[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27734-27735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13297]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Privacy Act of 1974; Addition of Routine Uses to an Existing 
System of Records

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notification of an addition of routine uses to an existing 
system of records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act, the 
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is publishing a 
proposal to add three new routine uses for the records in System of 
Records 09-15-0056, National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program 
(VICP), BHPr/HRSA/HHS. HRSA proposes to specify the categories of 
records in the system, and to expand the list of routine use in record 
disclosures to include disclosures for research purposes, disclosures 
to annuity brokers, and disclosures to employees of life insurance 
companies for the purposes of providing benefits to recipients under 
the VICP.

DATES: HRSA invites interested parties to submit comments on the 
addition of new routine uses on or before June 19, 1998. The HRSA/VICP 
will adopt the new routine uses without further notice 30 days after 
the date of publication, unless HRSA receives comments which would 
result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Please address comments on the altered system of records to 
the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Privacy Act 
Officer, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Room 14A-20, Rockville, Maryland 20857, telephone (301) 443-3780. This 
is not a toll-free number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Vaccine Injury 
Compensation, BHPr/HRSA, Room 8A-35, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857; telephone (301) 443-6593. This is not 
a toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The routine use changes proposed are to 
expand the ``Routine Uses of Records'' to specify conditions for 
approving access to the system of records for research purposes.
    Access to the system is limited to authorized users only. Stringent 
physical and procedural safeguards are in place to protect information.
    The alteration of this system will have a minimal effect on an 
individual's privacy and should not affect personal rights. The 
information gathered for research purposes or benefit payment purposes 
will not be disclosed publicly in identifiable form.
    Disclosure of information from this system of records may provide 
important information about vaccine safety, benefit-payment trends or 
the VICP.
    The following notice is written in the present, rather than the 
future tense, to avoid the unnecessary expenditure of public funds to 
republish the notice after the routine use has become effective.

    Dated: May 11, 1998.
Claude Earl Fox,
Acting Administrator.

    Add to Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System:
    7. A record may be disclosed to annuity brokers and to employees of 
life insurance companies for the purposes of obtaining financial advice 
and for the purchase of contracts to provide benefits to recipients of 
benefits under the Program. Organizations to which information is 
disclosed for this use will be required to maintain Privacy Act 
safeguards with respect to such records.
    8. A record may be disclosed to contractors for the purpose of 
providing medical review, analysis and determination as to whether 
petitions meet the medical requirements for compensation. Contractors 
will be required to maintain Privacy Act safeguards with respect to 
such records.
    9. A record may be disclosed for a research purpose when the 
Department:
    (A) Has determined that the disclosure does not violate legal or 
policy limitations under which the record was provided, collected, or 
obtained;
    (B) Has determined that the research purpose:
    (1) Is consistent with the purpose for which the program was 
formed, which includes but is not limited to evaluating the safety of 
vaccines covered under the Program,
    (2) Cannot be reasonably accomplished with information in 
statistical form, and must be provided in an identifiable form to 
accomplish the research purpose, and
    (3) Warrants the risk to the privacy of the individual that 
additional exposure of the record might bring;
    (C) Has required the recipient to:
    (1) Establish reasonable administrative, technical and physical 
safeguards to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the record,
    (2) Remove or destroy the information that identifies the 
individual at the earliest time at which removal or destruction can be 
accomplished consistent with the purpose of the research project, 
unless the recipient has presented adequate justification of a research 
or health nature for retaining such information, and
    (3) Make no further use of the record except:

[[Page 27735]]

    (a) In emergency circumstances affecting the health or safety of 
any individual,
    (b) For disclosure to a properly identified person for the purpose 
of an audit related to the research project, if information that would 
enable research subjects to be identified is removed or destroyed at 
the earliest opportunity consistent with the purpose of the audit, or
    (c) When required by law; and
    (D) Has secured a written statement attesting to the recipient's 
understanding of and willingness to abide by these provisions.

[FR Doc. 98-13297 Filed 5-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P