[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10309-10311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3702]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Privacy Act of 1974, As Amended; Addition of a New System of 
Records

AGENCY: Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Proposed addition of a new system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Interior is issuing public notice of its 
intent to add a new department-wide Privacy Act system of records to 
its inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a). This action is necessary to meet the requirements of the 
Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence 
and character of records systems maintained by the agency (5 U.S. C. 
552a(e)(4)). The new system of records is called the ``Interior Child 
Care Subsidy Program Records System.''

EFFECTIVE DATE: 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11) requires that the public be 
provided a 30-day period in which to comment on the intended use of the 
information in the system of records. The Office of Management and 
Budget, in its Circular A-130, requires an additional 10-day period 
(for a total of 40 days) in which to make these comments. Any persons 
interested in commenting on this proposed system of records may do so 
by submitting comments in writing to the Office of the Secretary 
Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act Officer, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, National Business Center, MS 1414 MIB, 1849 C Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20240, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Comments received 
within 40 days of publication in the Federal Register will be 
considered. The system will be effective as proposed at the end of the 
comment period unless comments are received which would require a 
contrary determination. In that case the Department will publish any 
changes to the routine uses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Ellen Sloca, Office of the 
Secretary Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act Officer, by phone at 
202-208-6045, by fax at 202-208-5048, by e-mail at [email protected], or 
by mail at U.S. Department of the Interior, National Business Center, 
MS 1414 MIB, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Interior Child Care Subsidy Program 
Records system will contain information from Interior employees 
collected for the purpose of determining their eligibility for the 
child care subsidy program and the amounts of their subsidy. The system 
will contain information about the employee, the employee's spouse, the 
child or children for whom the employee applies for a child care 
subsidy, and the employee's child care provider(s). The information 
collected will include the employee's name, spouse's name, employee's 
title, grade, and salary, the employee's home and work telephone 
numbers, the employee's home and work addresses, the organization in 
which the employee works, the employee's Social Security Number, the 
spouse's Social Security Number, the employee's tax returns, the 
spouse's tax returns, the name and Social Security Number of the child 
on whose behalf the parent is applying for a subsidy, the child's date 
of birth, the date of entry into the Child Care Subsidy Program, and 
the amount of subsidy received; the name, address, telephone number, 
employer identification number (EIN), license and accreditation status 
of the child care center in which the employee's child(ren) is (are) 
enrolled, and the dates of attendance. Collection of data will be by 
child care subsidy application forms submitted by employees. A copy of 
the system notice for ``Interior Child Care Subsidy Program Records,'' 
DOI-01, follows:

    Dated: February 9, 2001.
Sue Ellen Sloca,
Office of the Secretary Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act Officer, 
National Business Center.
INTERIOR/DOI-01

System Name:
    Interior Child Care Subsidy Program Records.

Security Classification:
    None.

System Location:
    U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Labor/
Employee Relations and Systems Group, MS 5221 MIB, Washington, D.C. 
20240.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    (1) Present and former employees of the Department of the Interior 
who voluntarily apply for a child care subsidy, their spouses, and 
children

[[Page 10310]]

who are enrolled in government-subsidized child care.
    (2) Child-care providers of these employees.

Categories of Records in the System:
    The information collected will include the employee's name, 
spouse's name, employee's title, grade, and salary, the employee's home 
and work telephone numbers, the employee's home and work addresses, the 
organization in which the employee works, the employee's Social 
Security Number, the spouse's Social Security Number, the employee's 
tax returns, the spouse's tax returns, the name and Social Security 
Number of the child on whose behalf the parent is applying for a 
subsidy, the child's date of birth, the date of entry into the Child 
Care Subsidy Program, and the amount of subsidy received; the name, 
address, telephone number, employer identification number (EIN), 
license and accreditation status of the child care center in which the 
employee's child(ren) is (are) enrolled, and the dates of attendance.

Authority for Maintenance of the System:
    Pub. L. 105-554, section 633 and Executive Order 9397.

Purpose(s):
    The primary use of the records maintained in this system is to 
establish and verify Department of the Interior employees' eligibility 
for child care subsidies in order to provide monetary assistance to 
them. Other uses of the records in the system include verifying the 
eligibility of child care centers and verifying compliance with 
regulations.

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of such uses:
    Disclosures outside the Department of the Interior may be made 
under the routine uses listed below without the consent of the 
individual if the disclosure is compatible with the purposes for which 
the record was collected.
    (1) To an expert, consultant, or contractor (including employees of 
the contractor) of the Department that performs, on the Department's 
behalf, services requiring the use of these records.
    (2) To child care providers, in order to verify a covered child's 
dates of attendance at the provider's facility.
    (3) The Department of Justice, or to a court, adjudicative or other 
administrative body, or to a party in litigation before a court or 
adjudicative or administrative body, when:
    (a) One of the following is a party to the proceeding or has an 
interest in the proceeding:
    (1) The Department or any component of the Department;
    (2) Any Departmental employee acting in his or her official 
capacity;
    (3) Any Departmental employee acting in his or her individual 
capacity where the Department or the Department of Justice has agreed 
to represent the employee, or
    (4) The United States, when the Department determines that the 
Department is likely to be affected by the proceeding; and
    (b) The Department deems the disclosure to be:
    (1) Relevant and necessary to the proceedings; and
    (2) Compatible with the purpose for which we compiled the 
information.
    (4) To appropriate Federal, State, local or foreign agencies 
responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violation of or for 
enforcing or implementing a statute, rule, regulation, order or 
license, when the Department becomes aware of a violation or potential 
violation of a statute, rule, regulation, order or license.
    (5) To a congressional office in response to an inquiry an 
individual has made to the congressional office.
    (6) To the Office of Personnel Management or the General Accounting 
Office when the information is required for evaluation of the child 
care subsidy program.

