[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8964-8965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4457]


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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 alterations to three Department of the Treasury, 
Financial Management Service (FMS), Privacy Act Systems of Records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), 
the Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service (FMS), 
gives notice of proposed alterations to three of its existing systems 
of records, as follows: ``Treasury/FMS .002--Payment Issue Records for 
Regular Recurring Benefit Payments,'' ``Treasury/FMS .014--Debt 
Collection Operations System,'' and Treasury/FMS .016--Payment Records 
for Other Than Regular Recurring Benefit Payments.''

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 28, 2003. The 
proposed systems of records will be effective April 7, 2003 unless FMS 
receives comments which would result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to the Debt Management Services, 
Financial Management Service, 401 14th Street, SW., Room 448B, 
Washington, DC 20227, or by electronic 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: Gerry Isenberg, Financial Management 
Service, Debt Management Services, (202) 874-7131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Financial Management Service (FMS) is 
the money manager for the Federal Government. As such, FMS disburses 
over 900 million payments totaling more than $1.2 trillion in social 
security and veterans' benefits, income tax refunds, and other federal 
payments. In addition, FMS operates several programs to facilitate 
collection or resolution of delinquent debts owed to the Federal 
Government and states, including past due support being enforced by 
states. In the operation of its

[[Page 8965]]

payment and debt collection programs, FMS maintains records on 
individuals who receive payments from the Federal Government, as well 
as individuals who owe delinquent debts to the Federal Government and 
states. Records on individuals who receive Federal payments are 
maintained in FMS's ``Payment Issue Records for Regular Recurring 
Benefit Payments,'' and ``Payment Records for Other Than Regular 
Recurring Benefit Payments.'' Records on individuals who owe delinquent 
debts are maintained in its ``Debt Collection Operations System'' 
system of records. The systems of records were last published in the 
Federal Register in their entirety on August 22, 2001, beginning in 66 
FR 44204.
    In keeping with the Government's policy to rely on commercial 
sources to supply the products and services the Government needs, FMS 
sometimes retains the services of contractors to perform certain 
routine functions related to payment and debt collection processing. 
Disclosures of information maintained in FMS'' systems of records may 
be required in order for the contractor to perform the services for 
which it has been hired. If disclosure is necessary, the contractor to 
which disclosure is made will be subject to the same limitations 
applicable to FMS officers and employees under the Privacy Act. This 
means that the contractor is required to safeguard Privacy Act 
information to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of any Privacy 
Act records. FMS is altering the referenced systems of records to allow 
disclosure of information from such systems to a private contractor to 
the extent necessary for the contractor to accomplish an FMS function 
related to payment processing and/or debt collection.
    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 above, FMS proposes to alter its systems 
of records as follows:
TREASURY/FMS .002

System name:
    Payment Issue Records for Regular Recurring Benefit Payments--
Treasury/Financial Management Service.
    Description of change: Remove current entry and add the following 
to read as follows:

System location:
    ``The Financial Management Service, U.S. Department of the 
Treasury, Washington, DC 20227 and Hyattsville, MD 20782. Records 
maintained at Financial Centers in five regions: Austin, TX; 
Birmingham, AL; Kansas City, MO; Philadelphia, PA; and San Francisco, 
CA.''
* * * * *

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    Description of change: The period ``.'' at the end of routine use 
(13) is replaced with a semicolon ``;'', and the following routine use 
is added at the end thereof:
    ``(14) Disclose information to a contractor of the Financial 
Management Service for the purpose of performing routine payment 
processing services, subject to the same limitations applicable to FMS 
officers and employees under the Privacy Act.''
* * * * *
TREASURY/FMS .014

System name:
    Debt Collection Operations System-Treasury/Financial Management 
Service.
* * * * *

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    Description of change: The period ``.'' at the end of routine use 
(8) paragraph c is replaced with a semicolon ``;'', and the following 
language is added before the period ``.'':
    (8) c. * * *
    ``including for the provision of routine debt collection services 
by an FMS contractor subject to the same limitations applicable to FMS 
officers and employees under the Privacy Act.''
* * * * *
TREASURY/FMS .015

System name:
    Payment Records for Other Than Regular Recurring Benefit Payments--
Treasury/Financial Management Service.
    Description of change: Remove current entry and add the following 
to read as follows:

System location:
    ``The Financial Management Service, U.S. Department of the 
Treasury, Washington, DC 20227 and Hyattsville, MD 20782. Records 
maintained at Financial Centers in five regions: Austin, TX; 
Birmingham, AL; Kansas City, MO; Philadelphia, PA; and San Francisco, 
CA.''
* * * * *

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    Description of change: The period ``.'' at the end of routine use 
(13) is replaced with a semicolon ``;'', and the following routine use 
is added at the end thereof:
    ``(14) Disclose information to a contractor of the Financial 
Management Service for the purpose of performing routine payment 
processing services, subject to the same limitations applicable to FMS 
officers and employees under the Privacy Act.''
* * * * *

    Dated: February 11, 2003.
W. Earl Wright, Jr.,
Chief Management and Administrative Program Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-4457 Filed 2-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-35-P