[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20483-20485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08486]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-7106-N-06]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Office of Chief Human Capital Officer, Housing and Urban
Development.
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as
amended, the Department of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) is issuing a public
notice of its intent to modify the Privacy Act system of records titled
``Student Loan Repayment Program.''
DATES: Comments will be accepted on or before June 13, 2025. This
proposed action will be effective on the date following the end of the
comment period unless comments are received which result in a contrary
determination.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number FR-
7106-N-06.
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions provided on that site to submit comments
electronically.
Fax: 202-619-8365.
Email: [email protected].
Mail: Attention: Privacy Office; LaDonne White, Chief Privacy
Officer; The Executive Secretariat; 451 Seventh Street SW, Room 10139;
Washington, DC 20410-0001.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received will be
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov. including any
personal information provided.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received go to https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LaDonne White; 451 Seventh Street SW,
Room 10139; Washington, DC 20410-0001; telephone number 202-708-3054
(this is not a toll-free number). HUD welcomes and is prepared to
receive calls from individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well
as individuals with speech or communication disabilities. To learn more
about how to make an accessible telephone call, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs_.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HUD Student Loan Repayment Program
(SLRP) allows the Department to repay all or part of any outstanding
federal student loan by submitting direct payments to the lender on
behalf of the employee. The implementation of the new platform
``Sharepoint Online'' replaced the old legacy platform Sharepoint
website. Sharepoint Online interfaces with multiple automated
platforms: DocuSign and PowerForm Apps which enhances and streamlines
the Student Loan Repayment Program's process. Through this interface,
the SLRP transitioned to an automated method, allowing HUD to process,
monitor, track, and report processing activities of approved student
loans more accurately, and more efficiently; unlike the previously,
manually handled process. With the use of DocuSign and PowerForm Apps,
this also streamlines the process, accelerates responses to inquiries
about application status, and facilitates a seamless interaction for
managers to communicate the status back to applicants. By enhancing the
functionality of the SLRP, HUD continues to attract uniquely qualified
candidates into mission-critical positions, as well as retain those
highly qualified employees, already in those critical positions.
The proposed modification changes the following: the SORN number,
updates the authority for the maintenance of the system, category of
records, and supplementary information to add (1) How HUD has modified
the current platform by which Student Loan application are managed; (2)
How the new platform provides an automated functionality that improves
the processing of Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) applications;
and (3) How more efficient and effective the program is through the
interfaces of DocuSign and PowerForm Apps. The change in authorities is
a technical correction to the legal citation. The previous authority
amended a different underlying statute found at 5 U.S.C. 5379, however;
since the amendment was technical in nature the current authority cites
the underlying statute which created 5 U.S.C. 5379, initially. There
are no other changes to the system of records.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Student Loan Repayment Program, HUD/OCHCO-06.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Records are maintained at the following locations: U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development Headquarters location, 451 7th Street
SW, Washington, DC 20410-0001.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Rassii Elliot, Program Manager, Contact Number (202) 402-5231,
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), Office of 451
Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-0001.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, Public Law 101-
510, div. A, title XII, sec. 1206(b)(1); 5 U.S.C. 5379, as amended, and
implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 537.
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
The purpose of this system is to allow HUD to collect and maintain
records on employees requesting or receiving repayments on qualified
student loans. Another purpose of this system is to
[[Page 20484]]
monitor, process, track and report the processing of approved student
loan benefits while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, including confidentiality requirements protecting
information individuals submit in support of student loan repayment
requests.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
Current and former HUD employees.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Full Name, employee HUD identification number, home and work
addresses, home and work telephone numbers, education records, student
loan applications, account numbers, loan balance, repayment schedule,
repayment history, repayment status; email addresses, lender's name,
lender's addresses, service agreements, program area, employee HUD
office code, employee supervisor's name, supervisor's HUD
identification number, employee pay plan, employee occupational series,
and employee position title.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Individuals and loan lenders (Department of Education and loan
servicing companies).
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
1. To a congressional office from the record of an individual, in
response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the
request of that individual.
2. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, Federal
agencies, and non-Federal entities, including, but not limited to,
State and local governments and other research institutions or their
parties, and entities and their agents with whom HUD has a contract,
service agreement, grant, or cooperative agreement, when necessary to
accomplish an agency function, related to a system of records, for the
purposes of statistical analysis and research in support of program
operations, management, performance monitoring, evaluation, risk
management, and policy development, or to otherwise support the
Department's mission.
3. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants and their agents,
or others performing or working under a contract, service, grant, or
cooperative agreement with HUD or under contract to another agency when
necessary to accomplish an agency function related to a system of
records. Disclosure requirements are limited to only those data
elements considered relevant to accomplishing an agency function.
4. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when: (I) HUD
suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of
records; (II) HUD has determined that as a result of the suspected or
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, HUD (including
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal
Government, or national security; and (III) The disclosure made to such
agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in
connection with HUD's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed
breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
5. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when HUD determines
that information from this system of records is reasonably necessary to
assist the recipient agency or entity in (I) responding to a suspected
or confirmed breach or (II) 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.
