Title 16—Commercial Practices--Volume 1
PART 1014—POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTING THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
§ 1014.1   Purpose and scope.
This part sets forth the regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission implementing the Privacy Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-579). The purpose of these regulations is to inform the public about records maintained by the Commission which contain personal information about individuals, and to inform those individuals how they may seek access to and correct records concerning themselves. These regulations do not apply to requests for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (except where such disclosures would constitute an invasion of privacy of an individual).
§ 1014.2   Definitions.
As used in this part:
(a) Individual means a person who is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
(b) Privacy Act means the Privacy Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-579).
(c) Record means any item of personal information relating to an individual, such as educational, employment, financial or medical information.
(d) Statistical record means a record in a system of records maintained for statistical research or reporting purposes only and not used in whole or in part in making any determination about an identifiable individual.
(e) System of records or records systems means a group of records maintained by the Commission from which information may be retrieved by the name of an individual or some other individual identifier.
(f) Maintain includes the collection, use, storage, and dissemination of information.
§ 1014.3   Procedures for requests pertaining to individual records.
(a) Any individual may request the Commission to inform him or her whether a particular record system named by the individual contains a record pertaining to him or her. The request may be made by mail or in person during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Officer, Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland (mailing address: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207).
(b) An individual who believes that the Commission maintains a record pertaining to him or her but who cannot determine which record system may contain the record, may request assistance by mail or in person at the Office of the Secretary during business hours.
(c) A Commission officer or employee or former employee who desires to review or obtain a copy of a personnel record pertaining to him or her may make a request by mail or in person at the Office of Human Resources Management, Room 523, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland (mailing address: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207).
(d) Each individual requesting the disclosure of a record or a copy of a record shall furnish the following information to the extent known with the request to the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Officer or to the Division of Personnel's Processing Unit, as applicable:
(1) A description of the record sought;
(2) The approximate date of the record;
(3) The name or other description of the record system containing the record;
(4) Proof as required in § 1014.4 that he or she is the individual to whom the requested record relates; and
(5) Any other information required by the notice describing the record system.
(e) An individual personally inspecting his or her records may be accompanied by other persons of his or her own choosing. The individual shall sign a written statement authorizing disclosure of the record in the other person's presence.
(f) Any individual who desires to have a record concerning himself or herself disclosed to or mailed to another person may authorize that person to act as his or her agent for that specific purpose. The authorization shall be in writing, signed by the individual, and shall be notarized. An agent requesting the review or copy of another's record shall submit with the request the authorization and proof of his or her identify as required by § 1014.4(c).
(g) The parent of any minor individual or the legal guardian of any individual who has been declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be incompetent, due to physical or mental incapacity or age, may act on behalf of that individual in any matter covered by this part. A parent or guardian who desires to act on behalf of such individual shall present suitable evidence of parentage or guardianship, by birth certificate, certified copy of a court order, or similar documents, and proof of the individual's identity in a form that complies with § 1014.4(c).
(h) An individual may request an accounting of all disclosures made to other persons or agencies of his or her record, except those disclosures made to law enforcement agencies pursuant to section (b)(7) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(7)). A request for accounting, whenever made, shall be treated as a request for disclosure of records.
§ 1014.4   Requirements for identification of individuals making requests.
The following proof of identity is required for requests for records made pursuant to § 1014.3:
(a) An individual seeking a record about himself or herself in person may establish his or her identity by the presentation of a single document bearing a photograph (such as a passport or driver's license) or by a presentation of two items of identification which do not bear a photograph but do bear both a name and address. An individual who cannot provide documentation of his or her identity may provide a written statement affirming his or her identity and the fact that he or she understands the penalties for making false statements (18 U.S.C. 1001 and 5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3)).
(b) An individual seeking a record by mail shall include a statement signed by the individual and properly notarized, that he or she appeared before a notary public and submitted proof of identity acceptable to the notary public.
