U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Roger Marshall’s (R-Kans.) bipartisan bill to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove personally identifiable information (PII), which includes Social Security and passport numbers, from cargo manifests before public disclosure passed the U.S. Senate.
“Montanans’ private, personal information should never be jeopardized just because they’re moving or traveling abroad. Safeguarding Americans from identity theft and fraud is a top priority of mine. I’m glad to see my commonsense, bipartisan bill pass the U.S. Senate,” Daines said.
“Identify theft is costly and disruptive to the lives of people in Michigan and across the country,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “Removing sensitive personal information from manifests will help protect Americans who are moving back from abroad from fraud, while maintaining safe and secure international travel and trade.”
“Identity theft is everywhere, and everyone is at risk. I’m proud to support the bipartisan Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act to protect Americans’ private information from criminal exploitation,” Marshall said.
Senator Debbie Stabenow also joined in introducing the bill.
For bill text of the “Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act,” click HERE and HERE for a one-pager.
Background:
Currently, CBP requires manifest sheets, which include PII, in order to disclose and document the cargo of incoming vessels for customs and security purposes. In 1984, the public disclosure of certain manifest information was required. The original intent of this provision was to increase competition, to facilitate better public analysis of import trends, and allow port authorities and transportation companies to more easily identify potential customers and changes in their industries. However, in recent years, PII of relocating individuals has been released, enabling identity theft, credit card fraud, and unwanted solicitations.
Daines and Peters introduced the “Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act” in the 115th, 116th and 117thCongresses.
Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke, Blake Kernen