[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20860-20862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10273]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of amendment to system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552(e) (4)) requires that 
all agencies publish in the Federal Register a notice of the existence 
and character of their systems of records. Notice is hereby given that 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending the system of 
records currently entitled ``Blood Donor File-VA'' (04VA113) as set 
forth in the Federal Register 40 FR 38095. VA is amending the system by 
revising System name and number and the paragraphs for Categories of 
Individuals; Categories of Records; Authority for Maintenance; Routine 
Uses of Records Maintained in the System; and Policies and Practices 
for Storing, Retrieving, Retaining, and Disposing of Records in the 
System, including Safeguards and Retention and Disposal. VA is 
republishing the system notice in its entirety.

DATES: Comments on the amendment of this system of records must be 
received no later than May 25, 2001. If no public comment is received, 
the amended system will become effective May 25, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the proposed new system of 
records may be submitted to the Office of Regulations Management (02D), 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20420. Comments will be available for public inspection at the above 
address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the 
hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
Privacy Act Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, telephone (727) 320-1839.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The name and number of the system is changed 
from ``Blood Donor File-VA'' (04VA113) to the ``Blood Donor 
Information-VA''

[[Page 20861]]

(04VA115). The change in name and number will more accurately reflect 
the new designation of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Services. 
The change in name gives a clear picture of the types of data contained 
in the system.
    The purpose for the system of records is to maintain vital blood 
donor information. Information gathered is necessary in order to track 
the donor from registration to the final disposition of blood and/or 
blood components produced from the donation. The categories of 
individuals have been revised to no longer cover individuals who donate 
blood to Red Cross. The records and information maintained in the 
system may be used to track the donor medical history, donation 
interval(s), results of donor testing, and blood and/or blood 
components produced from the donation. The authority for maintaining 
the system was updated to reflect current Federal law and regulations. 
A few routine use disclosures have been amended and one added, as 
described below:
     Routine Use One has been revised and amended to accurately 
reflect the current needs of the various medical facilities and 
practitioners to meet patient care requirements.
     Routine Use Two has been revised and amended to address 
the needs of all blood donor coordinators to maintain adequate 
inventories.
     Routine Use Four is being deleted. The routine use 
disclosure statements will be renumbered.
     Routine Use Seven has been revised and amended by 
separating it into two routine use disclosures. Routine Uses Six and 
Seven distinguish the two separate agencies that are authorized use of 
the system based on the same authority.
     Routine Use Eight has been added to allow the disclosure 
of relevant information to individuals, organizations, private or 
public agencies, etc., with whom VA has a contract or agreement to 
perform such services as VA may deem practicable for the purposes of 
laws administered by VA, in order for the contractor or subcontractor 
to perform the services of the contract or agreement. VA occasionally 
contracts out certain of its functions when this would contribute to 
effective and efficient operations. VA must be able to give a 
contractor whatever information is necessary for the contractor to 
fulfill its duties. In these situations, safeguards are provided in the 
contract prohibiting the contractor from using or disclosing the 
information for any purpose other than that described in the contract.
    Safeguards were updated to reflect the stricter security policies. 
The Retention and Disposal section of this system has been amended to 
comply with current regulatory statutes. The types of information that 
fall into this category have been identified.
    The notice of intent to publish and an advance copy of the system 
notice have been sent to the appropriate Congressional committees and 
to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as 
required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) (Privacy Act) and guidelines issued by OMB 
(61 FR 6428), February 20, 1996.

    Approved: April 5, 2001.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
04VA115

SYSTEM NAME:
    Blood Donor Information-VA.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Blood Donor records are maintained at each of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities. Addresses are listed in 
VA Appendix I of the biennial publication of Privacy Act Issuances.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Individuals who have donated blood to a Veterans Health 
Administration (VHA) health care facility, blood bank, government or 
private agencies to be issued for patient care under routine or 
emergency conditions.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Blood donor records contain sufficient information (i.e., donor 
name, social security number, date of donation, type of donation, type 
of components produced by the donation, mandated tests results, and 
disposition of the blood or blood component) to provide a mechanism to 
track a donated blood product from the time of donor registration 
through the final disposition of each component prepared from that 
donation. A record of the individual to whom the blood or blood 
component was transfused and the medical facility where the product was 
transfused and/or stored is maintained.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    1. Title 38, United States Code, sections 501(a) and 501(b). 2. 
Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 200-299 and Parts 600-680. 
3. Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Sec. 493.1107.

