Overview

Title

An Act To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to protect personally identifiable information, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

H. R. 1568 wants to keep personal information like Social Security numbers safe when shipping things so that bad people can't see it and cause harm. It says that the people in charge need to make sure to take out this private stuff before showing it to everyone.

Summary AI

H. R. 1568, known as the “Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act,” aims to update the Tariff Act of 1930 to safeguard personally identifiable information. The bill prohibits public disclosure of certain information when it might pose a risk of personal injury or property damage, and it requires the removal of sensitive details like Social Security and passport numbers from shipping manifests before they are made public.

Published

2024-01-22
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Received in Senate
Date: 2024-01-22
Package ID: BILLS-118hr1568rds

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
313
Pages:
3
Sentences:
7

Language

Nouns: 84
Verbs: 23
Adjectives: 12
Adverbs: 4
Numbers: 17
Entities: 21

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.13
Average Sentence Length:
44.71
Token Entropy:
4.63
Readability (ARI):
23.62

AnalysisAI

Summary of the Bill

The proposed legislation, titled the “Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act,” seeks to amend the Tariff Act of 1930. Its primary aim is to offer greater protection for personally identifiable information (PII) found in shipping manifests. If passed, the bill would restrict public access to certain information if its disclosure is deemed likely to endanger personal safety or is otherwise exempt from disclosure under existing laws. Furthermore, it mandates the removal of sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and passport numbers from these documents before they are made publicly available.

Significant Issues

Several concerns arise from this proposed amendment. Firstly, the criteria under which the Secretary of the Treasury can determine that disclosing information could lead to personal injury or property damage are insufficiently defined. This vagueness could result in arbitrary or inconsistent application of the rules. Secondly, the bill does not specify who bears the responsibility for removing sensitive information from the manifests. This lack of accountability could lead to challenges in implementation, potential errors, or delays. Additionally, the process by which each shipment is individually assessed is not clearly described, raising potential for inefficiencies. Lastly, the language used in the bill regarding the nature of documents involved is ambiguous, which could lead to legal challenges or misinterpretations.

Impact on the Public

The bill, if properly executed, could enhance privacy protections for individuals concerned about the exposure of their personal data in shipping documents. By limiting access to potentially sensitive information, the bill aims to fortify personal security and mitigate risks of identity theft or other forms of exploitation. However, the ambiguities and potential inefficiencies outlined above might reduce the effectiveness of these protections. An inconsistent application could leave some individuals unprotected or delay the security measures intended by the bill.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For logistics companies, importers, and exporters, the bill could imply additional administrative burdens, as they might be responsible for identifying and removing sensitive information from shipping documents. Without a clear directive on accountability, these companies might also face legal challenges if they fail to comply adequately with the amended rules. On the other hand, individuals and entities concerned about data privacy could view this bill as a positive step towards increased data protection. However, if the operational inefficiencies are not addressed, these stakeholders might perceive the improvements as nominal rather than substantive.

In conclusion, while the bill proposes meaningful steps toward enhancing data privacy, unresolved issues in its drafting could limit its practical effectiveness and lead to unintended consequences.

Issues

  • The criteria for the Secretary of the Treasury's affirmative finding ('likely to pose a threat of personal injury or property damage') in Section 2 are not specified, allowing for broad interpretation and potentially leading to inconsistent application, which is significant for both legal and public safety perspectives.

  • The amendment in Section 2 does not specify which party is responsible for removing personally identifiable information before public access, creating potential implementation issues and accountability challenges, raising ethical and privacy concerns.

  • The lack of detail regarding how 'an affirmative finding on a shipment-by-shipment basis' will be conducted, as mentioned in Section 2, could lead to inefficiencies and inconsistent application, which is an operational issue that may impact the efficacy of the Act.

  • The vagueness of the phrase 'any manifest signed, produced, delivered, or electronically transmitted' in Section 2 could lead to ambiguity and legal challenges, as it is unclear whether it refers to all related documents or only certain types.

  • The section title 'Protection of personally identifiable information' could mislead stakeholders into believing that comprehensive protective measures are in place, despite potential ambiguities and lack of details noted above, which is an ethical concern.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the bill states that the official name of this legislation is the “Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act”.

2. Protection of personally identifiable information Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to specify that certain information will not be publicly disclosed if it poses a threat to personal safety or is exempt by law. It ensures that personally identifiable information, like Social Security and passport numbers, is removed from shipping manifests before being accessible to the public.