[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 235 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62900-62901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29756]



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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Notice of amendment and addition of new routine use for an 
existing system of records.

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SUMMARY: This document publishes notice of modifications to Privacy Act 
system of records USPS 050.005, Finance Records--Accounts Receivable 
Files. The proposed modifications add a new routine use and restore an 
earlier removal from the description of the categories of individuals 
covered by the system.
    The routine use allows disclosure of limited information to a 
Postal Service permit holder or presenter of a bulk mailing when the 
customer on whose behalf the mailing was made has submitted a 
nonsufficient funds check for payment of postage. The categories of 
individuals segment is amended to restore the previously removed 
category of customers whose checks are returned by the bank.
    This notice complies with subsection (e)(11) of the Privacy Act, 
which requires agencies to publish advance notice of any new use of 
information in a system of records.

DATES: Any interested party may submit written comments on the proposed 
amendments and addition. This proposal will become effective without 
further notice on January 16, 1996, 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, Room 8650, Washington, DC 20260-5242. Copies of 
all written comments will be available at the above address for public 
inspection and photocopying between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty E. Sheriff, (202) 268-2608.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Privacy Act system of records USPS 050.005, 
Finance Records--Accounts Receivable Files, contains records used to 
facilitate the collection of debts owed to the Postal Service. It is 
proposed that the system be amended to add routine use No. 8 and to 
replace in the categories of individuals segment the category of 
customers whose checks are returned by the bank.
    Proposed routine use No. 8 permits the Postal Service to disclose 
to a permit holder or presenter of a mailing information concerning a 
nonsufficient funds check used by the permit holder or presenter to pay 
postage for a customer on whose behalf a mailing was made. When a 
permit holder or presenter of a mailing submits a mailing to the Postal 
Service, the mailing may have been prepared for an individual or 
organization other than the permit holder or presenter. In such cases, 
the permit holder or presenter of the mailing may, for payment of 
postage, submit the check of the individual or organization for which 
the mailing is prepared. Currently, the Postal Service pursues 
collection for nonsufficient funds checks directly from the permit 
holder or presenter of the mailing. Under a new policy, the Postal 
Service will pursue collection for nonsufficient funds check directly 
from the check writer. Post offices may then refuse to accept further 
check payment of postage and fees by that check writer. For that 
transaction and future transactions, it might be necessary to disclose 
to the permit holder or presenter of the 

[[Page 62901]]
mailing that the individual or organization for whom the mailing was 
made has submitted a check for nonsufficient funds. New routine use No. 
8 permits such disclosure.
    The proposed routine use is compatible with the purpose for 
collecting the information, that is, facilitating debt collection and 
preventing the future acceptance of bad checks from repeat offenders. 
Because the disclosures allowed by this routine use will enable the 
Postal Service to protect itself from bad-check writers, the routine 
use is clearly compatible with the purpose of USPS Privacy Act system 
050.005.
    The categories of individuals segment of the system notice formerly 
included the language ``customers whose checks are returned by the 
bank.'' That language, intended to cover records that include existing 
local lists of such customers, was removed in an administrative error. 
This notice restores the language.
    All records within USPS Privacy Act system 050.005 continue to be 
kept in a secured environment, with automated data processing (ADP) 
physical and administrative security and technical software applied to 
data on computer media. Paper records are kept in a secured area of the 
post office and are made available internally on an official need-to-
know basis. Contractors who maintain data collected by USPS Privacy Act 
system 050.005 are subject to subsection (m) of the Privacy Act and are 
required to apply appropriate protections subject to the audit and 
inspection of the Postal Inspection Service.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11), interested persons are invited to 
submit written data, views, or arguments on this proposal. A report of 
the proposed system has been sent to Congress and to the Office of 
Management and Budget for their evaluation.
    USPS Privacy Act system 050.005 was last published in its entirety 
in the Federal Register on October 26, 1989 (54 FR 43666-43667) and was 
amended in the Federal Register on December 22, 1994 (59 FR 66061-
66062). The Postal Service proposes amending USPS Privacy Act system 
050.005 as shown below.

USPS 050.005

    Finance Records--Accounts Receivable Files, 050.005.
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ] Postal Service debtors such as the following: 
Contractors who fail either to provide equipment, supplies, or services 
to the Postal Service as agreed or to purchase property from the Postal 
Service as agreed; customers who have written checks returned by the 
bank; payees of money orders who make an erroneous payment, improper 
payment, or overpayment; employees or former employees who make an 
erroneous payment, improper payment, or overpayment; employees, former 
employees, or private parties who lose or damage Postal Service 
property through carelessness, negligence, or malice.
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ] 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]
    8. Disclosure of information about postal customers who write 
nonsufficient funds checks for postal services may be made to the 
permit holder or presenter of a mailing being made on the customer's 
behalf. Disclosure is limited to the identity of the customer, the date 
of the mailing, and the date and amount of the check.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 95-29756 Filed 12-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P