[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61515-61516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17391]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974, Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service \TM\ plans to conduct an ongoing matching 
program to identify any current Postal Service employees, who are 
required by state law to register on a state's public registry of sex 
offenders. State registries contain information about individuals who 
are statutorily required to register, having committed sexually-violent 
offenses against adults or children, certain other crimes against 
victims who are minors, or other comparable offenses. The Postal 
Service is undertaking this initiative to ascertain the suitability of 
individuals for certain positions or employment. The Postal Service 
will compare its payroll database for employees working in designated 
states against public records contained in the state sex offender 
registries.

DATES: The matching program will become effective no sooner than 30 
days after notice of the matching program is sent to Congress and the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this proposal should be mailed or 
delivered to the Records Office, Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, 
SW., Room 5846, Washington, DC 20260-5353. Copies of all written 
comments will be available at the above address for public inspection 
and photocopying between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Eyre at 202-268-2608.

[[Page 61516]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service seeks to provide the 
public with accurate and efficient mail delivery to the more than 144 
million businesses and residences in this country. Given the public 
nature of the Postal Service, published standards of conduct for Postal 
Service employees prohibit any employee from engaging in criminal, 
dishonest, or similar prejudicial conduct. The Postal Service plans to 
conduct an internal match that compares records from a Privacy Act of 
1974 system of records and a grouping of records that is not subject to 
the Privacy Act. Under these circumstances, the match does not 
constitute a matching program subject to the computer matching 
provisions of the Privacy Act. Nevertheless, the Postal Service is 
conducting the matching program under these provisions to protect the 
interests of its employees.
    This new computer match program will identify Postal Service 
employees, who have been required as a matter of law to register on 
state sexual offender public registries. After extensively verifying 
the accuracy of the information, the Postal Service will use the 
information to determine whether reported offenses may impact on an 
individual's suitability for certain positions or employment. The 
Postal Service will analyze each occurrence on a case-by-case basis to 
determine the appropriate action to take. In this regard, the Postal 
Service will consider the seriousness of the offense, the date of the 
offense, and the nature of the employee's position with the Postal 
Service.
    The only data to be used in the match is public information, from 
both the Postal Service and the state public sex offender registries. 
The Postal Service will extract public information, including 
employees' name and work location, from its payroll database. This 
information is public information in accordance with Handbook AS-353, 
Guide to Privacy and Freedom of Information Act, section 5-2b(3) 
(available at www.usps.com/privacyoffice), and the Postal Service 
considers such data to be subject to disclosure requirements under the 
Freedom of Information Act. The data will be matched against state 
sexual offender registries, which are posted on various state Web sites 
for the public.
    The Postal Service will take extensive efforts to ensure that the 
data is accurate. Postal Inspectors will conduct the match and will 
review the match report in order to verify that the person identified 
in the state sexual offender public registry is in fact a Postal 
Service employee. A postal inspector will then determine whether the 
person is properly included on the public registry by reviewing the 
relevant facts about the offense from information furnished by relevant 
law enforcement agencies, such as the arresting agency. The postal 
inspector will refer, to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), 
instances where the employee failed to provide Postal Service 
management with any required notice of the offense; the OIG will also 
be informed of other instances of employee misconduct. The inspector or 
OIG special agent will prepare an investigative memorandum or report of 
investigation, respectively, which will be sent to the individual 
employee's installation head. The installation head will ensure that a 
case-by-case analysis is conducted regarding the appropriate action to 
be taken. The Postal Service will provide at least 30 days advance 
notice prior to initiation of any adverse action against a matched 
individual (unless the Postal Service determines that public health or 
safety may be affected or threatened pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(p)(3)).
    The privacy of employees will be safeguarded and protected. The 
Postal Service will manage all data in strict accordance with the 
Privacy Act and the terms of the matching agreement. Any verified data 
that is maintained will be managed within the parameters of Privacy Act 
System of Record USPS 700.000, Inspection Service Investigative File 
System (last published April 29, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 82)); and, for 
cases referred to the Postal Service OIG, data that is maintained will 
also be managed within the parameters of Privacy Act System of Record 
USPS 700.300, Inspector General Investigative Records (last published 
June 14, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 114)). Disclosures are authorized by a 
Privacy Act routine use applicable to the payroll system of records (as 
well as other personnel systems) that pertains to disclosures to 
Federal and state agencies that are needed by the Postal Service or 
agency to make decisions regarding personnel matters; and under 5 
U.S.C. 552a(b)(2) which authorizes disclosures that would be required 
under 5 U.S.C. 552 (the Freedom of Information Act).
    Key privacy features of the matching agreement include the 
following:
     Requiring that the identity of matched individuals be 
verified and that the relevant facts of the offense be confirmed;
     Requiring appropriate security controls for the data 
match;
     Providing protections for employees who appear as an 
initial match but who are not subsequently verified as belonging on the 
state registry of offenders; and
     Requiring the Postal Service to complete the verification, 
and provide at least 30 days advance notice, prior to initiation of any 
adverse action against a matched individual (unless the Postal Service 
determines that public health and safety may be affected or threatened 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(p)(3)).

Neva R. Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
 [FR Doc. E6-17391 Filed 10-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P