An Act To Protect Job Applicants from Identity Theft

Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §598-A  is enacted to read:

§ 598-A.  Prospective employee's social security number

An employer may not request a social security number from a prospective employee on an employment application or during the application process for employment except for the purposes of substance abuse testing under subchapter 3-A or a preemployment background check. This section does not apply to an employer's request for a social security number after the employee has been hired.

summary

This bill prohibits the request of a social security number from a prospective employee by an employer on an employment application or during the application process. Under this bill, an employer may still request a social security number from a prospective employee for purposes of a substance abuse test or preemployment background check, and an employer is not prohibited from asking for a social security number from an individual for any reason after the individual has been hired.