Under a new bill that just passed, Americans will be able to get a new Social Security number if they’re under age 14 and had their card stolen.
The law was introduced in September and passed the House. If it gains final approval in the Senate and is signed into law by President Donald Trump, children will have extra protection against identity theft.
Why It Matters
The law was proposed as a way to reduce the likelihood of identity theft among young Americans.
Stealing a Social Security card is a major source of identity theft in America, as scammers can easily use your number and good credit to create long-standing debt or even criminal charges under your identity.
What To Know
Representative Lloyd Smucker, a Pennsylvania Republican, introduced the Social Security Child Protection Act, which now heads to the Senate for consideration after the House approved it Monday in a 386-0 vote.
“I am pleased the Committee advanced my bipartisan legislation to protect children from identity theft, clarify Social Security benefits, and renew the successful Hospital at Home program,” Smucker said in a statement after the bill, among others, passed the Ways and Means Committee. “These bills will prevent fraud, reduce costs and improvement patient outcomes, and deserve swift passage in the House.”
The new law would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to issue a new, different Social Security number to all people under age 14 if their card is lost or stolen.
Under current policy, if that card is stolen or lost in the mail, the SSA will not issue the child a new number until the child is the victim of fraud and reports it. Americans are required to report fraud within two years. However, because many victims of child Social Security fraud don’t discover it until adulthood, changing their number can disrupt credit, government and employment records.
Christina Woodling, a registered Social Security analyst and the founder of Five Star Freedom Group, experienced the troubles that can arise after her child’s Social Security number was stolen and tax returns were filed falsely in the child’s name.
“I think any opportunity, especially the new bill being introduced from Rep. Lloyd Smucker of my home state of Pennsylvania, will help protect children from identity theft,” Woodling told Newsweek.
“Even with the new bill being introduced, it doesn’t necessarily provide complete protection. Having a new SSN may not fully immunize a child from future identity-theft risk, especially if the original number has already been exposed. If the old SSN had been shared or used before it was flagged, there may already be records or misuse tied to it.”
What People Are Saying
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican, in a statement: “Every child deserves to be protected from identity theft. The Social Security Child Protection Act of 2025 ensures that families can secure a new Social Security number if their child’s card is compromised, addressing a problem in government that has left too many families without recourse. Thanks to Representative Smucker’s leadership, this bill makes an important correction to safeguard children’s futures from financial harm.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “This proposed legislation would require the SSA to issue a new Social Security Number to children under the age of 14 if their card is lost or stolen in the mail. Allowing this earlier replacement timeline would greatly assist in eliminating the long-term consequences that come with fraud, from lowering credit scores to making identity verification more difficult.”
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “This marks a major step forward from the old system. Many children only discover they’ve been victims of identity theft when they try to establish credit later in life. Under this proposal, if a child’s Social Security card is lost or stolen before the age of 14, parents or guardians could request a completely new Social Security number.”
What Happens Next
Because the law is not partisan, Thompson said, it likely will have support in the Senate.
“It’s likely to gain broad bipartisan support,” he said. “This is a common-sense protection. However, a unique challenge arises from cases where a parent misuses their child’s SSN, which this bill doesn’t directly address.”