Disclosure to Consumer Reporting Agencies:
    Not applicable.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    Records are stored both in file folders, and in electronic form, in 
computer systems.

Retrievability:
    Records are retrieved by the names and Social Security Numbers of 
employees applying for child care subsidies.

Safeguards:
    Access to records in the system is limited to authorized personnel 
whose official duties require such access. Paper records are maintained 
in locked metal file cabinets and/or in secured rooms. Electronic 
records are password-protected and maintained with safeguards meeting 
the security requirements of 43 CFR 2.51.

Retention and Disposal:
    Records are retained and disposed of in accordance with National 
Archives and Records Administration guidelines and authorized Office of 
the Secretary records schedules.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Team Leader, Labor/Employee Relations and Systems Group, Office of 
the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, MS 5221 MIB, 
Washington, D.C. 20240.

Notification Procedures:
    Inquiries regarding the existence of records contained in the 
system should be addressed to the System Manager. The request must be 
in writing, signed by the requester, include the requester's full name 
and Social Security Number, and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 
2.60.

Record Access Procedures:
    A request for access to records contained in the system should be 
addressed to the System Manager. The request must be in writing, signed 
by the requester, include the requester's full name and Social Security 
Number, and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.62.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    A petition for amendment of records contained in the system should 
be addressed to the System Manager. The request must be in writing, 
signed by the requester, include the requester's full name and Social 
Security Number, and meet the content requirements of 42 CFR 2.71.

Record Source Categories:
    Applications for child care subsidies and supporting records, which 
are voluntarily submitted by Interior employees applying for child care 
subsidies.

Exemptions Claimed for the System:
    None.

Privacy Act of 1974--Narrative Statement for a New System of 
Records to Implement the Interior Department Childcare Subsidy 
Program

    The purpose of the new system of records is to collect information 
from employees of the Interior Department in order to determine their 
eligibility for childcare subsidy in the form of tuition assistance, to 
determine the amount of the subsidy, and to implement the program for 
eligible employees. The new system of records also collects information 
from employees' child care provider(s) for verification purposes, such 
as ensuring that providers are

[[Page 10311]]

licensed, and information needed to issue payments directly to child 
care providers.
    Authority for the Interior Department's childcare subsidy program 
is found in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, Public Law 
106-544, which permits Federal agencies to use appropriated funds 
available for salaries to assist lower income employees with their 
child care costs. (See Section 633 of H.R. 5658, incorporated by 
reference into Public Law 106-544.) The authority in the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2001 expires at the end of fiscal year 2001. If 
legislation is enacted extending the authority, the Department may 
choose to continue to operate this program if appropriated funds are 
available. The notice of establishment of this system of records is 
intended to cover the potential extension of the program.
    It is estimated that one percent of Interior Department employees 
might be eligible for the subsidy. If one percent apply for the 
subsidy, the total number of individual records will not exceed 6000.
    The Interior Department proposes to enter into a contract with a 
non-federal organization to process the applications and implement the 
program. This contractor will receive employees completed applications 
and determine eligibility and tuition assistance amount based on a 
formula determined by the Interior Department. The non-federal 
organization is currently administering the childcare subsidy programs 
for other federal agencies, and as a result currently handles federal 
employee personal information and has established procedures to 
minimize the risk of unauthorized access to the system of records. The 
contract between the Interior Department and the non-federal 
organization will require the organization to adhere to federal 
standards of privacy.
    The new system of records will collect income and provider data on 
an application form (``Child Care Provider Information Form--OPM Form 
1644'' [OMB Clearance Number 3206-0240]) submitted by employees. The 
application will only request personal data that is necessary to 
determine whether an employee is eligible for the subsidy and 
information necessary to administer the subsidy for eligible employees. 
The system will contain information from only those individuals who 
choose to apply for the subsidy. The proposed collection of records 
will only be used for the purpose of determining eligibility, 
determining the amount of the subsidy, and for administration of the 
subsidy program.
    The proposal relates to State and local governments. One of the 
requirements of the subsidy is for childcare providers to be licensed 
or regulated in the state or location in which they operate. Childcare 
providers will be required to submit a copy of their latest license 
and/or statement of compliance from their state and/or local authority.
    This system of records does not entail any changes to computer 
installations, communications networks, or any other general changes in 
information collection, handling, storage or dissemination.

[FR Doc. 01-3702 Filed 2-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RJ-P