[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 175 (Friday, September 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54599-54600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23117]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Departmental Offices; Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; System of 
Records

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed Privacy Act System of Records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Department of the Treasury gives 
notice of a proposed new system of records entitled, ``Treasury/DO 
.015--Political Appointee Files.''

DATES: Comments must be received no later than October 10, 2000. The 
proposed system of records will be effective October 18, 2000, unless 
the Department receives comments that would result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Chief of Staff, Department of the 
Treasury, Room 3420, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jana Carter, Department of the 
Treasury, (202) 622-2955. Fax: 202-622-0737.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A review of the filing systems maintained by 
the Department identified records which are maintained by names or 
other identifiers of individuals considered for

[[Page 54600]]

possible appointments to non-career positions in the Department of the 
Treasury.
    The system of records report, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of 
the Privacy Act, has been submitted to the Committee on Government 
Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Office of Management and 
Budget, pursuant to Appendix I to OMB Circular A-130, Federal Agency 
Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals, dated 
February 8, 1996. The proposed system of records, Political Appointee 
Files--Treasury/DO .015 is published in its entirety below.

    Dated: August 31, 2000.
W. Earl Wright, Jr.,
Chief Management and Administrative Programs Officer.
Treasury/DO .015

System name:
    Political Appointee Files.

System location:
    Department of the Treasury, Departmental Offices, 1500 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    Individuals who may possibly be appointed to political positions in 
the Department of the Treasury, consisting of Presidential appointees 
requiring Senate confirmation; non-career Senior Executive Service 
appointees; and Schedule C appointees.

Categories of records in the system:
    Files may consist of the following: Referral letters; White House 
clearance letters; information about an individual's professional 
licenses (if applicable); IRS results of inquiries; notation of 
National Agency Check (NAC) results (favorable or otherwise); internal 
memoranda concerning an individual; Financial Disclosure Statements 
(Standard Form 278); results of inquiries about the individual; 
Questionnaire for National Security Positions Standard Form 86; 
Personal Data Statement and General Counsel Interview sheets; published 
works including books, newspaper and magazine articles, and treatises 
by the individual; newspaper and magazine articles written about or 
referring to the individual; and or articles containing quotes by the 
individual, and other correspondence relating to the selection and 
appointment of political appointees.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    5 U.S.C. 3301, 3302 and E.O. 10577.

Purpose(s):
    These records are used by authorized personnel within the 
Department to determine a potential candidate's suitability for 
appointment to non-career positions within the Department of the 
Treasury.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    These records may be disclosed to: (1) The Office of Personnel 
Management, Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission, and General Accounting Office for the purpose 
of properly administering Federal personnel systems or other agencies' 
systems in accordance with applicable laws, Executive Orders, and 
regulations;
    (2) A Federal, state, local or foreign agency maintaining civil, 
criminal or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent 
information which has requested information relevant to or necessary to 
the requesting agency's hiring or retention of an individual, or 
issuance of a security clearance, license, contract, grant, or other 
benefit;
    (3) A court, magistrate, or administrative tribunal in the course 
of presenting evidence, including disclosures to opposing counsel or 
witnesses in the course of civil discovery, litigation or settlement 
negotiations in response to a subpoena where relevant or potentially 
relevant to a proceeding, or in connection with criminal law 
proceedings;
    (4) A congressional office in response to an inquiry made at the 
request of the individual to whom the record pertains;
    (5) Third parties during the course of an investigation to the 
extent necessary to obtain information pertinent to the investigation; 
and
    (6) Appropriate Federal, state, local or foreign agencies 
responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violation of, or for 
implementing a statute, regulation, order, or license, where the 
disclosing agency becomes aware of an indication of a violation or 
potential violation of civil or criminal law or regulation.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, 
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
    Correspondence and forms in file folders. Records are also 
maintained in electronic media.

Retrievability:
    Information accessed by last name of individual and Social Security 
Number.

Safeguards:
    Building employs security guards. Data is kept in locked file 
cabinets and is accessible to authorized personnel only. Electronic 
media is password protected.

Retention and disposal:
    Records are destroyed at the end of the Presidential administration 
during which the individual is hired. For non-selectees, records of 
individuals who are not hired are destroyed one year after the file is 
closed, but not later than the end of the Presidential administration 
during which the individual is considered.

System manager(s) and address:
    Chief of Staff, Department of the Treasury, Rm 3420, 1500 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Notification procedure:
    Individuals wishing to be informed if they are named in this system 
or gain access to records maintained in the system must submit a 
written, signed request containing the following elements: (1) Identify 
the record system; (2) identify the category and type of records 
sought; and (3) provide at least two items of secondary identification 
(date of birth, employee identification number, dates of employment, or 
similar information). Address inquiries to Assistant Director, 
Disclosure Services, Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Record access procedures:
    See ``Record notification procedure'' above.

Contesting record procedures:
    See ``Record notification procedure'' above.

Record source categories:
    Records are submitted by the individuals and compiled from 
interviews with those individuals seeking non-career positions. 
Additional sources may include The White House, Office of Personnel 
Management, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and 
international, state, and local jurisdiction law enforcement components 
for clearance documents, and other correspondence and public record 
sources.

Exemptions claimed for the system:
    None.

[FR DOC 00-23117 Filed 9-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-P