[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16145-16150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07649]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA).
ACTION: Notice of modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, notice is hereby given
that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
[[Page 16146]]
is amending the system of records known as ``Inspector General Hotline
(Complaint Center) Records'' (66VA53) by amending the Routine Uses, the
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System, and the Policies and
Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, and Disposing
of Records within the System. VA is republishing the system notice in
its entirety.
DATES: Comments on this modified system of records must be received no
later than 30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register.
If no public comment is received during the period allowed for comment
or unless otherwise published in the Federal Register by VA, the
modified system of records will become effective a minimum of 30 days
after date of publication in the Federal Register. If VA receives
public comments, VA shall review the comments to determine whether any
changes to the notice are necessary.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through
www.Regulations.gov. by mail or hand-delivery to Director, Regulation
Policy and Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Ave. NW, Room 1064, Washington, DC 20420; or by fax to (202)
273-9026 (not a toll-free number). Comments should indicate that they
are submitted in response to Inspector General Hotline (Complaint
Center) Records (66VA53). Copies of comments received will be available
for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and
Management, Room 1063B, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 461-4902 for
an appointment. (This is not a toll-free number.) In addition, comments
may be viewed online at www.Regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Connor, Chief, Information
Release Office (50CI), Office of Inspector General, Department of
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, 202-461-
4269; or fax comments to (202) 495-5859. Amy L. Rose, VA Privacy
Service, Office of Information Security (OIS), Office of Information
and Technology (OIT), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 632-7497.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This publication is in accordance with the
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish their amended system of
records in the Federal Register when there is revision, change, or
addition. The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has reviewed its
system of records notices and has determined its record system,
``Inspector General Hotline (Complaint Center) Records'' (66VA53),
should be amended to reflect evolving technology and procedures, to
conform to current practice, and to reflect current authorities. The
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System is amended to clarify
the term ``subject'' includes subjects identified subsequent to a
complaint and VA employees suspected of misconduct. The storage
practices section will now reflect that data is stored in VA OIG's new
Enterprise Management System (EMS) database in addition to the legacy
Master Case Index (MCI) database.
The Senior Agency Official for Privacy, or designee, approved this
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Andr[eacute] Horton, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer,
Department of Veterans Affairs approved this document on January 8,
2019 for publication.
Dated: April 12, 2019.
Amy L. Rose,
Program Analyst, VA Privacy Service, Department of Veterans Affairs.
66VA53
SYSTEM NAME:
Inspector General Hotline (Complaint Center) Records (66VA53).
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
None.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General
(OIG), Office of Assistant Inspector General for Management and
Administration (53), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Assistant Inspector General for Management and Administration (53),
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, 810
Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461-4760,
[email protected].
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
Inspector General Act of 1978, Public Law (Pub. L.) 95-452, 5
U.S.C. App., as amended through Public Law 115-254 (IG Act).
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
The purpose of this system of records is to store records and
information related to official complaints made to the VA OIG. The
Hotline Division is the OIG's complaint center and serves as the
recipient of all types of complaints about impropriety and wrongdoing
related to VA programs and operations. The specific information about
each complaint, including name of complainant, name of subject, and
allegations of improper conduct, is recorded and then forwarded to the
appropriate VA OIG division or external entity for investigation,
review, or resolution. The information is also used to provide prompt,
responsive, and accurate information regarding the status of Hotline
complaints and to provide a record of complaint disposition and
statistical information about complaints.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
The following categories of individuals will be covered by the
system: Individuals who are subjects of complaints, complainants, and
witnesses. Subjects, complainants, and witnesses may be VA employees or
third parties (e.g., a veteran, VA beneficiary, contractor, or private
citizen). Subjects are those alleged to have engaged in wrongdoing or
impropriety, criminal, civil, or administrative, either in performance
of their official VA duties or related to the programs and operations
of VA. Subjects include those identified during the investigation of a
complaint. The allegations are made to the OIG Hotline by complainants
or developed by the OIG based on complaints. Complainants are
individuals who have reported the possible existence of an activity
constituting a violation of law, rule or regulation, or mismanagement,
gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific
danger to the public health and safety. Complaints may also be made
anonymously.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Records (or information contained in records) in this system may
include: (1) The name, home and work address, email address, and home,
work and cellular phone numbers of the complainant and witnesses; (2)
the name, title, date of birth, Social Security Number and home and
work address of the subject of the complaint; and (3) the location and
nature of the alleged wrongdoing. The records maintained in this system
may also include: (1) Documentation and other evidence from the
complainant; (2) correspondence between the VA OIG Office of Management
and Administration (53) and other components of the Office of Inspector
General, agency departments,
[[Page 16147]]
and the complainant; and (3) reports based on the investigation of the
allegations.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Information is obtained from VA employees, third parties (e.g., a
veteran, VA beneficiary, VA contractor, or private party), the
Government Accountability Office, VA records, congressional, federal,
state, and local offices or agencies.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
1. Congress: VA may disclose information from the record of an
individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made
at the request of that individual.
