Privacy Act: Systems of records,

[Federal Register: January 5, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 3)]

[Notices]

[Page 502-504]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr05ja00-70]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Privacy Act of 1974; Creation of a New System of Records

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior proposes to establish a new system of records, INTERIOR/BLM- 35, to be maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

This system of records is being established by the BLM to provide and maintain a new automated collections and billings system, to replace the paper processing system previously used by BLM. The purpose of this system is to track the money owed the BLM, issue bills, and collect funds due the BLM in compliance with the Debt Collection Act of 1987.

5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11) requires that the public be provided a 30-day period in which to comment on the intended use of the information in the system of records. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in its Circular A-130, requires an additional 10-day period (for a total of 40 days) in which to make these comments. Any persons interested in commenting on this new system of records may do so by submitting comments in writing to the BLM Privacy Act Officer, Information Resources Management Policy Group, Department of the Interior, WO520/ 725 LS, 1849 C. St. NW, Washington, DC 20240. Comments received on or before February 14, 2000, will be considered. The system will be effective as proposed at the end of the comment period, unless comments are received which would require a contrary determination.

As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a(r)), the OMB, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and the House Committee on Government Operations have been notified of this action.

The new system description, ``Collections and Billings System'' INTERIOR/BLM-35 will read as set forth below.

Dated: December 20, 1999. Michael D. Nedd, Deputy Assistant Director, Information Resources Management. INTERIOR/BLM-35

SYSTEM NAME:

Collections and Billings System (CBS)-Interior, BLM-35.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

This Collections and Billings database will be maintained at the following Bureau of Land Management (BLM) locations U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), BLM, National Business Center (NBC) Denver Federal Center, Building 40, Denver, Colorado 80225-0047. The BLM Field Offices listed below in the ``System Manager and Address'' section will be able to access pertinent information in the system via the Intranet.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Any business or individuals transacting financial actions with the Bureau of Land Management. Only records reflecting personal information are subject to the Privacy Act. This system also contains records concerning corporations and other business entities, but these records are not subject to the Privacy Act.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

(1) 31 U.S.C. 3512, (2) 31 U.S.C. 3711 through 3719, (3) 41 CFR part 301-304, (4) the Treasury Financial Manual, (5) the Debt Collection Act of 1982, Pub. L. 97-365, 96 Stat. 1749, as amended by Pub. L. 98-167, 97 Stat. 1104, and Debt Collection Improvements Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321(6) 26 U.S.C. 6103 (m)(2), and (7) 5 U.S.C. 5514.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Names, addresses, social security numbers, tax identification numbers, reasons for payment and debt, method of payment (including checking account number, check number, or credit card information), amounts owed, routine billing and payment information used in accounting and financial processing, and information from processing purchases via the Internet.

ROUTINE USE OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

The primary uses of the records are to maintain accounting and financial information associated with the normal accounting procedures of the BLM.

Specifically, the system will be used for the billing of uses of public lands (such as, collection of payments for recreation sites, sand and gravel extraction, and timber harvesting). It is also used for billing of other goods and services received from BLM received (such as declining deposit accounts in BLM public rooms), follow-up, updating program files when payments are made, and accounting for monies. It will also include money which BLM employees owe the Bureau. Records in this system are subject to use in approved computer matching programs authorized under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, for debt collection purposes.

In addition to disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, records or information contained in this system may be disclosed outside the DOI as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:

(1) To the U.S. Department of Justice or in a proceeding before a court or adjudicative body when:

(a) The United States, the DOI, a component of the DOI, or an employee of the DOI who is represented by the government is a party to litigation or

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anticipated litigation, or has an interest in such litigation; and

(b) The DOI determines that the disclosure is relevant or necessary to the litigation and is compatible with the purpose for which the records were compiled.

(2) To Federal, state, local, or foreign agencies responsible for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, regulation, rule, or order, where the BLM becomes aware of an indication of a violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law or regulation.

(3) To congressional offices in response to a request for information on behalf of, and at the request of the individual who is the subject of the records.

