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S 2106

Relates to the issuance, records, and delivery of certificates of title; requires the establishment of an electronic lien and title program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jeremy Cooney

Massachusetts bill S.2106 removes the decedent's Social Security number from death records to reduce posthumous identity theft; agencies must adjust forms and data flows.

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Bill Summary · S 2106

Summary — S.2106 (2025): "An Act relative to removing social security numbers from death certificates" (SECURE Act)

Bill at a glance

  • Bill number: S.2106 (Senate Docket No. 34)
  • Short title in text: An Act relative to removing social security numbers from death certificates (also cited as the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency Act / SECURE Act in the header)
  • Jurisdiction: Commonwealth of Massachusetts (amends chapter 46 of the General Laws)
  • Filed: Senate Docket indicates filed 01/06/2025
  • Recent procedural events (per docket): read twice and referred to committee 06/18/2025; hearing scheduled 06/24/2025. Status field in the provided materials also shows various committee referrals (see “Procedural status” below).
  • Sponsor (bill text): Sen. William N. Brownsberger (Suffolk & Middlesex)

Note: Several items in the supplied metadata (alternate bill title about certificates of title, a long list of U.S. Senators as cosponsors, and duplicate/contradictory referral entries) appear inconsistent with the bill text and the Commonwealth-level docket. See the “Metadata discrepancies” section below.

Purpose / intent

The bill’s stated purpose is to remove social security numbers (SSNs) from the public record of death maintained under Massachusetts law, reducing exposure of SSNs on death certificates and thereby lowering the risk of identity theft and misuse of deceased persons’ SSNs.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 1 of chapter 46 of the Massachusetts General Laws (as in 2022 Official Edition).
  • Strikes the words “social security number,” from the statute provision that lists information in the death record.
  • Adds an explicit sentence to the section’s fourth paragraph: “The record of death shall not include the social security number of the deceased.”

In short: the death record maintained under the cited statute would no longer include the decedent’s SSN.

Who would be affected

  • State and local registrars and vital records offices that prepare and maintain death certificates/records.
  • Funeral homes and medical certifiers who supply information for the death record.
  • Members of the public and entities that access death records (researchers, genealogists, insurers, benefits administrators).
  • Agencies that currently rely on SSNs on death records for verification (they may need alternative verification procedures).
  • Families of the deceased may see reduced risk of posthumous identity fraud.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Docket filing: 01/06/2025.
  • Legislative actions (per provided log): introduced/read twice and referred to committee 06/18/2025; hearing scheduled for 06/24/2025 (10:00 AM–1:00 PM in A‑1).
  • The materials also show multiple committee referrals (Judiciary; State Administration & Regulatory Oversight; Transportation) and duplicate entries — consult the official legislative website/docket for current status.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Privacy benefit: reduces public display of SSNs that can be exploited for identity theft.
  • Administrative adjustments: registrars, funeral directors, and state agencies may need to change forms and data-exchange processes; alternative identifiers or secure transmission procedures may be required when SSNs are needed (e.g., for Social Security or veterans’ benefits).
  • Research/data linkage: removing SSNs may complicate linkage of vital records across datasets; statistical and historical researchers may need alternate matching strategies.
  • Legal/operational questions: the bill is narrowly targeted (removal from death record) but does not specify procedures for secure transmission of SSNs to agencies that require them—those operational details would be handled by regulation or companion guidance.

Metadata discrepancies / advisory

The supplied packet includes several inconsistent items (an unrelated title about vehicle certificates of title and electronic lien programs; extensive list of U.S. Senators as cosponsors; repeated or conflicting referral entries). These appear to be clerical or compilation errors. For authoritative text and current status, consult the Massachusetts Legislature’s official bill page for S.2106 (Senate Docket No. 34).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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