VA must be able to provide information about individuals to
adequately respond to inquiries from Members of Congress at the request
of constituents who have sought their assistance.
2. Data breach response and remedial efforts: VA may, on its own
initiative, disclose information from this system to appropriate
agencies, entities, and persons when (1) VA suspects or has confirmed
that the integrity or confidentiality of information in the system of
records has been compromised; (2) the Department has determined that as
a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of
embarrassment or harm to the reputations of the record subjects, harm
to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to
the security, confidentiality, or integrity of this system or other
systems or programs (whether maintained by the Department or another
agency or entity) that rely upon the potentially compromised
information; and (3) the disclosure is to agencies, entities, or
persons whom VA determines are reasonably necessary to assist or carry
out the Department's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed
compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
This routine use permits disclosures by the Department to respond
to a suspected or confirmed data breach, including the conduct of any
risk analysis or provision of credit protection services as provided in
38 U.S.C. 5724.
a. Effective Response. A federal agency's ability to respond
quickly and effectively in the event of a breach of federal data is
critical to its efforts to prevent or minimize any consequent harm. An
effective response necessitates disclosure of information regarding the
breach to those individuals affected by it, as well as to persons and
entities in a position to cooperate, either by assisting in
notification to affected individuals or playing a role in preventing or
minimizing harms from the breach.
b. Disclosure of Information. Often, the information to be
disclosed to such persons and entities is maintained by federal
agencies and is subject to the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a). The Privacy
Act prohibits the disclosure of any record in a system of records by
any means of communication to any person or agency absent the written
consent of the subject individual, unless the disclosure falls within
one of twelve statutory exceptions. In order to ensure an agency is in
the best position to respond in a timely and effective manner, in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) of the Privacy Act, agencies should
publish a routine use for appropriate systems specifically applying to
the disclosure of information in connection with response and remedial
efforts in the event of a data breach.
c. Data breach response and remedial efforts with another Federal
agency VA may, on its own initiative, disclose information from this
system to another Federal agency or Federal entity, when VA determines
that information from this system of records is reasonably necessary to
assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to a suspected
or confirmed breach or (2) preventing, minimizing, or remedying the
risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or entity (including
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal
Government, or national security, resulting from a suspected or
confirmed breach.
3. Law Enforcement: VA may, on its own initiative, disclose
information in this system, except the names and home addresses of
veterans and their dependents, which is relevant to a suspected or
reasonably imminent violation of law, whether civil, criminal or
regulatory in nature and whether arising by general or program statute
or by regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, to a Federal,
state, local, tribal, or foreign agency charged with the responsibility
of investigating or prosecuting such violation, or charged with
enforcing or implementing the statute, regulation, rule or order. On
its own initiative, VA may also disclose the names and addresses of
veterans and their dependents to a Federal agency charged with the
responsibility of investigating or prosecuting civil, criminal or
regulatory violations of law, or charged with enforcing or implementing
the statute, regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto.
VA must be able to provide on its own initiative information that
pertains to a violation of laws to law enforcement authorities in order
for them to investigate and enforce those laws. Under 38 U.S.C. 5701(a)
and (f), VA may disclose the names and addresses of veterans and their
dependents to Federal entities with law enforcement responsibilities.
This is distinct from the authority to disclose records in response to
a qualifying request from a law enforcement entity, as authorized by
Privacy Act subsection 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(7).
