SCS/SB 222 - This act changes requirements for the usage of Social Security numbers and certain other identification information in certain court documents. The act also modifies the requirement that petitions, answers, and judgments in actions for divorce or legal separation and in actions for modification of maintenance or child support include the Social Security numbers of the parties and their children to require only the last four digits of the Social Security numbers on those documents. Also, in certain actions the parties must file family court information sheets which include the Social Security numbers and current employment information.
Any pleadings other than interlocutory or final judgments in divorce or legal separation cases prior to August 28, 2009 may only be inspected by the parties, or upon order of the court, or in certain circumstances by the Family Support Division of DSS. The clerk is required to redact the SSN from judgments prior to August 28, 2009, before releasing them to the public.
Any pleading, attachment, or exhibit filed with the court in any case shall not include full SSNs of parties in civil actions and of children subject to custody or support orders, or the credit card numbers and financial account numbers of parties. In certain cases a confidential case filing sheet shall be filed with the court. Except for certain cases, clerks are not required to redact any pleading, attachment, or exhibit prior to releasing the document to the public.
Information in court records that could be used to identify victims of certain crimes is no longer a closed record, but shall be redacted if the record was filed before January 1, 2010. Beginning January 1, 2010, certain identifying information shall be retained on a confidential case filing sheet. Nothing shall be construed to permit the redaction of identifying information of a perpetrator of certain crimes.
This act is similar to provisions of SS/HCS/HB 481 (2009).
EMILY KALMER