[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9510-9511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5475]



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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Privacy Act of 1974; Publication of a Proposed New Routine Use

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

ACTION: Notice of a proposed new routine use.

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SUMMARY: This notice proposes to add one routine use to the OPM/
Internal-5, Pay, Leave, and Travel Records.

DATES: This proposed routine use will be effective without further 
notice April 17, 1996, unless comments received dictate otherwise.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Office of Personnel Management, 
Attn.: Mr. Robert Huley, Office of Information Technology, 1900 E 
Street NW., Room 5415, Washington, DC 20415-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Huley at (202) 418-3210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM is creating a new routine use ``1'' to 
deal exclusively and specifically with the release of home addresses of 
bargaining unit employees to recognized labor organizations. The 
release of updated home addresses of all bargaining unit employees from 
an accurate system of records is necessary for full and proper 
discussion, understanding, and negotiation of subjects within the scope 
of collective bargaining under 5 U.S.C. 7114(b)(4).
    The confusion and turmoil resulting from the recent Government 
shutdowns emphasize the importance of permitting agencies to release to 
recognized labor organizations, which are legally obligated to 
represent the interests of all employees in the bargaining unit they 
represent, the accurate home addresses of unit employees. The period of 
time during which many employees were not at their places of 
employment, and indeed, were barred from working, demonstrated the lack 
of efficacy of relying upon bulletin boards, desk drops, and other 
means of communication.
    OPM has determined that the most current home addresses of OPM 
employees are contained in the payroll system of records. Because this 
system is updated for changes annually by OPM employees and is 
automated, it is the most efficient as well as the most accurate 
mechanism for releasing this information. Accordingly, OPM will 
implement the policy by utilizing its internal payroll system of 
records.
    OPM has determined that with regard to the other systems of records 
containing home addresses (e.g., OPM/GOVT-1, General Personnel Records 
system), the home addresses within those systems of records are 
frequently out of date. Retrieval of home addresses of employees from 
the OPM/GOVT-1 system of records or any other system of records 
administered by OPM would yield a great deal of inaccurate information. 
Therefore, the release of the home addresses from these systems would 
not serve the purpose of the disclosure, namely, the furnishing of 
correct and useful information. Moreover, the use of these systems of 
records, which are not wholly automated, would require an inordinate 
amount of time to locate information that was not even requested, 
namely, inaccurate home addresses, and would not result in the 
retrieval of accurate home addresses, no matter how much time and 
effort were expended. Accordingly, home addresses should be released 
from an accurate internal system and will not be released from OPM/
GOVT-1 or any other system administered by OPM.
    We are proposing a routine use for OPM's Pay, Leave and Travel 
System covering its own employees, OPM/Internal-5. This will permit OPM 
to release home addresses of all of its bargaining unit members to 
recognized labor unions from this system of records, which includes its 
payroll records. The payroll records contain accurate home addresses 
that may easily be collected.
    The Office of Personnel Management's system of records known as 
OPM/Internal-5 last published in its entirety at 58 FR 19161 (April 12, 
1993) with changes published at 60 FR 63078 (December 8, 1995) is 
amended as follows:

OPM/Internal-5

    Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including 
categories of users, and the purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    1. To disclose of labor organizations recognized under 5 U.S.C. 
Chapter 71 the home addresses or designated 

[[Page 9511]]
mailing addresses of bargaining unit members.

Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-5475 Filed 3-7-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6315-01-M