S. 490 — Protecting Americans’ Privacy Act of 2025

This section prohibits knowing access to or administrative control over Department of the Treasury public money receipt or payment systems—including those of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service—by individuals who are neither Federal employees nor Federal contractors with at least one year of continuous service; certain Federal employees affiliated with covered entities (i.e., corporations, companies, or other organizations) as executives, board members, or controllers, or with less than one year of civil service; or covered employees (i.e., noncareer appointees, certain high-level personnel, or special Government employees) with a conflict of interest under 18 U.S.C. §208 or lacking a signed ethics agreement. It further prohibits facilitation of such access. The section authorizes harmed persons to bring civil actions against violators for equitable or declaratory relief; damages (the greater of actual damages or $250,000 per unauthorized access relating to the plaintiff); punitive damages; and reasonable attorneys' fees and litigation costs, with joint and several liability for related violations.

This section prohibits disclosure of taxpayer returns or return information through Department of the Treasury public money receipt or payment systems—including those of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service—to individuals described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 2(a)(1) of the Protecting Americans’ Privacy Act of 2025. It authorizes civil damages of $250,000 (from $1,000) against such individuals for knowing or negligent inspection or disclosure in violation of the prohibition and states that the amendments create no inference as to the legality of any prior disclosures under IRC §6103.