[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 6 (Thursday, January 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1216-1217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-266]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Financial Management Service


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of alteration of Privacy Act system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service 
(FMS), gives notice of a proposed alteration to the system of records 
entitled ``Claims and Inquiry

[[Page 1217]]

Records on Treasury Checks, and International Claimants,'' which is 
subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The 
system was last published in its entirety in the Federal Register on 
August 22, 2001, at 66 FR 44206.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 10, 2003. The 
proposed routine use will be effective February 18, 2003, unless the 
Department receives comments that would result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to the Financial Management 
Service, Financial Accounting and Services Division, 3700 East West 
Highway, Room 630F, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782. Comments may be 
submitted via e-mail to: [email protected]. Comments received 
will be available for inspection at the same address between the hours 
of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rose Brewer, Financial Management 
Service, Financial Accounting and Services Division, (202) 874-9186.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FMS makes payment on awards certified by the 
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. The purpose of this new routine 
use is to enable FMS to more efficiently publicize information about 
unpaid claimants under the War Claims Act and the International Claims 
Settlement Act. Upon receiving a certified claim from the Foreign 
Claims Settlement Commission, FMS sends notice to the claimant to 
arrange for payment. FMS makes several attempts to contact claimants, 
but some of these claimants do not respond. Many claimants continue to 
go unpaid indefinitely. Publicizing these unpaid claims by means such 
as a public database maintained on the Internet with (1) claimant name, 
(2) city and state of last known address, and (3) amount outstanding 
should result in payment of numerous claims. Claimants can pursue these 
claims directly without the assistance of an intermediary. This routine 
use is consistent with the purpose for which the information was 
collected, that is, making payment to award holders.
    The report 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 November 30, 2000.
    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, FMS proposes to alter 
system of records Treasury/FMS .003--Claims and Inquiry Records on 
Treasury Checks, and International Claimants, as follows:

Treasury/FMS .003

System Name: Claims and Inquiry Records on Treasury Checks, and 
International Claimants--Treasury/Financial Management Service.

* * * * *

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:

* * * * *
    Description of changes: The first word ``To'' and the last word 
``and'' are removed in routine use (7). Replace the lowercase ``p'' in 
the word ``provide'' in routine use (7) with an uppercase ``P''. The 
comma ``,'' at the end of routine use (7) is replaced with a semicolon 
``;''. The period ``.'' at the end of routine use (8) is replaced with 
a semicolon ``;'' followed by the word ``and'', and the following 
routine use is added at the end thereof:
    ``(9) Disclose information to the public when attempts by FMS to 
locate the claimant have been unsuccessful. This information is limited 
to the claimant's name and city and state of last known address, and 
the amount owed to the claimant. (This routine use does not apply to 
the Iran Claims Program or the Holocaust Survivors Claims Program or 
other claims programs that statutorily prohibit disclosure of claimant 
information.)''
* * * * *

    Dated: December 31, 2002.
W. Earl Wright, Jr.,
Chief Management and Administrative Programs Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-266 Filed 1-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-35-P