[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14909-14911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05503]


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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

[NARA-2021-022]


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Notice revising a system of records.

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SUMMARY: We propose to revise a system of records in our existing 
inventory of systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974. The system is 
NARA 1, Researcher Application Files. We are adding a new purpose/
routine use to notify researchers who use our facilities if they might 
have been exposed to COVID-19 while at our facility, to allow

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for similar notifications in the event of future public health 
emergencies, and to allow notification of health departments for 
collaborative efforts to address exposure and meet reporting 
requirements. We are also updating the SORN to reorganize the SORN into 
the current required format. In this notice, we publish the system of 
records notice in full for public notice and comment.

DATES: Submit comments on this system of records by April 15, 2022. 
This revised systems of records, NARA 1, is effective on April 25, 2022 
unless we receive comments that necessitate revising the SORN.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by ``SORN NARA 1'' by 
one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we do not have staff at the 
building to receive mail, so we are temporarily suspending the mailing 
option. If you are not able to submit comments using the eRulemaking 
portal and need to make other arrangements, please email us at 
[email protected] and we will work with you on an 
alternative.
    Instructions: All submissions must include SORN NARA 1 so we can 
identify what the comment is responding to. We may publish any comments 
we receive without changes, including any personal information you 
include.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Keravuori, Regulatory and 
External Policy Program Manager, by email at 
[email protected] or by phone at 301.837.3151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Our Researcher Application Files system of 
records (NARA 1) includes personal and contact information we collect 
from members of the public who use our facilities for research 
purposes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and requests to report and track 
cases of confirmed coronavirus infection, we are revising this system 
of records in order to add a new purpose/routine use. In addition to 
other purposes previously identified, we will use the researcher 
contact information to contact the researcher if they were in one of 
our research facilities on a given day and we later receive notice of a 
confirmed case of the coronavirus in another person who was also in the 
facility that day, to notify researchers of other local or facility-
specific health information as appropriate, and to provide researchers 
with updates related to researcher services.
    We do not provide personal or health information about another 
person in these notifications. In the case of COVID-19 notifications, 
we just notify visitors that there was a confirmed case in that 
facility on the same day they were there, so that the recipient can 
take appropriate actions to determine whether they have been infected 
as well, identify where and when, minimize exposure to others, and 
receive treatment as needed. In anticipation of possible future needs 
for similar notifications in other crisis situations, we have written 
the new purpose to not be COVID-19-specific and to allow additional 
kinds of researcher services updates, and we have also added a new 
routine use for reporting exposures to health departments and officials 
as required, as well as to facilitate efforts to address exposure.
    The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a) (``Privacy 
Act''), provides certain safeguards for an individual against an 
invasion of personal privacy. It requires Federal agencies that 
disseminate any record of personally identifiable information to do so 
in a manner that assures the action is for a necessary and lawful 
purpose, the information is current and accurate for its intended use, 
and the agency provides adequate safeguards to prevent misuse of such 
information. NARA intends to follow these principles when transferring 
information to another agency or individual as a ``routine use,'' 
including assuring that the information is relevant for the purposes 
for which it is transferred.

David S. Ferriero,
Archivist of the United States.
NARA 1

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    Researcher Application Files, NARA 1.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    The following locations maintain researcher application files:
    (1) Individual Presidential libraries, and
    (2) Office of Research Services.
    The system address is the same as the system manager address.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    The system managers for researcher application files are:
    (1) For researchers who apply to use records or archival materials 
in a Presidential library: The director of the individual Presidential 
library; and
    (2) For researchers who apply to use records or archival materials 
in any other facility: Executive for Research Services.
    The business addresses for these system managers are listed in 
Appendix B, last republished September 27, 2018 (83 FR 48869). As 
system manager contact information is subject to change, for the most 
up-to-date information visit our website at www.archives.gov/privacy/inventory.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM:
    44 U.S.C. 2108, 2111 note, and 2203(g)(1).

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    NARA uses the information in this system to register researchers 
who wish to access archival materials; to maintain physical and 
intellectual control over archival holdings and to refer related 
information to the Office of Inspector General if we determine that 
archival materials are missing or mutilated; to disseminate information 
related to events and programs of interest to NARA's researchers, as 
appropriate; to enable contact tracing related to a public health 
emergency, such as a pandemic or epidemic, and to report exposures to 
public health departments, as required; and to measure customer 
satisfaction with NARA services. We may use aggregate information from 
this system to review, analyze, plan, and formulate policy related to 
customer service staffing and facility needs.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Individuals covered by this system include people who apply to use 
archival materials for research in NARA facilities.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Researcher application files may include: Researcher applications; 
related correspondence; and electronic records. These files may contain 
the following information about an individual: Name; address; telephone 
number; proposed research topic(s); occupation; name, email address, 
and mailing address of employer/institutional affiliation; educational 
level and major field of study; expected result(s) of research; photo; 
researcher card number; type of records used; and other information 
furnished by the individual. Electronic systems may also contain 
additional information related to the application process.

[[Page 14911]]

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    NARA obtains information in researcher application files from 
researchers and from NARA employees who maintain the files.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    We disclose, pursuant to the following routine uses, researcher 
application files to:
    (a) Provide relevant information to Federal agencies such as the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), state and local health 
departments, and other public health or cooperating medical 
authorities, to more effectively respond to exposures to communicable 
diseases, and to satisfy mandatory reporting requirements when 
applicable; and
    (b) routine uses A, C, E, F, G, H, and I, described in Appendix A. 
Appendix A was last republished on December 20, 2013 (78 FR 77255, 
77287). For the most up-to-date information, see the Appendix on our 
website at www.archives.gov/privacy/inventory.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING RECORDS:
    Paper and electronic records.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVING RECORDS:
    Staff may retrieve information in the records by the individual's 
name, researcher card number, or any of the other fields in the 
researcher registration database.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETAINING AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS:
    Researcher application files are temporary records and we destroy 
them in accordance with disposition instructions in the NARA Records 
Schedule (a supplement to the NARA Files Maintenance and Records 
Disposition Manual). Individuals may request a copy of the disposition 
instructions from the NARA Privacy Act Officer (at the address listed 
in Appendix B).

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    During normal hours of operation, we maintain paper records in 
areas accessible only by authorized NARA personnel. Authorized NARA 
personnel access electronic records via password-protected workstations 
located in attended offices or through a secure remote-access network. 
After business hours, buildings have security guards and secured doors, 
and electronic surveillance equipment monitors all entrances.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    People who wish to access their records should submit a request in 
writing to the NARA Privacy Act Officer at the address listed in 
Appendix B.

CONTESTING RECORDS PROCEDURES:
    NARA's rules for contesting the contents of a person's records and 
appealing initial determinations are in 36 CFR part 1202.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    People inquiring about their records should notify the NARA Privacy 
Act Officer at the address listed in Appendix B.

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    Last republished as a full notice on December 20, 2013 (78 FR 
77255).
[FR Doc. 2022-05503 Filed 3-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7515-01-P