[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6192-6194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02118]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended

AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

ACTION: Notice of a Revised Privacy Act System of Records.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, hereinto referred to as the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), gives notice of the 
establishment of a Privacy Act System of Records.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 5, 2014. The new 
system of records will be effective March 17, 2014, unless the comments 
received result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Electronic: [email protected]
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Claire Stapleton, Chief 
Privacy Officer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20552.

Comments will be available for public inspection and copying at 1700 G 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20552 on official business days between the 
hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. You can make an appointment 
to inspect comments by telephoning (202) 435-7220. All comments, 
including attachments and other supporting materials, will become 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: Claire Stapleton, Chief Privacy 
Officer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20552, (202) 435-7220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of a biennial review of this System 
of Records, the CFPB revises its Privacy Act System of Records Notice 
(SORN) ``CFPB.010--Ombudsman System.'' In

[[Page 6193]]

revising this SORN, the CFPB modifies the retention and disposal of 
records in the system to reflect the Ombudsman's official Records 
Schedule on file with the National Archives and Records Administration; 
the categories of records in the system; and the record source 
categories for the system. Additionally, the CFPB makes several non-
substantive changes to the system location and address; the system 
manager and address; the authority section; the routine use section; 
and the notification procedure section.
    Section 1013(a)(5) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
Consumer Protection Act Public Law 111-203, Title X, established an 
Ombudsman's Office to liaise between the CFPB and ``any affected person 
with respect to any problem that such party may have in dealing with 
the Bureau, resulting from the regulatory activities of the Bureau.'' 
The Ombudsman's Office is an independent, impartial, and confidential 
resource that will advocate for a fair process to resolve issues 
between the CFPB and an individual or a financial product or service 
provider. Records in this system allow the Ombudsman's Office to track 
inquiries submitted to the Ombudsman while they are being addressed. 
The CFPB Ombudsman's Office will maintain the records covered by this 
notice.
    The report of the revised system of records has been submitted to 
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 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 Appendix I to OMB Circular A-130, ``Federal Agency 
Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals,'' dated 
November 30, 2000,\1\ and the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(r).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Although pursuant to section 1017(a)(4)(E) of the Consumer 
Financial Protection Act, Public Law 111-203, the CFPB is not 
required to comply with OMB-issued guidance, it voluntarily follows 
OMB privacy-related guidance as a best practice and to facilitate 
cooperation and collaboration with other agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The revised system of records entitled ``CFPB.010--Ombudsman 
System'' is published in its entirety below.

    Dated: January 27, 2014.
Claire Stapleton,
Chief Privacy Officer, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
CFPB.010

SYSTEM NAME:
    Ombudsman System.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    CFPB Ombudsman's Office, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 
G Street NW., Washington DC 20552.

 CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Individuals, which may include, without limitation: (1) Current or 
former officers, employees, shareholders, agents, and independent 
contractors of covered persons and service providers as defined by the 
Act; (2) those who submit inquiries to the CFPB Ombudsman's Office and 
their representatives; and (3) employees of the CFPB assigned to review 
and/or respond to any inquiries, as requested by the Ombudsman's 
Office.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Records maintained in the system may contain, without limitation: 
(1) Correspondence (including letters, memoranda, faxes, telegrams, and 
emails) received and sent; (2) identifying information regarding the 
individual who submitted the inquiry, such as the individual's name, 
phone number, address, email address, and any other disclosed 
identifiable information; (3) information about the CFPB employee who 
is responsible for addressing the inquiry; (4) information regarding 
the status of the inquiry or otherwise related to the inquiry; and (5) 
relevant dates.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    Public Law 111-203, Title X, Section 1013, codified at 12 U.S.C. 
5493.

PURPOSE:
    The purpose of the information system is to enable the CFPB 
Ombudsman to efficiently and securely process information while 
providing assistance to individuals, financial product or service 
providers, or their representatives in resolving problems with the 
CFPB.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    These records may be disclosed, consistent with the CFPB Disclosure 
of Records and Information Rules, promulgated at 12 CFR 1070 et seq., 
to:
    (1) Appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (a) the CFPB 
suspects or has confirmed that the security or confidentiality of 
information in the system of records has been compromised; (b) the CFPB 
has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed 
compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, 
identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this 
system or other systems or programs (whether maintained by the CFPB or 
another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; 
and (c) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is 
reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the CFPB's efforts to 
respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, 
or remedy such harm;
    (2) Another federal or state agency to: (a) Permit a decision as to 
access, amendment or correction of records to be made in consultation 
with or by that agency; or (b) verify the identity of an individual or 
the accuracy of information submitted by an individual who has 
requested access to or amendment or correction of records;
    (3) To the Office of the President in response to an inquiry from 
that office made at the request of the subject of a record or a third 
party on that person's behalf;
    (4) Congressional offices in response to an inquiry made at the 
request of the individual to whom the record pertains;
    (5) Contractors, agents, or other authorized individuals performing 
work on a contract, service, cooperative agreement, job or other 
activity on behalf of the CFPB Ombudsman's Office or Federal Government 
and who have a need to access information in the performance of their 
duties or activities;
    (6) The U.S. Department of Justice (``DOJ'') for its use in 
providing legal advice to the CFPB or in representing the CFPB in a 
proceeding before a court, adjudicative body, or other administrative 
body, where the use of such information by the DOJ is deemed by the 
CFPB to be relevant and necessary to the advice or proceeding, and in 
the case of a proceeding, such proceeding names as a party in interest:
    (a) The CFPB;
    (b) Any employee of the CFPB in his or her official capacity;
    (c) Any employee of the CFPB in his or her individual capacity 
where DOJ or the CFPB has agreed to represent the employee; or
    (d) The United States, where the CFPB determines that litigation is 
likely to affect the CFPB or any of its components; and
    (7) Appropriate federal, state, local, foreign, tribal, or self-
regulatory organizations or agencies responsible for investigating, 
prosecuting, enforcing, implementing, issuing, or carrying out a 
statute, rule, regulation, order, policy, or license if the information 
may be relevant to a potential violation of civil or criminal law, 
rule, regulation, order, policy or license.

[[Page 6194]]

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Paper and electronic records.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Records are retrievable by a variety of fields, including the name 
of the individual or type of financial product or service provider, the 
date of the inquiry, the inquiry control number, or some combination 
thereof.

SAFEGUARDS:
    Access to electronic records is restricted to authorized CFPB 
Ombudsman personnel who have been issued non-transferrable access codes 
and passwords. Other records are maintained in locked file cabinets or 
rooms with access limited to those CFPB Ombudsman personnel whose 
official duties require access.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    Per N1-587-12-03, item 4, records in this system are deleted or 
destroyed ninety (90) days after the day on which the inquiry was 
closed by the Ombudsman.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ombudsman, 1700 G Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20552.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals seeking notification and access to any record contained 
in this system of records, or seeking to contest its content, may 
inquire in writing in accordance with instructions appearing in Title 
12, Chapter 10 of the CFR, ``Disclosure of Records and Information.'' 
Address such requests to: Chief Privacy Officer, Consumer Financial 
Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street NW., Washington, DC 20552.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    See ``Notification Procedures'' above.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    See ``Notification Procedures'' above.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Information in this system is collected from (1) current or former 
officers, employees, shareholders, agents, and independent contractors 
of covered persons and service providers as defined by the Act; (2) 
those who submit inquiries to the CFPB Ombudsman's Office and their 
representatives; and (3) employees of the CFPB assigned to review and/
or respond to any inquiries, as requested by the Ombudsman's Office.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

[FR Doc. 2014-02118 Filed 1-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AM-P