Privacy vs. Help With Child Support Enforcement.

• Position: Brief Article

A provision of the 1996 federal welfare reform act continues to stir up controversy. States are required to collect Social Security numbers on driver, recreational and professional license applications to help with child support enforcement.

Although it is not mandatory to display the numbers on the licenses, some lawmakers are concerned about the security of the data and potential violations of privacy.

The requirement has widespread backing among state child support agency directors, who use the numbers to track down nonpaying parents and pursue enforcement actions, such as license suspensions, liens against property or tax intercepts.

States report that in many cases an actual license suspension or lien isn't necessary.

Between 70 percent and 80 percent of Virginia residents who receive notice of a suspension contact the agency to pay part of their debts or to set up payment agreements to remove the threat of license suspension.

Connecticut Bureau of Child Support Enforcement Director Diane Fray emphasizes that Social Security numbers are used for a variety of enforcement mechanisms, and license applications are an important source of this information.

Many lawmakers and citizens are concerned about the potential for privacy violations, however...