Sen. Eldridge and Rep. Garballey’s Bill to Remove Social Security Numbers from Death Certificate Signed Into Law
New law protects families’ privacy and helps prevent financial fraud
BOSTON – State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough) and State Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) are proud to announce that S.1523/H.2438, An Act Removing Social Security Numbers from Death Certificates, has been signed into law by Governor Maura Healey. The legislation was added to the most recent Supplemental Budget by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
This bill will restrict public access to death certificates listing social security numbers, only allowing persons with a legitimate need to obtain these certificates. Examples of legitimate need include family members or estate managers to close a deceased person’s financial accounts. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
For decades, Massachusetts included Social Security numbers on publicly accessible death certificates to assist the Social Security Administration in tracking benefit recipients and preventing fraud. Under the new law, death certificates containing Social Security numbers will continue to be transmitted to the Social Security Administration, while those numbers will be redacted from public records.
“This is a pragmatic step to safeguard sensitive personal information at a deeply vulnerable time for families,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge. “I’m grateful to Representative Garballey for leading this effort in the House and to Governor Healey for signing this important privacy protection into law.”
“I am deeply grateful to Governor Maura Healey for signing this important legislation into law, and to my colleagues in the House and Senate for advancing this language through the Supplemental Budget,” said State Representative Sean Garballey. “Removing Social Security numbers from death certificates is a meaningful step forward in protecting privacy, preventing identity theft, and respecting the dignity of individuals and their families. I especially want to thank Senator Jamie Eldridge, State Representative Ken Gordon, and the many advocates who worked tirelessly to ensure this became law.”
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