4. Litigation: VA may disclose information from this system of
records to the Department of Justice (DoJ), either on VA's initiative
or in response to DoJ's request for the information, after either VA or
DoJ determines that such information is relevant to DoJ's
representation of the United States or any of its components in legal
proceedings before a court or adjudicative body, provided that, in each
case, the agency also determines prior to disclosure that release of
the records to the DoJ is a use of the information contained in the
records that is compatible with the purpose for which VA collected the
records. VA, on its own initiative, may disclose records in this system
of records in legal proceedings before a court or administrative body
after determining that the disclosure of the records to the court or
administrative body is a use of the information contained in the
records that is compatible with the purpose for which VA collected the
records.
To determine whether to disclose records under this routine use, VA
will comply with the guidance promulgated by the Office of Management
and Budget in a May 24, 1985, memorandum entitled ``Privacy Act
Guidance--Update,'' currently posted at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/guidance1985.pdf.
VA must be able to provide information to DoJ in litigation where
the United States or any of its components is involved or has an
interest. A determination would be made in each instance that under the
circumstances involved, the purpose is compatible with the purpose for
which VA collected the information. This routine use is distinct from
the authority to disclose records in response to a court order under
subsection (b)(11) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(11), or any
other provision of subsection (b), in accordance with the court's
analysis in Doe v. DiGenova, 779 F.2d 74, 78-85
[[Page 16148]]
(D.C. Cir. 1985) and Doe v. Stephens, 851 F.2d 1457, 1465-67 (D.C. Cir.
1988).
5. Contractors: VA may disclose information from this system of
records to individuals, organizations, private or public agencies, or
other entities or individuals with whom VA has a contract or agreement
to perform such services as VA may deem practicable for the purposes of
laws administered by VA, in order for the contractor, subcontractor,
public or private agency, or other entity or individual with whom VA
has a contract or agreement to perform services under the contract or
agreement.
This routine use includes disclosures by an individual or entity
performing services for VA to any secondary entity or individual to
perform an activity that is necessary for individuals, organizations,
private or public agencies, or other entities or individuals with whom
VA has a contract or agreement to provide the service to VA.
This routine use, which also applies to agreements that do not
qualify as contracts defined by Federal procurement laws and
regulations, is consistent with OMB guidance in OMB Circular A-130,
App. I, paragraph 5a(1)(b) that agencies promulgate routine uses to
address disclosure of Privacy Act-protected information to contractors
in order to perform the services contracts for the agency.
6. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): VA may disclose
information from this system to the EEOC when requested in connection
with investigations of alleged or possible discriminatory practices,
examination of Federal affirmative employment programs, or other
functions of the Commission as authorized by law or regulation.
VA must be able to provide information to EEOC to assist it in
fulfilling its duties to protect employees' rights, as required by
statute and regulation.
7. Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA): VA may disclose
information from this system to the FLRA, including its General
Counsel, information related to the establishment of jurisdiction,
investigation, and resolution of allegations of unfair labor practices,
or in connection with the resolution of exceptions to arbitration
awards when a question of material fact is raised; for it to address
matters properly before the Federal Services Impasses Panel,
investigate representation petitions, and conduct or supervise
representation elections.
VA must be able to provide information to FLRA to comply with the
statutory mandate under which it operates.
8. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB): VA may disclose
information from this system to the MSPB, or the Office of the Special
Counsel, when requested in connection with appeals, special studies of
the civil service and other merit systems, review of rules and
regulations, investigation of alleged or possible prohibited personnel
practices, and such other functions promulgated in 5 U.S.C. 1205 and
1206, or as authorized by law.
VA must be able to provide information to MSPB to assist it in
fulfilling its duties as required by statute and regulation.
9. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and General
Services Administration (GSA): VA may disclose information from this
system to NARA and GSA in records management inspections conducted
under title 44, U.S.C.
NARA is responsible for archiving old records which are no longer
actively used but may be appropriate for preservation, and for the
physical maintenance of the Federal government's records. VA must be
able to provide the records to NARA in order to determine the proper
disposition of such records.
10. Any information in this system, except the name and address of
a veteran, may be disclosed to a Federal, state, or local agency
maintaining civil or criminal violation records or other pertinent
information such as prior employment history, prior Federal employment
background investigations, and/or personal or educational background in
order for VA to obtain information relevant to the hiring, transfer, or
retention of an employee, the letting of a contract, the granting of a
security clearance, or the issuance of a grant or other benefit. The
name and address of a veteran may be disclosed to a Federal agency
under this routine use if this information has been requested by the
Federal agency in order to respond to the VA inquiry.