(c) Requests made by an agent, parent, or guardian shall, in addition to establishing the identity of the minor or other person he or she represents as required by paragraphs (a) and (b), establish his or her agency, parentage, or guardianship by documentation.
(d) In any case in which the Commission determines that the proof of identity is not adequate, it may request the individual to submit additional proof of identity.
§ 1014.5   Disclosure of requested information to individuals.
(a) Upon submission of proof of identity, the Office of the Secretary or the Director of Resource Utilization, as applicable, shall promptly forward the request to the system manager who will promptly allow the individual to see and/or have a copy of the requested record or send a copy of the record to the individual by mail, as requested by the individual. If the individual asks to see the record, the record should be made available for review and/or copying at the location where the record is maintained, in the Office of the Secretary, or the Director of Resource Utilization, or at the nearest Area Office.
(b) If the system manager should determine, for any reason, that the requested records are exempt from the right of access, a notice of denial shall be sent to the requester stating the reasons for denial, and the requester's right to appeal the denial in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 1014.8 of these regulations.
§ 1014.6   Request for correction or amendment to a record.
(a) Any individual who has reviewed a record pertaining to himself or herself may request the Executive Director to correct or amend all or any part of the record.
(b) Each request for a correction or amendment of a record shall be in writing and shall contain the following information:
(1) The name of the individual requesting the correction or amendment;
(2) The name or other description of the system of records in which the record sought to be amended is maintained;
(3) The location of that record in the system of records to the extent that it is known;
(4) A copy of the record sought to be amended or a description of that record;
(5) A statement of the material in the record that should be corrected or amended;
(6) A statement of the specific wording of the correction or amendment sought; and
(7) A statement of the basis for the requested correction or amendment including any material that the individual can furnish to substantiate the reasons for the amendment sought.
§ 1014.7   Agency review of request for correction or amendment of a record.
(a) Not later than 10 working days after the receipt of the request for the correction or amendment of a record under § 1014.6, the responsible Commission official shall acknowledge receipt of the request and inform the individual whether further information is required before the correction or amendment can be considered.
(b) The responsible Commission official will promptly review the request and either make the requested correction or amendment or notify the individual of his or her refusal to do so, including in the notification the reasons for the refusal, and the appeal procedures provided by § 1014.8.
(c) The responsible Commission official will make each requested correction or amendment to a record if that correction or amendment will correct anything within the record that is not accurate, relevant, timely, or complete. A copy of each corrected or amended record shall be furnished to the individual who requested the action. If an accounting of disclosure has been kept, all previous recipients of the record shall be notified of the correction and its substance.
§ 1014.8   Appeal of initial denial of access, correction or amendment.
(a) Any individual whose request for access, correction or amendment to a record is denied, in whole or in part, may appeal that decision within 30 working days to the Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.
(b) The appeal shall be in writing and shall:
(1) Name the individual making the appeal;
(2) Identify the record to which access is sought or which is sought to be corrected or amended;
(3) Name or describe the record system in which the record is contained;
(4) Contain a short statement describing the correction of amendment sought;
(5) State the name and location of the Commission official who initially denied the correction or amendment; and
(6) State the date of the initial denial.
(c) Not later than 30 working days after the date on which the appeal is received, the Chairman shall complete a review of the appeal and make a final decision thereon. However, for good cause shown, the Chairman of the Commission may extend the 30-day period. If the Chairman so extends the period, he or she shall promptly notify the individual requesting the review that the extension has been made.
(d) If after review of an appeal request, the Chairman also refuses to amend the record or grant access to the record in accordance with the request, he or she shall send a written notice to the requester containing the following information:
(1) The decision and the reasons for the decision;
(2) The right of the requester to institute a civil action in a Federal District Court for judicial review of the decision; and
(3) The right of the requester to file with the Chairman a concise statement setting forth the reasons for his or her disagreement with the denial of the correction or amendment. A copy of the statement of disagreement shall be filed with the record in issue, and the record in issue shall be so marked as to indicate that there is a disagreement. The system manager shall make the statement of disagreement available to prior recipients of the disputed record to the extent that an accounting of disclosures was maintained, and to any person to whom the record is later disclosed, together with a brief statement, if deemed appropriate, of the reasons for denying the requested correction or amendment.