PURPOSE(S):
    The information and records are used to track the donor medical 
history, donation interval(s), results of donor testing, report 
positive or abnormal test results, and blood and/or blood components 
produced from the donation.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    1. Disclosure may be made to answer requests for information from 
Federal, state, local, and tribal medical facilities regarding the 
source from which blood was received. Such requests may be initiated by 
a qualified medical practitioner in the event that a donor's or 
patient's medical condition warrants it.
    2. Disclosure may be made of blood availability, location, quantity 
on hand, and blood type for use by the area donor collection 
coordinators to answer and fill requests from health care facilities in 
need of type-specific blood.
    3. In the event that a system of records maintained by this 
component to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential 
violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and 
whether arising by general statute or by regulation, rule or order 
issued pursuant thereto, the relevant records in the system of records 
may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether 
Federal, state, local, or foreign, charged with the responsibility of 
investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing 
or implementing the statute, rule, regulation or order issued pursuant 
thereto.
    4. A record from a system of records maintained by this component 
may be disclosed to a Federal agency, in response to its request, in 
connection with the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance of 
a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an employee, 
the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other 
benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that the information is 
relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the 
matter.
    5. Disclosure from a system of records maintained by this component 
may be made to a Congressional office from the record of an individual 
in response to an inquiry from the Congressional office made at the 
request of that individual.
    6. A record from a system of records maintained by this component 
may be disclosed as a routine use to the General Services 
Administration for the purpose of records management inspections 
conducted under authority of Title 44 United States Code.

[[Page 20862]]

    7. A record from a system of records maintained by this component 
may be disclosed as a routine use to the National Archives and Records 
Administration for the purpose of records management inspections 
conducted under authority of Title 44 United States Code.
    8. Disclosure of relevant information may be made to individuals, 
organizations, private or public agencies, etc., with whom VA has a 
contract or agreement to perform such services as VA may deem 
practicable for the purposes of laws administered by VA, in order for 
the contractor or subcontractor to perform the services of the contract 
or agreement.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Paper documents, magnetic tape, disk.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    1. All VA blood donor manual records are indexed by name and social 
security number of donor, cross-indexed by blood type. 2. Automated 
records are indexed by name, social security number, blood type, 
antibodies and date of last donation.

SAFEGUARDS:
    1. Access to VA working space and medical record storage areas is 
restricted to VA employees on a ``need to know'' basis. Generally, VA 
file areas are locked after normal duty hours and are protected from 
outside access by the Federal Protective Service. Employee file records 
and file records of public figures or otherwise sensitive medical 
record files are stored in separate locked files. Strict control 
measures are enforced to ensure that disclosure is limited to a ``need 
to know'' basis.
    2. Strict control measures are enforced to ensure that access to 
and disclosure from all records including electronic files are limited 
to VA employees whose official duties warrant access to those files. 
The system recognizes authorized employees by a series of individually-
unique passwords/codes, and the employees are limited to only that 
information in the file, which is needed in the performance of their 
official duties.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    Records are maintained and disposed of in accordance with the 
record disposition authority approved by the Archivist of the United 
States, National Archives and Records Administration.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Chief Consultant, Diagnostic Services SHG (115), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals seeking information concerning the existence and/or 
content of a blood donor information record pertaining to themselves 
must submit a written request or apply in person to the VA health care 
facility where the donation occurred. All inquiries must reasonably 
identify the portion of the blood donor information record desired and 
the approximate date(s) that service was provided. Additionally, 
inquiries should include the individual's full name, social security 
number, and home address at the time of medical service, if known.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Blood donors, patients of VA medical care facilities or duly 
authorized representatives seeking information regarding access to or 
who are contesting VA health facility records may write, call or visit 
the VHA facility where medical service was provided or volunteered.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:(See Record Access Procedures above)
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    1. The blood donor. 2. Private hospitals and local blood banks. 3. 
Private physicians. 4. Non-VA Laboratories.
[FR Doc. 01-10273 Filed 4-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-U