[Federal Register: January 26, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 16)] [Notices] [Page 3774-3775] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr26ja98-117] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTAL SERVICE Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records AGENCY: Postal Service. ACTION: Notice of modifications to an existing system of records and the addition of new routine uses to that and another existing system of records. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The purpose of this document is to publish notice of modifications to existing system of records USPS 050.040, Finance Records--Uniform Allowance Program and the addition of new routine uses to that system and to system of records USPS 050.020, Finance Records-- Payroll System. The modifications to USPS 050.040 are prompted by changes in the Postal Service's procedures for providing monetary allowances to postal employees purchasing authorized uniforms. The modifications to USPS 050.020 are prompted by requirements of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-193). That Act requires agencies to report new-hire and wage data to the Department of Health and Human Services which will use the data to locate individuals to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations. DATES: Any interested party may submit written comments on the proposed amendments and additions. This proposal will become effective without further notice on March 27, 1998, unless comments received on or before that date result in a contrary determination. ADDRESSES: Written comments on this proposal should be mailed or delivered to: PAYROLL ACCOUNTING/RECORDS, UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, 475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 8831, WASHINGTON DC 20260-5243. Copies of all written comments will be available at the above address for public inspection and photocopying between 8:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty E. Sheriff, (202) 268-2608. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to recent changes in the Postal Service uniform program, the Postal Service will disclose data from its system USPS 050.040, Finance Records--Uniform Allowance Program to contractors who provide uniform distribution and postal payment card services. The Postal Service uniform program requires certain employees to wear prescribed uniforms in performing their duties. These employees are entitled to a uniform allowance to purchase authorized uniform items which meet Postal Service specifications. As a result of recent changes in the uniform allowance program, employees will purchase uniform items from a centralized distribution firm using a purchasing card issued by a financial institution. The proposed system modifications support those changes by expanding the ``system location'' to include contractor facilities and by adding a routine use permitting disclosure to contract distribution firms and financial institutions to provide uniform items and purchasing card services, respectively. Pursuant to Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Postal Service will disclose data from its system USPS 050.020, Finance Records--Payroll System to the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for use in its Federal Parent Locator System (FPLS) and Federal Tax Offset System, DHHS/OCSE No. 09-90-0074. Information on this system was last published at 61 FR 38754, July 25, 1996. FPLS is a computerized network through which states may request location information from federal and state agencies to find non- custodial parents and/or their employers for purposes of establishing paternity and securing support. Effective October 1, 1997, the FPLS will be enlarged to include the Directory of New Hires, a database containing information on employees commencing employment, quarterly wage data on private and public sector employees, and information on unemployment compensation benefits. Effective October 1, 1998, the FPLS will be expanded to include a Federal Case Registry. The Federal Case Registry will contain abstracts on all participants involved in child support enforcement cases. When the Federal Case Registry is instituted, its files will be matched on an ongoing basis against the files in the National Directory of New Hires to determine if an employee is a participant in a child support case anywhere in the country. If the FPLS identifies a person as being a participant in a state child support case, that state will be notified of the participant's current employer. State requests to the FPLS for location information will also continue to be processed after October 1, 1998. The data to be disclosed by the Postal Service to the FPLS include employee name, social security number, address, date of birth, and employment information such as date of hire and work location. In addition, names and social security numbers submitted by the Postal Service to the FPLS will be disclosed by the OCSE to the Social Security Administration for verification to ensure that the social security number provided is correct. The data disclosed by the Postal Service to the FPLS also will be disclosed by the OCSE to the Secretary of the Treasury for verifying claims for the advance payment of earned income tax credit or to verify an employment claim on a tax return. Addition of the routine uses to USPS 050.020 and USPS 050.040 is proposed in accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3)). The Privacy Act permits the disclosure of information about individuals without their consent for a routine use when the information's use will be compatible with the purpose for which the information was originally collected. Data within USPS 050.040 is kept for the purpose of funding the procurement of uniforms. Disclosure of [[Page 3775]] this information to financial institutions and uniform distribution firms, each providing services related to purchasing uniform items, is consistent and compatible with that purpose. Similarly, since the proposed uses of the data within USPS 050.020 are required by Public Law 104-193, they are necessary and proper uses and therefore compatible uses which meet Privacy Act requirements. The system modifications and additions are not expected to have any undue effect on individual privacy rights. The modifications to USPS 050.040 do not alter the scope or character of information collected by the system. The contract financial institutions and uniform distribution firms have been made subject to the Privacy Act in accordance with subsection (m) and are required to apply appropriate protections subject to the audit and inspection of the Postal Inspection Service. Records within USPS 050.040 and 050.020 continue to be kept in a secured environment, with automated data processing physical and administrative security and technical software applied to data on computer media. Paper records are kept in a secured area of post offices and are made available internally on an official need-to- know basis. Postal Service records disclosed to the OCSE will be accomplished by Connect:Direct, hardcopy medium, or other means ensuring the security of the data. The FPLS will ensure the data's integrity to the greatest extent practicable by validating names and social security numbers with Social Security Administration records and the Postal Service will be notified of any invalid, incomplete, and corrected social security numbers. USPS Privacy Act system 050.020 was last published in its entirety in the Federal Register on December 4, 1992 (57 FR 57515-57519) and was amended on November 22, 1993 (58 FR 61718-61719) and June 12, 1996 (61 FR 29774). USPS Privacy Act system 050.040 was last published in its entirety in the Federal Register on October 26, 1989 (54 FR 43669- 43670). The Postal Service proposes amending these systems as shown below. USPS 050.020 SYSTEM NAME: Finance Records--Payroll System, 050.020. * * * * * ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES: [Change to read:] General routine use statements a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, j, k, l, and m listed in the prefatory statement at the beginning of the Postal Service's published system notices apply to this system. Other routine uses are as follows: * * * * * [Add the following:] 33. Disclosure of information about current or former postal employees may be made to the Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services Federal Parent Locator System (FPLS) and Federal Tax Offset System for locating individuals and identifying their income sources to establish paternity, establish and modify orders of support, and for enforcement action. 34. Disclosure of information about current or former postal employees may be made to the Social Security Administration for verifying social security numbers in connection with the operation of the FPLS by the Office of Child Support Enforcement. 35. Disclosure of information about current or former postal employees may be made to the Department of the Treasury for purposes of administering the Earned Income Tax Credit Program (Section 32, Internal Revenue Code of 1986) and verifying a claim with respect to employment in a tax return. USPS 050.040 SYSTEM NAME: Finance Records--Uniform Allowance Program, 050.040. SYSTEM LOCATION: [Change to read:] Postal facilities employing personnel entitled to uniform allowances and the Information Service Center, St. Louis, MO, and contractor facilities where necessary to perform uniform supply and postal purchasing card services. * * * * * CATEGORIES OF RECORDS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM: [Change to read:] Name, Social Security number, home address; uniform code, designation code, and pay location; account balance and invoices and other information relating to the uniform item(s) purchase. * * * * * ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES: [Change to read:] General routine use statements a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, j, k, l, and m listed in the prefatory statement at the beginning of the Postal Service's published system notices apply to this system. Other routine uses are as follows: * * * * * [Add the following:] 3. Disclosure of information about current or former employees may be made to a financial institution under contract with the Postal Service to provide purchasing card services with respect to the purchase of uniform items. 4. Disclosure of information about current or former employees may be made to a distribution firm under contract with the Postal Service to provide fulfillment services with respect to the purchase of uniform items. Stanley F. Mires, Chief Counsel, Legislative. [FR Doc. 98-1669 Filed 1-23-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710-12-P