[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 221 (Monday, November 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64850-64851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28592]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 221 / Monday, November 17, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 64850]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Privacy Act; System of Records

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of revision of Privacy Act systems of records and 
proposed new routine uses.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to change the USDA Privacy Act System 
of Records by re-designating a USDA Office of Outreach system of 
records as a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) system. The system is being 
added numerically, editorial and clarification amendments are noted, 
and new routine uses are being added to the system.

DATES: This notice will be adopted without further publication in the 
Federal Register on December 29, 2003, unless modified by a subsequent 
notice to incorporate comments received from the public. Comments must 
be received by the contact person listed below on or before December 
17, 2003, to be assured consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit written comments to Ronald W. 
Holling, Assistant to the Director, Office of Business and Program 
Integration, Farm Service Agency, STOP 0501, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0501, (202) 720-8530; e-mail 
[email protected]. The public may inspect comments received on 
this notice Monday-Friday, except holidays, between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 
p.m. in Room 4704-S at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald W. Holling, Assistant to the 
Director, Office of Business and Program Integration, Farm Service 
Agency, STOP 0501, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-
0501, (202) 720-8530; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice concerns a Privacy Act system of 
records currently maintained by the USDA Office of Outreach. Pursuant 
to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, USDA hereby takes the following 
action: Transfer of responsibility for the Privacy Act System of 
records for the Minority Farm Register from USDA's Office of Outreach 
to FSA and addition of new routine uses.
    The Register is a voluntary list of minority farm or ranch 
operators, landowners, tenants and others with farming or ranching 
interest. It is being created in an effort to address the decline of 
minority-owned farms. Minority farmers and their advocates called for 
the creation of a register at USDA Civil Rights Action Team public 
forums in early 1997 because of the decline in the amount of farm land 
owned by minorities, especially African-Americans. Register 
participants will receive USDA program information to help sustain or 
increase present ownership levels.
    The Register will be used and administered by FSA's Office of 
Outreach to expand its Outreach and Assistance for Socially 
Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program. The Office of Outreach will 
use the Register to provide detailed individual information or summary 
information about all participants to Government agencies, minority-
serving educational institutions, and community-based organizations 
engaged in farm land outreach and assistance efforts. The Register will 
enable those organizations to disseminate to minority farm owners and 
operators the most comprehensive information about FSA programs and 
services, including commodity programs, conservation programs, disaster 
assistance programs, farm loan programs, and price support programs. 
Minority farm operators who currently do not own any land are 
encouraged to participate so they may also receive information on 
targeted programs to include possible land ownership.
    Most U.S. farm land is already defined by geographic location, by 
owner, and by operator in records maintained by FSA. For those people 
for whom FSA maintains current records, participation in the Register 
will only require signature of the Minority Farm Register permission 
form. If a minority farm land operator and/or owner whose information 
is not already on file wishes to be included on the Register, he or she 
will provide name, address, phone number, Social Security Number, farm 
location, race, ethnicity and gender on the Minority Farm Register 
permission form. Names and addresses will be the only required 
information. Providing Social Security Numbers, phone numbers, race, 
ethnicity and gender will be completely voluntary. The permission form 
will be issued in Spanish and English. Informational registration 
materials will be distributed to local, State and Federal community-
based organizations, educational institutions and other groups serving 
minority clientele.
    Pursuant to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, USDA hereby takes the 
following action:
    (1) USDA/FSA-15, ``Voluntary Minority Farm Register File.'' This 
system is being added numerically, editorial and clarification 
amendments are noted, and new routine uses are being added to the 
system. A Report on New System, required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), as 
implemented by OMB Circular A--130, was sent to the Chairman, Committee 
on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, the Chairman, Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight, House of Representatives, and the 
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 4, 2003.
Ann M. Veneman,
Secretary.
USDA/FSA-15

SYSTEM NAME:
    Voluntary Minority Farm Register File (Automated), USDA/FSA-15.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, Farm Service Agency, 
STOP 0501, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0501.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Minority farm land owners, operators and other producers who 
voluntarily request to be covered.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    The system includes name, address, phone number, Social Security 
Number,

