[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26685-26686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12251]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of new system of records--Center for Veterans Enterprise 
VA VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (123VA00VE).

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SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 522a(e), 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 VA 
is establishing a new system of records entitled ``VA VetBiz Vendor 
Information Pages'' (123VA00VE).

DATES: Comments on the establishment of this new system of records must 
be received no later than June 16, 2003. If no public comment is 
received, the new system will become effective June 16, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments concerning the 
proposed new system of records to the Office of Regulations Management 
(02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9289; or e-mail 
comments to [email protected]. All relevant material received 
before June 16, 2003, will be considered. Comments will be available 
for public inspection at the above address in the Office of Regulation 
Policy and Management, room 1158, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Gail Wegner (00VE), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, 
telephone number (202) 254-0233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 106-50, section 302 requires, in 
pertinent part:

    (5) Establishment of an information clearinghouse to collect and 
distribute information, including by electronic means, on the 
assistance programs of Federal, State, and local governments, and of 
the private sector, including information on office locations, key 
personnel, telephone numbers, mail and electronic addresses, and 
contracting and subcontracting opportunities.
    (6) Provision of Internet or other distance learning academic 
instruction for veterans in business subjects, including accounting, 
marketing, and business fundamentals.
    (7) Compilation of a list of small business concerns owned and 
controlled by service-disabled veterans that provide products or 
services that could be procured by the United States and delivery of 
such list to each department and agency of the United States. Such 
list shall be delivered in hard copy and electronic form and shall 
include the name and address of each such small business concern and 
the products or services that it provides.''

Section 604 requires:

    (b) Identification of Small Business Concerns Owned by Eligible 
Veterans. Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, 
in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' 
Employment and Training and the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, identify small business concerns owned and 
controlled by veterans in the United States. The Secretary shall 
inform each small business concern identified under this paragraph 
that information on Federal procurement is available from the 
Administrator.

    This new system of records will be used to maintain and access an 
automated database containing the information on veteran-owned 
businesses set forth in the law (section 302, paragraph (7) and section 
604, paragraph (b)). While corporations do not have any Privacy Act 
rights, it is not entirely clear whether individuals acting in an 
entrepreneurial capacity, such as a sole proprietor of a small 
business, have Privacy Act rights. Hence, the adoption of this system 
of records.
    The automated database is known as the VA VetBiz Vendor Information 
Pages (VIP). The database includes data on veteran-owned businesses 
extracted from the Small Business Administration's Procurement 
Marketing and Access Network (Pro-Net) database, the Central Contractor 
Registration database, and other databases. It will be augmented with 
voluntarily submitted data provided by veteran-owned businesses wishing 
to do business with the Federal government and private entities either 
in a capacity as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor.
    The information in this system will be maintained in electronic 
form. The information in these records will be freely available to 
government agencies, companies, and the general public via the 
Internet.
    A ``Report of Intention to Publish a Federal Register Notice of a 
New System of Records' and an advance copy of the new system notice 
have been provided to the Chairmen of the House Committee on 
Governmental Reform and the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, 
and the Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as required by 
provisions of title 5, U.S.C. 522a (Privacy Act), and guidelines issued 
by OMB (61 FR 6428) (1996).

    Approved: May 2, 2003.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
123 VA00VE

System Name:
    Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) VA VetBiz Vendor Information 
Pages (123VA00VE).

System Location:
    Records are maintained at the Center for Veterans Enterprise's 
office in VA Headquarters, Washington, DC. VA's Automation Center, 1615 
E. Woodward Street, Austin, Texas 78772, maintains the computerized 
database and Web site.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    The system of records will cover all companies owned by veterans 
that wish to be a part of the system of records, including those 
already registered in the SBA Pro-Net database and/or the Central 
Contractor Registration database.

[[Page 26686]]

Categories of Records in the System:
    The records will contain data on veteran-owned companies who have 
contacted the Center for Veterans Enterprise or have been extracted 
from e-government databases to which the companies have voluntarily 
submitted the data as a part of the marketing efforts to the federal 
government. The records may include business addresses and other 
contact information, information concerning products/services offered, 
information pertaining to the business, including Federal contracts, 
certifications, and security clearances held.

Authority for Maintenance of the System:
    Pub. L. 106-50, as amended.

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
    1. Federal, State, and local government personnel will access the 
system to find veteran-owned businesses to contract with and for 
purposes of market research in compliance with their respective 
procurement regulations and procedures.
    2. The general public, including companies and corporate entities, 
will access the system, via Internet, to review the information and to 
locate potential subcontractors and/or potential teaming partners for 
purposes of complying with applicable regulations concerning use of 
veteran-owned businesses.
    3. The Center for Veterans Enterprise will use the records and 
reports derived from the database to manage their responsibilities 
under the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act 
of 1999.

Compatibility of the Proposed Routine Uses:
    The Privacy Act permits disclosure of information about individuals 
without their consent for a routine use when the information will be 
used for a purpose that is compatible with the purpose for which the 
information is collected. In all of the routine use disclosures 
described above, the recipient of the information will use the 
information in connection with a matter relating to one of VA's 
programs.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    The VetBiz VIP will be stored in an automated, computerized 
database. The system will operate on servers located at VA's Austin 
Automation Center (AAC), 1615 E. Woodward Street, Austin, Texas 78772. 
Data backups will reside on appropriate media according to normal 
system backup plans for the AAC. The system will be managed by the 
Center for Veterans Enterprise in VA Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Retrievability:
    Automated records may be retrieved by business name, type, 
location, previous experience, certifications (e.g. HUBZone, 8(a), 
etc.), product identifiers (e.g., NAICS), and federal identifiers (e.g. 
CAGE Code, Pro-Net identification number, etc.).

Safeguards:
    Read access to the system is via Internet access. AAC and CVE 
personnel will have access to the system via VA Intranet and local 
connections for management and maintenance purposes and tasks. Access 
to the Intranet portion of the system is via user-id and password at 
officially approved access points. Veteran-owned businesses will 
establish and maintain user-ids and passwords for accessing their 
corporate information under system control. Policy regarding issuance 
of user-ids and passwords is formulated in VA by the Office of 
Information and Technology, Washington, DC.

Retention and Disposal:
    Records will be maintained and disposed of in accordance with the 
records disposal authority approved by the Archivist of the United 
States, the National Archives and Records Administration, and published 
in Agency Records Control Schedules.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Deputy Director, Center for Veterans Enterprise (00VE), 810 Vermont 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420.

Notification Procedures:
    Individuals wishing to inquire whether this system of records 
contains information about themselves should contact the Deputy 
Director, Center for Veterans Enterprise (00VE), 810 Vermont Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20420.

Record Access Procedure:
    Individuals seeking access to records about themselves contained in 
this system of records may access the records via the Internet, or 
submit a written request to the system manager.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    An individual who wishes to contest records maintained under his or 
her name or other personal identifier may write or call the system 
manager. VA's rules for accessing records and contesting contents and 
appealing initial agency determinations are published in regulations 
set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 38 CFR 1.577, 1.578.

Record Source Categories:
    The information in this system of records is obtained from the 
following sources: a. Information voluntarily submitted by the 
business; b. information gathered from VA contracting activities; and 
c. information extracted from other business databases.

[FR Doc. 03-12251 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P