Title 39—Postal Service--Volume 1
PART 261—RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
§ 261.1   Purpose and scope.
Under 39 U.S.C. 410, as enacted by the Postal Reorganization Act, the U.S. Postal Service is not subject to the provisions of the Federal Records Act of 1950, or any of its supporting regulations which provide for the conduct of records management in Federal agencies. The objective of parts 261 through 268 of this chapter are to provide the basis for an organization-wide records and information management program affecting all Postal Service organizational components having the custody of any form of information and records.
§ 261.2   Authority.
(a) As provided in 39 U.S.C. 401(5), the Postal Service has the power to acquire property it deems necessary or convenient in the transaction of its business and to hold, maintain, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of such property.
(b) Under § 262.2 of this chapter, the Postal Service Privacy and Records Office, located under the Associate General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, is responsible for the retention, security, and privacy of Postal Service records and is empowered to authorize the disclosure of such records and to order their disposal by destruction or transfer. Included is the authority to issue records management policy and to delegate or take appropriate action if that policy is not adhered to or if questions of interpretation of procedure arise.
§ 261.3   Policy.
It is the policy of the Postal Service:
(a) To, as appropriate, create, preserve, protect and disclose records which contain adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, operations, procedures, activities and transactions of the Postal Service,
(b) To reduce to an absolute minimum the records holdings of the Postal Service by strict adherence to established records retention schedules.
§ 261.4   Responsibility.
(a) The Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, whose duties are performed by the Associate General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, is responsible for:
(1) Overseeing Postal Service compliance with the FOIA.
(2) Making recommendations to the Postmaster General regarding the Postal Service's FOIA program.
(3) Monitoring and reporting on FOIA implementation and performance for the Postal Service.
(b) The Chief Privacy Officer, under the Associate General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, is responsible for administering records and information management policies, and the privacy of information programs, and for the compliance of all handbooks, directives, and instructions in support of these policies and programs.
(c) The Deputy Chief FOIA Officer, under the Privacy and Records Office, administers the Postal Service release of information program with the assistance of FOIA Coordinators in Headquarters departments and area and district offices.
(d) Freedom of Information Act Public Liaisons are responsible for:
(1) Managing FOIA Requester Service Centers (RSCs).
(2) Receiving concerns of requesters about the service provided by the FOIA RSC following an initial response.
(3) Ensuring a service-oriented response to requests and FOIA-related inquiries.
(4) Reporting to the Chief FOIA Officer on their activities.
(e) Freedom of Information Act Requester Service Centers are responsible for:
(1) Facilitating communication between the Postal Service and FOIA requesters.
(2) Providing information to requesters concerning the status of FOIA requests and information about responses to such requests.
(f) Freedom of Information Act Coordinators fill an ad hoc position located within each Headquarters department, and Area and District office, and are responsible for:
(1) Coordinating and tracking FOIA requests referred to or received by their functional or geographical area.
(2) Providing procedural guidance, upon request, to records custodians.
(3) Assisting the Deputy Chief FOIA Officer with national reporting activities, such as annual reporting of local FOIA and Privacy Act activities.
(g) Records Custodians are responsible for ensuring that records within their facilities or organizations are managed according to Postal Service policies. Vice presidents or their designees are the custodians of records maintained at Headquarters. In the field, the Records Custodian is the head of a Postal Service facility such as an area, district, Post Office, or other Postal Service installation or designee that maintains Postal Service records. Senior medical personnel are the custodians of restricted medical records maintained within Postal Service facilities. The Custodian of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) records is the Postal Service counselor, a supplier, or the public health service, whichever provided the services.
(h) Postal Service managers are responsible for administering records and information management policies and for complying with all handbooks, directives, and instructions in support of this policy.