Bill > S490

This bill establishes legal prohibitions and penalties for unauthorized access to the central payment systems of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, a part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful for individuals who are not authorized federal employees or long-term federal contractors to access these payment systems. It also prohibits certain federal employees from accessing these systems, including those in high-level executive positions, board members, or employees with less than one year of continuous service. The bill allows persons harmed by unauthorized access to file civil lawsuits seeking damages, with potential compensation of up to $250,000 for each unauthorized access. The legislation defines various terms such as "federal employee," "federal contractor," and "covered employee" to clarify the scope of the restrictions. Additionally, the bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prevent certain employees from accessing taxpayer return information through these payment systems and establishes civil damages for unauthorized inspections or disclosures. The bill emphasizes that it does not create any legal inference about the lawfulness of actions that occurred before its enactment.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/490/all-info