11. To assist attorneys in representing their clients, any
information in this system may be disclosed to attorneys representing
subjects of investigations, including veterans, Federal government
employees, retirees, volunteers, contractors, subcontractors, or
private citizens, except where VA has decided release is inappropriate
under Title 5, United States Code, Section 552a(j) and (k).
12. Any information in this system of records may be disclosed, in
the course of presenting evidence in or to a court, magistrate,
administrative tribunal, or grand jury, including disclosures to
opposing counsel in the course of such proceedings or in settlement
negotiations.
13. Any information in this system may be disclosed to any source
or person, either private or governmental, to the extent necessary to
secure from such source or person information relevant to, and sought
in furtherance of, a legitimate investigation, review, or inspection.
14. Any information in this system, except the name and address of
a veteran, may be disclosed to Federal, state, or local professional,
regulatory, or disciplinary organizations or associations, including
but not limited to bar associations, state licensing boards, and
similar professional entities, for use in disciplinary proceedings and
inquiries preparatory thereto, where VA determines that there is good
cause to question the legality or ethical propriety of the conduct of a
person employed by VA or a person representing a person in a matter
before VA. The name and address of a veteran may be disclosed to a
Federal agency under this routine use if this information has been
requested by the Federal agency in order to respond to the VA inquiry.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING,
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Records and information are stored electronically in the VA OIG's
new Enterprise Management System (EMS) or legacy Master Case Index
(MCI) databases and servers at the OIG's headquarters office at 801 I
Street NW, Washington, DC 20420, in the office of the OIG's Information
Technology Division. Backup records are stored on magnetic disc, tape
and CD-ROM and may also be retained in hard copy format in secure file
folders. The VA OIG Hotline Division is responsible for electronically
inputting records and information received from complainants, referrals
and correspondence related to the initiation of a Hotline case, and
final reports. Information inputted electronically includes all
correspondence to and from the complainant, correspondence (including
email messages) to and among VA OIG organizational elements about the
complaint, and correspondence to and from any VA component to which the
Hotline case was referred. Complaints and information about OIG
employees, including all investigative reports and work papers, are
maintained in electronic files with restricted access limited to those
with a need to know the official duties in the VA OIG Office of
[[Page 16149]]
Investigations, VA OIG Human Resources Management Division, VA OIG
attorneys, and VA OIG management officials responsible for supervising
the VA OIG employee who is the subject of the internal investigation.
Hard copies of records and information are discussed in the storage
section below.
STORAGE:
Hard copies of documents and information are maintained by the OIG
organization that conducts the review, inspection, or investigation.
For example, the Administrative Investigations Division, at VA OIG
headquarters, maintains hard copies of an investigative file which
contains the case referral from Hotline, the final report, all
documentation supporting the final report, draft reports,
correspondence, and all information collected as part of the
investigation. Similarly, the VA OIG Office of Healthcare Inspections
(OHI) maintains hard copies of its Hotline investigations (final
reports and supporting documentation) related to individuals at VA OIG
headquarters. Other records and information (i.e., work papers) about
investigations related to individuals compiled by OHI are maintained in
the OHI field office that conducted the investigation. Any internal VA
OIG investigations conducted prior to the implementation of electronic
files are maintained in hard copy only and are secured in the Office of
Investigations, Analysis and Oversight Division (51X). Access to those
files is highly restricted.
RETRIEVABILITY:
OIG Hotline cases are assigned a case number in the EMS or MCI
database. Records are retrieved by the case numbers. In addition,
electronic records may be retrieved by the names of the complainants
and names of the subjects of the complaints, retrieved by such persons'
title, or by their Social Security number, if entered. It is important
to note that scanned documents, reports and other uploaded information
that are made part of the file are not searched or retrieved from the
databases as part of a general search. Hard copy paper files are
retrieved by the case number only.
