[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 198 (Thursday, October 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53259-53260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25832]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2450]


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

    Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes to 
create a new system of records, STATE-61, pursuant to the provisions of 
the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a(r)), and Office of 
Management and Budget Circular No. A-130, Appendix I. The Department's 
report was filed with the Office of Management and Budget on September 
25, 1996.
    This system of records is being created by the Department of State 
to support its responsibilities with regard to garnishments of certain 
employees' wages, retirement benefits and other payments under 42 
U.S.C. 659 and 5 U.S.C. 5520a. The information included in the system 
of records is directly related to garnishment actions.
    Any persons interested in commenting on this new system of records 
may do so by submitting comments in writing to Jacquelyn Lilly, Acting 
Chief, Privacy, Plans, and Appeals Division, Office of Freedom of 
Information, Privacy and Classification Review, Room 1239; Department 
of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520-1239. This system of 
records will be effective 40 days from the date of publication, 
(November 19, 1996), unless the Department receives comments which will 
result in a contrary determination.
    The new system description, ``Garnishment of Wages Records, STATE-
61'' will read as set forth below.

    Dated: September 25, 1996.
Ralph Frank,
Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Administration.
STATE-61
    Garnishment of Wages Records.
    Unclassified and classified.
    Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520.
    Department of State employees (current and retired); employees of 
the Agency for International Development, United States Information 
Agency and the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency; and other 
employees and personal services contractors listed on the Department's 
payroll and/or Foreign Service retirement records who have been the 
subject of court orders to garnish the employee's wages or retirement 
benefits.
    5 U.S.C. 301 (Management of Executive Agencies); 22 U.S.C. 2651a 
(Organization of the Department of State); 22 U.S.C. 3921 (Management 
of service); 42 U.S.C. (Child support and alimony garnishment); 5 
U.S.C. 5520a (Commercial garnishment).
    Communications between the Office of the Legal Adviser and the 
Bureau of Finance and Management Policy regarding the employee's 
garnishment; communications between the Office of the Legal Adviser and 
the employee who is the subject of the garnishment; communications 
between the Office of the Legal Adviser and courts or agencies 
regarding the employee's garnishment proceeding; communications between 
the Office of the Legal Adviser and a party named in or affected by the 
garnishment action; and court or agency orders, summons and other 
documents related to the garnishment action against the employee.
    Information in the records system is used by the Office of the 
Legal Adviser to provide advice and services to the Bureau of Finance 
and Management Policy and other bureaus and offices in order to comply 
with court or agency ordered garnishments. The principal users of this 
information outside the Department of State are: Federal, state and 
local courts; state and local tax collection and child enforcement 
offices; the Internal Revenue Service; private collection agencies, law 
firms and/or other individuals authorized to receive garnished wages or 
benefits by court or agency order or otherwise involved in a 
garnishment proceeding. The information may also be released to other 
federal, state and local government agencies having statutory or other 
lawful authority to maintain such information. Also see the ``Routine 
Uses'' paragraph of the Prefatory Statement published in the Federal 
Register.
    Electronic media; hard copy.
    By individual name and Social Security Number.
    All employees of the Department of State have undergone background 
investigations. Access to the Department and its annexes is controlled 
by security guards and admission is limited to those individuals 
possessing a valid identification card or individuals under proper 
escort. All records containing personal information are maintained in 
secured file cabinets or in restricted areas, access to which is 
limited to authorized personnel. Access to computerized files is 
password-protected and under the direct supervision of the system 
manager. The system manager has the capability of printing audit trails 
of access from the computer media, thereby permitting regular and ad 
hoc monitoring of computer usage.
    These records will be maintained until they become inactive, at 
which time they will be retired or destroyed in accordance with 
published record schedules of the Department of State and as approved 
by the National Archives and Records Administration. More specified 
information may be obtained by writing to the Director, Office of 
Freedom of Information, Privacy, and Classification Review; Room 1239, 
Department of State; 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520-1239.
    Executive Director; Office of the Legal Adviser; Room 5519A; 
Department of State; 2201 C Street, NW; Washington, DC 20520.
    Individuals who have reason to believe that the Office of the Legal 
Adviser might have records pertaining to them should write to the 
Director, Office of Freedom of Information, Privacy and Classification 
Review, Room 1239, Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, 
DC 20520-1239. The individual must specify that he/she wishes the 
Garnishment of Wages Records to be checked. At a minimum, the 
individual must include: Name; date and place of birth; current mailing 
address and zip code; bureau/

[[Page 53260]]

 agency to which he/she is or was assigned and dates of assignment; 
retirement system (if applicable); approximate date of when garnishment 
began; and signature.
    Individuals who wish to gain access or amend records pertaining to 
them should write to the Director, Office of Freedom of Information, 
Privacy and Classification Review (address above).
    These records contain information obtained directly from: The 
individual who is the subject of these records; his/her legal 
representative; federal, state or local courts or agencies; other 
parties named in or affected by the individual's garnishment 
proceedings; the Bureau of Personnel; the Bureau of Finance and 
Management Policy and the Office of the Legal Adviser.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2), certain records contained within 
this system of records are exempted from 5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d), 
(e)(1), e(4)(G), (H) and (I) and (f) in accordance with Department of 
State rules published in the Federal Register.

[FR Doc. 96-25832 Filed 10-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-M