[[Page 64851]]

farm location and race/ethnicity/gender coding provided by the 
individual.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    7 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.; 15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.; and 16 U.S.C. 3831 et 
seq.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    Records contained in this system may be disclosed as follows:
    (1) Records in the system will be disclosed and distributed to 
community-based organizations, educational institutions and government 
agencies assisting minorities with land retention and acquisition to 
ensure that USDA programs available for assisting farmers are widely 
publicized and accessible to all.
    (2) USDA will disclose information in the system to a court or 
adjudicative body in a proceeding when:
    (a) The agency or any component thereof;
    (b) Any employee of the agency in his or her official capacity;
    (c) Any employee of the agency in his or her individual capacity 
where the agency has agreed to represent the employee; or
    (d) The U.S. Government is a party to litigation or has an interest 
in such litigation and, by careful review, determines that the records 
are both relevant and necessary to the litigation and the use of such 
records is therefore deemed by the agency to be for a purpose 
compatible with the purpose for which the agency collected the records.
    (3) When a record on its face, or in conjunction with other 
records, indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether 
civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general 
statute or particular program statute, or by regulation, rule, or order 
issued pursuant thereto, disclosure may be made to the appropriate 
agency, whether Federal, foreign, State, local, or tribal, or other 
public authority responsible for enforcing, investigating or 
prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing 
the statute, or rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, if 
the information disclosed is relevant to any enforcement, regulatory, 
investigative or prospective responsibility of the receiving entity.
    (4) USDA will disclose information in the system to a Member of 
Congress or to a Congressional staff member in response to an inquiry 
from the Congressional office made at the written request of the 
constituent about whom the record is maintained.
    (5) Records from this system of records may be disclosed to the 
National Archives and Records Administration or to the General Services 
Administration for records management inspections conducted under 44 
U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
    (6) USDA will disclose information in the system to agency 
contractors, grantees, experts, consultants or volunteers who have been 
engaged by the agency to assist in the performance of a service related 
to this system of records and who need to have access to the records in 
order to perform the activity. Recipients shall be required to comply 
with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 552a(m); and
    (7) USDA will disclose to members of Congress the names and 
addresses of producers.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Records are maintained in file folders and Department computer 
systems at applicable location as set out above under the heading 
``System Location.''

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Records are indexed by individual name, identification number, farm 
number, tax identification number, Social Security number and type of 
loan.

SAFEGUARDS:
    Records, both paper and electronic, are accessible only to 
authorized personnel and are maintained in offices that are locked 
during non-duty hours. Access to these records is limited to authorized 
FSA personnel and representatives. Records stored in computer files are 
protected by passwords and other electronic security systems.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    The Minority Farm Register will be recreated at biennial intervals 
to update name and address information and to ensure the inclusion of 
any changes in farm land ownership recorded in FSA records. A letter 
will be sent to all Register participants. The letter will clarify that 
there is no need for action if name, address or farm land circumstances 
have not changed. The Farm Service Agency will maintain a master file 
of each generation of the Voluntary Minority Farm Register 
electronically. Program documents will be destroyed within 10 years 
after end of participation.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, Farm Service Agency, 
STOP 0501, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0501.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    An individual may request information regarding this system of 
records, or information as to whether the system contains records 
pertaining to the individual, from the System Manager listed above.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    An individual may obtain information about a record in the system 
that pertains to such individual by submitting a written request to the 
above listed System Manager. The envelope and letter should be marked 
``Privacy Act Request.'' A request for information pertaining to an 
individual should contain: name, address, ZIP code, name of system of 
record (Minority Farm Register), year of records in question, and any 
other pertinent information to help identify the file.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    Individuals desiring to contest or amend information maintained in 
the system should direct their request to the above listed System 
Manager, and should include the reason for contesting it and the 
proposed amendment to the information with supporting information to 
show how the record is inaccurate. A request for contesting records 
pertaining to an individual should contain: name, address, ZIP code, 
name of system of record (Minority Farm Register), year of records in 
question, and any other pertinent information to help identify the 
file.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Information in this system comes only from the individuals who 
voluntarily sign up for the Register and who are the subjects of the 
files.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

[FR Doc. 03-28592 Filed 11-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P