SAFEGUARDS:
Information in the system is protected from unauthorized access
through administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. Access to
the hard copy and computerized information is restricted to authorized
OIG personnel on a need-to-know basis. Hard copy records are maintained
in offices that are restricted during work hours, or are locked after
duty hours. The headquarters building is protected by security guards
and access is restricted during non-duty hours. Access to the
computerized information is limited to VA OIG employees by means of
passwords and authorized user identification codes. Computer system
documentation is maintained in a secure environment in the Office of
Inspector General, VA Central Office.
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
Records will be maintained and disposed of in accordance with a
records disposition authority approved by the Archivist of the United
States.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
Assistant Inspector General for Management and Administration (53),
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, 810
Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
An individual who wishes to determine whether a record is being
maintained by the VA OIG Hotline, under his or her name in this system
or wishes to determine the contents of such records should submit a
written request to the Assistant Inspector General for Management and
Administration (53). However, a majority of records in this system are
exempt from the notification requirements under 5 U.S.C. 552a (j) and
(k). To the extent that records in this system of records are not
subject to exemption, they are subject to notification. A determination
as to whether an exemption applies shall be made at the time a request
for notification is received.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
An individual who seeks access to or wishes to contest records
maintained under his or her name in this system must submit a written
request to the Chief, Information Release Office (50CI). However, a
majority of records in this system are exempt from the records access
and contesting requirements under 5 U.S.C. 552a (j) and (k). To the
extent that records in this system of records are not subject to
exemption, they are subject to access and contest. A determination as
to whether an exemption applies shall be made at the time a request for
access or contest is received.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
(See records access procedures above.)
SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:
Under 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2), the head of any agency may exempt any
system of records within the agency from certain provisions of the
Privacy Act, if the agency or component that maintains the system
performs as its principal function any activities pertaining to the
enforcement of criminal laws. The Inspector General Act of 1978, Public
Law 95-452 (IG Act), mandates that the Inspector General recommend
policies for and to conduct, supervise, and coordinate activities in
the Department of Veterans Affairs and between VA and other Federal,
State and local governmental agencies with respect to: (1) The
prevention and detection of fraud in programs and operations
administered or financed by VA and (2) the identification and
prosecution of participants in such fraud. Under the IG Act, whenever
the Inspector General has reasonable grounds to believe there has been
a violation of Federal criminal law, the Inspector General must report
the matter expeditiously to the Attorney General. This system of
records has been created in major part to support the criminal law-
related activities assigned by the Inspector General to the Assistant
Inspector General for Investigations. These activities constitute a
principal function of the Inspector General's Hotline/Complaint Center
staff. In addition to principal functions pertaining to the enforcement
of criminal laws, the Inspector General may receive and investigate
complaints and allegations from various sources concerning the possible
existence of activities constituting noncriminal violations of law,
rules or regulations; mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuses of
authority or substantial and specific danger to the public health and
safety. This system of records also exists to support inquiries by the
Assistant Inspectors General for Auditing, for Management and
Administration, for Administrative Investigations, and for Healthcare
Inspections into these non-criminal violations. Based upon the
foregoing, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has exempted this system
of records, to the extent that it encompasses information pertaining to
criminal law-related activities, from the following provisions of the
Privacy Act of 1974, as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2): 5 U.S.C.
552a(c) (3) and (4); 5 U.S.C. 552a(d); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e) (1), (2) and
(3); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4) (G), and (H) and (I); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e) (5) and
(8); 5 U.S.C. 552a(f); 5 U.S.C. 552a(g).
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has also exempted this system of
records to the extent that it does not encompass
[[Page 16150]]
information pertaining to criminal law related activities under 5
U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) from the following provisions of the Privacy Act of
1974, as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2): 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3); 5
U.S.C. 552a(d); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4) (G), (H) and
(I); 5 U.S.C. 552a(f).
REASONS FOR EXEMPTIONS:
The exemption of information and material in this system of records
is necessary in order to accomplish the law enforcement functions of
the Office of Inspector General, e.g., to prevent subjects of
investigations from frustrating the investigatory process by
discovering the scope and progress of an investigation, to prevent the
disclosure of investigative techniques, to fulfill commitments made to
protect the confidentiality of sources, to maintain access to sources
of information and to avoid endangering these sources and law
enforcement personnel.
HISTORY:
[See the last full Federal Register notice, 73 FR 46708, Aug. 11,
2008].
[FR Doc. 2019-07649 Filed 4-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P