I received this from a friend (Iris Jones) who is part of the CSGA Legislative watch. This is something we all need to take action on. It is FEDERAL and will affect all of us, no matter where we research! Janice Ramsey Lear FEDERAL LEGISLATION - A CALL TO ACTION At the federal level there are two bills on privacy and the use of Social Security Numbers working their way through the system. They are call the Social Security Misuse Prevention Act. Granted, the misuse of Social Security Numbers has gone on much too long, but as the bills are worded it could spell the end of the Social Security Death Indexes. Even if they were to exempt the present Death Indexes, no further indexes could be developed. The Utah Genealogical Society has worked to get the authors to amend the bill to protect the continued availability of the death indexes, but so far there have been no amendments. It is time for the genealogy community to let Washington know how we feel. We want people's privacy protected but we do not want to see this very important historical research tool lost forever. It is important to thousands of genealogists and family health historians. We ask that make the following amendments in S228 and HR637: 1. Under Sec. 3 (a)(1)(a) DEFINITIONS, add the following definition: "SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - The term 'social security number' refers to the social security number of a living individual." 2. Under Sec. 4 (a)(1)(e)(2) LIST OF PAPER AND OTHER NONELECTRONIC RECORDS, delete "(D) death certificates." You can contact the authors: S228 Senator Dianne Feinstein 331 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3841/fax (202) 228-3954 <feinstein.senate.gov/email.html> Senator Patrick J. Leahy 433 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4242/<senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov> Senator Judd Gregg 393 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3324/<mailbox@gregg.senate.gov> HR637 Representative John E. Sweeney 416 Cannon Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20515 (202)225-5614/Fax (202) 225-6234