Taxpayer Data Protection Act

Taxpayer Data Protection Act This bill restricts access to any public money receipt or payment system belonging to the Department of the Treasury. Specifically, access is limited to authorized Treasury officers, employees, or contractors meeting certain performance standards who have held a qualified position for at least a year, or who hold other qualifications as provided by the bill. The bill specifically prohibits special government employees (i.e., temporary appointees hired to perform specific tasks) from having access to such systems. The bill also provides that an individual accessing such systems shall be treated as an executive branch employee for purposes of federal criminal conflict of interest laws. Treasury's Office of Inspector General must investigate and report on each instance of unauthorized use or other access of such payment systems.

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS).