[Congressional Bills 109th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5467 Introduced in House (IH)] 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5467 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties for the unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal information about veterans. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 24, 2006 Mrs. Drake introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties for the unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal information about veterans. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Identity Security Act of 2006''. SEC. 2. CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS ABOUT VETERANS. (a) In General.--Chapter 57 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 5705 the following new section: ``Sec. 5706. Unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal information about veterans ``(a) Offense.--(1) Any person described in subsection (b) who other than as authorized by section 5901 of this title or as otherwise authorized by law knowingly discloses, or causes the disclosure of, records specified in subsection (c) with intent to sell, transfer, or use personal information contained in the disclosed records for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm shall be fined as provided in title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. ``(2) Any person described in subsection (b) who other than as authorized by section 5901 of this title or as otherwise authorized by law knowingly discloses, or causes the disclosure of, records specified in subsection (c) in a case not covered by paragraph (1) shall be fined as provided in title 18, imprisoned not more than one year, or both. ``(b) Covered Persons.--A person described in this subsection is any of the following: ``(1) An officer or employee of the Department. ``(2) A contractor or employee of a contractor of the Department. ``(3) A volunteer of the Department. ``(c) Specified Records.--Records specified in this subsection are records of the Department that are covered by section 5701(a) of this title and that contain personal information about a veteran or any other person receiving benefits, or applying for benefits, under laws administered by the Secretary. ``(d) Personal Information Defined.--In this section, the term `personal information' means one or more of the following: name, date of birth, address, phone number, Social Security number, and (if applicable) disability rating.''. (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 5705 the following new item: ``5706. Unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal information about veterans.''. <all>