§ 1014.9   Disclosure of record to person other than the individual to whom it pertains.
(a) Any person or agency (other than an officer or employee of the Commission who has a need for individual records in the performance of his or her duty) seeking disclosure of personal records of another individual which are contained in a system of records shall submit a request in accordance with the Commission's Procedures for Disclosure of Production of Information under the Freedom of Information Act (16 CFR part 1015, subpart A).
(b) The determination of whether or not the requested disclosure is proper will be made in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552) and the Commission's policies and procedures issued thereunder (16 CFR part 1015).
§ 1014.10   Fees.
The Commission shall not charge an individual for the costs of making a search for a record, the costs of reviewing or copying a record, or the cost of correcting or amending a record.
§ 1014.11   Penalties.
Any person who makes a false statement in connection with any request for a record, or an amendment thereto, under this part, is subject to the penalties prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 494, 495, and 1001; and 5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3).
§ 1014.12   Specific exemptions.
(a) Injury information. (1) The Bureau of Epidemiology maintains a file of Accident Reports (In-Depth Investigations) which are conducted on a sample of product related injuries reported to the Commission by selected hospital emergency rooms, by consumers through the Commission's “Hot-Line” telephone service and through written consumer complaints and by other means such as newspaper reports. The purpose of this record system is to compile accident statistics for analyzing the incidence and severity of product related injuries.
(2) Inasmuch as the maintenance of the record system listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is authorized by section 5 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2054) and the data are used solely as statistical records, the system is exempted from the requirements of the Privacy Act relating to making available the accounting of disclosures, correction or amendment of the record and the application of these rules to the system of records. Specifically, the system is exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3); (d) (2) and (3); (e)(1); (e)(4) (G), (H) and (I); and (f). However, Accident Reports made by Commission employees are disclosable in accordance with paragraph (a)(3) of this section.
(3) Section 25(c) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2074(c)) provides that accident or investigation reports made by an officer or employee of the Commission shall be made available to the public in a manner which will not identify any injured person or any person treating him or her, without the consent of the person identified. Consequently, an accident or investigation report which identifies individuals is available to the injured party or the person treating him or her but would not be available for disclosure to a third party without the consent of the injured party or person treating him or her.
(4) Since accident or investigation reports are compiled only for statistical purposes and are not used in whole or in part in making any determination about an individual, they are exempted from the requirement to correct or amend a record as provided by subsection (d)(2) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a (d)(2)). Exceptions from this paragraph, insofar as they relate to amendments or additions, may be allowed by the Executive Director.
(b) Inspector General Investigative Files—CPSC-6. All portions of this system of records which fall within 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2) (investigatory materials compiled for law enforcement purposes) and 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5) (investigatory materials solely compiled for suitability determinations) are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) (mandatory accounting of disclosures); 5 U.S.C. 552a(d) (access by individuals to records that pertain to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1) (requirement to maintain only such information as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an authorized agency purpose); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals of the existence of records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(H) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals how they can obtain access to and contest records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(I) (mandatory disclosure of records source categories); and the Commission's regulations in 16 CFR part 1014 which implement these statutory provisions.
(c) Enforcement and Litigation Files—CPSC-7. All portions of this system of records that fall within 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2) (investigatory materials compiled for law enforcement purposes) are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) (mandatory accounting of disclosures); 5 U.S.C. 552a(d) (access by individuals to records that pertain to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1) (requirement to maintain only such information as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an authorized agency purpose); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals of the existence of records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(H) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals how they can obtain access to and contest records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(I) (mandatory disclosure of records source categories); and the Commission's regulations in 16 CFR part 1014 that implement these statutory provisions.