[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 837-838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-37]



[[Page 837]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Bureau of Engraving and Printing


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed alteration to a system of records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 
United States Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing (BEP) gives notice of proposed alterations to its Privacy Act 
system of records entitled ``Treasury/BEP .021--Investigative Files.''

DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 6, 2012. The 
proposed alterations to the system of records will become effective 
February 10, 2012 unless the BEP receives comments that would result in 
a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Office of the Chief Counsel, 
United States Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing, 14th and C Streets SW., Washington, DC 20228, Room 419-A, 
Attention: Revisions to PA Systems of Records. Comments can be faxed to 
(202) 874-5710, or emailed to [email protected]. For emails, please 
place ``Revisions to SOR'' in the subject line. Comments will be made 
available for public inspection upon written request. The BEP will make 
such comments available for public inspection and copying at the above-
listed location, on official business days between the hours of 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m. Eastern time. Persons wishing to inspect the comments 
submitted must request an appointment by telephoning (202) 874-5915. 
All comments received, including attachments and other supporting 
materials, are part of the public record and subject to public 
disclosure. You should submit only information that you wish to make 
available publicly.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keir X. Bancroft, Privacy Officer, 
United States Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing, 14th and C Streets SW., Washington, DC 20228, by phone at 
(202) 874-5915, or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 29, 2009, the Bureau of Engraving 
and Printing, a bureau within the United States Department of the 
Treasury, published its inventory of Privacy Act systems of records 
beginning at 74 FR 31090. Included within that inventory was a system 
of records entitled ``Treasury/BEP .021--Investigative Files.'' BEP 
proposes to amend that system of records by adding language under the 
headings ``Categories of individuals covered in the system,'' 
``Categories of records in the system,'' ``Retrievability,'' and 
``Retention and disposal.''
    Under the existing system of records, BEP may collect and maintain 
background investigation records on its current and separated 
employees, its contractors, and its service providers. BEP uses this 
information for conducting investigations, issuing security clearances, 
providing access to its facilities, and other administrative reasons.
    BEP is amending the categories of individuals covered in the system 
to include ``employees or contractors of companies to which samples or 
test decks of Federal Reserve notes or other Government securities are 
supplied.'' This amendment will allow BEP to collect and maintain 
background investigation records on individuals who do not work for BEP 
or for any of its contractors or service providers. These are employees 
or contractors of third party companies, such as banknote equipment 
manufacturers and currency reader manufacturers, who receive sample 
Federal Reserve notes or test decks from BEP for purposes of testing 
their products' compatibility with new currency designs. These third 
party companies are typically not contractors or service providers to 
BEP, but BEP needs to provide sample notes and securities to their 
employees.
    BEP is also amending this system to allow for collection and 
maintenance of ``passport numbers.'' This new information will allow 
BEP to perform more in-depth background checks. Passport numbers can be 
used in domestic and international databases to perform background 
checks. Further, to the extent other categories of records in the 
system are not available for purposes of performing a background 
investigation, a passport number may be the one record available.
    BEP is amending the purpose of this system to clarify that 
background investigation records will be collected from visitors to BEP 
facilities, and ``others to whom samples or test decks of Federal 
Reserve notes or other Government securities are supplied.''
    BEP is amending the ``Retrievability'' section by indicating that 
background information may be retrieved numerically by passport number. 
This reflects the addition of passport numbers to the categories of 
records in the System.
    Finally, BEP is amending the timeframe for retention and disposal 
by specifying that information will be maintained for ``five years 
after expiration of a security agreement or a nondisclosure 
agreement.'' This is the same period of time that BEP retains 
background information on its employees, contractors, and service 
providers (i.e., five years after separation or five years after 
expiration of a contractual relationship).
    The altered system of records report has been submitted to the 
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate, and the Office of Management and Budget, 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) and 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, BEP proposes to amend 
its system of records entitled ``BEP .021--Investigative Files,'' as 
follows:
Treasury/BEP .021

System name:
    Investigative Files.
* * * * *

Categories of individuals covered in the system:
    Description of the change: Remove current entry and in its place 
add the following: ``Employees, separated bureau employees, employee 
applicants, visitors to the bureau, news-media correspondents, 
contractor and service company employees (current and separated), and 
employees or contractors of companies to which samples or test decks of 
Federal Reserve notes or other Government securities are supplied.''
* * * * *

Categories of records in the system:
    Description of the change: Following the phrase ``Type of 
information:'' the words ``passport numbers,'' are added before the 
words ``character references.''
* * * * *

Purposes(s):
    Description of the change: Remove current entry and in its place 
add the following: ``This system is to permit the Bureau to collect and 
maintain background investigation records on potential applicants, 
current Bureau employees and contractors for issuance of security 
clearances, visitors seeking access to Bureau facilities, and others to 
whom samples or test decks of Federal

[[Page 838]]

Reserve notes or other Government securities are supplied, or other 
administrative reasons. Information is also collected as part of 
investigations conducted by the Bureau's Office of Security.''
* * * * *

Retrievability:
    Description of the change: Remove current entry and in its place 
add the following: ``Numerically by case number and year, 
alphabetically by name, social security number, alphabetically by 
company name, and numerically by passport.''
* * * * *

Retention and disposal:
    Description of the change: Remove current entry and in its place 
add the following: ``Destroy within 90 days following notification of 
an employee's death, within five years after separation or transfer of 
incumbent employee, five years after expiration of contractual 
relationship, or five years after expiration of a security agreement or 
nondisclosure agreement, Product Discrepancy Investigative Reports and 
Bank Letter Investigative Reports are retained indefinitely.''
* * * * *

    Dated: December 23, 2011.
Melissa Hartman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Privacy, Transparency, and Records.
[FR Doc. 2012-37 Filed 1-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-39-P