(4) To the U.S. Minerals Management Service and Department of the Treasury to effect payment to Federal, state, and local government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals.

(5) To consumer reporting agencies to facilitate collection of debts owed the Government,

(6) To disclose debtor information to the IRS, or another Federal agency or its contractor solely to aggregate information for the IRS to collect debts owed to the Federal government through the offset of tax refunds.

(7) To other Federal agencies for the purpose of collecting debts owed to the Federal government by administrative or salary offset.

(8) To other Federal agencies for the purpose of collecting debts owed to the Federal government when the other agency acts as a BLM- authorized collections officer.

(9) To any other Federal, state or local agency for the purpose of conducting an authorized computer matching program to identify and locate delinquent debtors for the recoupment of debts owed to the Bureau of Land Management.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: STORAGE:

Records are stored on a magnetic media organized and accessed by database management software.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Indexed by name, case serial or other identifying number, appropriation, fund code, order and transaction numbers, organization code, social security number, taxpayer identification number.

SAFEGUARDS:

Safeguards for the CBS conform to the OMB and Departmental guidelines reflecting the implementation of the Computer Security Act of 1987, 40 U.S.C. 759. Data protection will be secured through user identification, passwords, database permissions, and software controls. This will be applied to all installations (see listing of location sites provided in the ``System Manager and Address'' section of the notice). Because some of the information will be transmitted electronically via the Intranet, standard industry security practices will be used to secure such electronic transmissions.

Such security measures will allow different access levels to different types of users. For example certain access levels will allow the BLM employees to only query portions of the database, while others access levels will be given to specific Bureau employees for entering new collections and billings information, and updating or editing existing information. Higher levels of access allow changes to the system, authorization of passwords, corrective maintenance of the software, and security controls to be imposed or lifted.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Records in the CBS are covered by the Treasury Financial Manual, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records schedules, and NARA approved Agency Records Schedules.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Officials responsible for the Headquarters and Field Office system of records specific to that oversight are provided in the listing below: A. Headquarters Office: Assistant Director, Business and Fiscal Resources, Bureau of Land Management (WO-800), Department of the Interior, MIB--Room 5617, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240. B. Field Offices: Office Director, Bureau of Land Management, National Business Center, Building 40, P.O. Box 25047, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225-0047. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office, 222 W. 7th Avenue Number 13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-5076. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, 222 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004- 2203. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825-0451. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7076. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, (Area of administration: All States bordering on, and east of the Mississippi River), 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 22153. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, Idaho 83709-1657. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Montana State Office, (Area of Administration: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota), P.O. Box 36800, Billings, Montana 59107-6800. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, 850 Harvard Way, PO Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520- 0006. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, (Area of administration: New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas), 1474 Rodeo Road, Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office, (Area of administration: Oregon, Washington), PO Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, PO Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, (Area of administration: Wyoming, Nebraska), 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009. Deputy State Director, Administration, Bureau of Land Management, National Interagency Fire Center, 3833 S. Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho 83705-5354.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:

Inquiries regarding the existence of records should be addressed to the appropriate System Manager identified in the listing in the ``System Manager and Address'' section above. A written, signed request stating that the requester seeks information concerning records pertaining to him/her is required. The request envelope and letter should be clearly marked ``PRIVACY ACT

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INQUIRY.'' (See 43 CFR 2.60 for procedures on making inquiries).

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

For copies of your records write to the pertinent System Managers at the locations above. The request envelope and letter should be clearly marked ``PRIVACY ACT REQUEST FOR ACCESS.'' A request for access must meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.63. If copies are sought, indicate the maximum you are willing to pay (43 CFR 2.63(b)(4)).

CONTESTING RECORDS PROCEDURES:

Use the same procedures as the ``Records Access Procedures'' section above.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Customers, accounting records, standard finance office documents, and various paper and electronic systems where charges and payment are recorded.

SYSTEM EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:

None.

[FR Doc. 00-140Filed1-4-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-84-P