “(2) Upon ex parte application demonstrating cause, the court shall provide access to information protected pursuant to paragraph (1) to an entity acting pursuant to the police or regulatory power of a domestic governmental unit. “(3) The United States trustee, bankruptcy administrator, trustee, and any auditor serving under section 586(f) of title 28—“(A) shall have full access to all information contained in any paper filed or submitted in a case under this title; and “(B) shall not disclose information specifically protected by the court under this title.”. (b) Security of Social Security Account Number of Debtor in Notice to Creditor.—Section 342(c) of title 11, United States Code, is amended—(1) by inserting “last 4 digits of the” before “taxpayer identification number”; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “If the notice concerns an amendment that adds a creditor to the schedules of assets and liabilities, the debtor shall include the full taxpayer identification number in the notice sent to that creditor, but the debtor shall include only the last 4 digits of the taxpayer identification number in the copy of the notice filed with the court.”. (c) Conforming Amendment.—Section 107(a) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by striking “subsection (b),” and inserting “subsections (b) and (c),”.