6. To appropriate Federal, State, local, tribal, or governmental
agencies or multilateral governmental organizations responsible for
investigating or prosecuting the violations of, or for enforcing or
implementing, a statute, rule, regulation, order, or license, where HUD
determines that the information would assist in the enforcement of
civil or criminal laws and when such records, either alone or in
conjunction with other information, indicate a violation or potential
violation of law.
7. To a court, magistrate, administrative tribunal, or arbitrator
in the course of presenting evidence, including disclosures to opposing
counsel or witnesses in the course of civil discovery, litigation,
mediation, or settlement negotiations, or in connection with criminal
law proceedings; when HUD determines that use of such records is
relevant and necessary to the litigation and when any of the following
is a party to the litigation or have an interest in such litigation:
(1) HUD, or any component thereof; or (2) any HUD employee in his or
her official capacity; or (3) any HUD employee in his or her individual
capacity where HUD has agreed to represent the employee; or (4) the
United States, or any agency thereof, where HUD determines that
litigation is likely to affect HUD or any of its components.
8. To any component of the Department of Justice or other Federal
agency conducting litigation or in proceedings before any court,
adjudicative, or administrative body, when HUD determines that the use
of such records is relevant and necessary to the litigation and when
any of the following is a party to the litigation or have an interest
in such litigation: (1) HUD, or any component thereof; or (2) any HUD
employee in his or her official capacity; or (3) any HUD employee in
his or her individual capacity where the Department of Justice or
agency conducting the litigation has agreed to represent the employee;
or (4) the United States, or any agency thereof, where HUD determines
that litigation is likely to affect HUD or any of its components.
9. To officials of labor organizations recognized under the Civil
Service Reform Act when relevant and necessary to their duties of
exclusive representation concerning personnel policies, practices, and
matters affecting work conditions.
10. To the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Merit Systems
Protection Board (and its office of the Special Counsel), the Federal
Labor Relations Authority (and its General Counsel), or the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission when requested in performance of
their authorized duties of exclusive representation concerning
personnel policies, practices, and matters affecting work conditions.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
Electronic and paper records.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
Full name and HUD identification number.
POLICIES AND PRACTICIES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
GRS 2.4 Employee Compensation and Benefits Records. Incentive
package records. Records of recruitment, relocation, and retention
incentives; federal student loan repayment; and supervisory
differentials offered under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability
Act. Temporary. Destroy 3 years after date of approval, completion of
service agreement, or termination of incentive or differential payment,
whichever is later, but longer retention is authorized if required for
business use.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
For Paper Records: Comprehensive paper records are kept in locked
metal file cabinets in locked rooms in HUD
[[Page 20485]]
Headquarters, in the Office of Policy, which is the office responsible
for the Student Loan Repayment Program. Access to these records is
limited to only those persons who have a need for them in the
performance of their official duties. All physical access to the
building where the system of records is maintained is controlled and
monitored by security personnel who perform security checks on a
routine basis.
For Electronic Records: Comprehensive electronic records are
maintained and stored in an electronic encryption database system.
These records can only be accessed based off the user's rights and
privileges to the system. Electronic records are stored on the
SharePoint ``online'', D110 Microsoft Office 365 Multi-Tenant Software
(MS O365 MT) environment, which runs on the Department's network (HUD).
This environment complies with the security and privacy controls and
procedures as described in the Federal Information Security Management
Act (FISMA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Special Publications, and Federal; Information Processing Standards
(FIPS). A valid HSPD-12 ID Credential, access to HUD's LAN, a valid
UserID and Password and a Personalized Identification Number (PIN) is
required to access the Student Loan Repayment Program. These records
are restricted to only those persons with a role in the Student Loan
Repayment Program, having a need to access them in the performance of
their official duties.
For Electronic Records (cloud based): Comprehensive electronic
records are secured and maintained on a cloud-based software server and
operating system that resides in Federal Risk and Authorization
Management Program (FedRAMP) and Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA) Moderate dedicated hosting environment. All data
located in the cloud-based server is firewalled and encrypted at rest
and in transit. The security mechanisms for handing data at rest and in
transit are in accordance with HUD encryption standards.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals requesting records of themselves should address written
inquiries to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th
Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-0001. For verification, individuals
should provide their full name, current address, and telephone number.
In addition, the requester must provide either a notarized statement or
an unsworn declaration made under 24 CFR 16.4.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
The HUD rule for contesting the content of any record pertaining to
the individual by the individual concerned is published in 24 CFR 16.8
or may be obtained from the system manager.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
Individuals requesting notification of records of themselves should
address written inquiries to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-0001. For
verification purposes, individuals should provide their full name,
office or organization where assigned, if applicable, and current
address and telephone number. In addition, the requester must provide
either a notarized statement or an unsworn declaration made under 24
CFR 16.4.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
N/A.
HISTORY:
Docket No. FR-7062-N-10, July 25, 2022 at 87 FR 44143.
Shalanda Capehart,
Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-08486 Filed 5-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P