§ 200.5 Protection of privacy of records maintained on individuals. ( a ) *Purpose and scope.* The purpose of this section is to establish specific procedures necessary for compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-579). These regulations apply to all record systems containing information of a personal or private nature maintained by the Railroad Retirement Board that are indexed and retrieved by personal identifier.
( b ) *Definitions* — ( 1 ) *Individual.* The term “individual” pertains to a natural person who is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence and not to a company or corporation.
( 2 ) *System of records.* For the purposes of this section, the term “system of records” pertains to only those records that can be retrieved by an individual identifier.
( 3 ) *Railroad Retirement Board.* For purposes of this section, the term “Railroad Retirement Board” refers to the United States Railroad Retirement Board, an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States Government.
( 4 ) *Board.* For purposes of this section the term “Board” refers to the three member governing body of the United States Railroad Retirement Board.
( c ) *Procedure for requesting the existence of personally identifiable records in a record system.* An individual can determine if a particular record system maintained by the Railroad Retirement Board contains any record pertaining to him by submitting a written request for such information to the system manager of that record system as described in the annual notice published in the Federal Register. A current copy of the system notices, published in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section, is available for inspection at all regional and district offices of the Board. If necessary, Board personnel will aid requesters in determining what system(s) of records they wish to review and will forward any requests for information to the appropriate system manager. Also, requests for personal information may be submitted either by mail or in person to the system manager at the headquarters of the Railroad Retirement Board, 844 Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Prior to responding to a request for information under this subsection, the system manager shall require the individual requesting such information to provide identifying data, such as his full name, date of birth, and social security number. The system manager shall respond to a request under this subsection within a reasonable time by stating that a record on the individual either is or is not contained in the system.
( d ) *Disclosure of requested information to individuals.* ( 1 ) Upon request, an individual shall be granted access to records pertaining to himself, other than medical records and records compiled in anticipation of a civil or criminal action or proceeding against him, which are indexed by individual identifier in a particular system of records. Requests for access must be in writing and should be addressed to the system manager of that record system as described in the annual notice published in the Federal Register. Requests under this subsection may be submitted either by mail or in person at the headquarters offices of the Railroad Retirement Board, 844 Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
( 2 ) The system manager shall, within ten working days following the date on which the request is received in his office, render a decision either granting or denying access and shall promptly notify the individual of his decision. If the request is denied, the notification shall inform the individual of his right to appeal the denial to the Board. An individual whose request for access under this subsection has been denied by the system manager may appeal that determination to the Board by filing a written appeal with the Secretary of the Board, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611 within twenty working days following receipt of the notice of denial. The Board shall render a decision on an appeal within thirty working days following the date on which the appeal is received in the office of the Secretary of the Board. The individual shall promptly be notified of the Board's decision.
( 3 ) In cases where an individual has been granted access to his records, the system manager shall, prior to releasing such records, require the individual to produce identifying data such as his name, date of birth, and social security number.
( 4 ) Disclosure to an individual of his record may be made by providing him, upon written request therefor, a copy of the record or portion thereof which he reasonably describes in his request.
( 5 ) An individual, and if such individual so desires, one other person of his choosing, may review and have a copy made of his record (in a form comprehensible to him) during regular business hours at the location described as the repository of the record system containing such records in the annual notice published in the Federal Register or at such other location convenient to the individual as specified by the system manager. If an individual is accompanied by another person, the system manager may require written authorizations for disclosure in the presence of the other person from the individual before any record or portion thereof is released.
( e ) *Special procedures—medical records.* ( 1 ) An individual concerning whom the Railroad Retirement Board maintains medical records in a system of records shall, upon written request, be permitted to review such medical records or be furnished copies of such records if the system manager of the system containing the requested records determines that disclosure of the records or any portion thereof would not be harmful to the individual's mental or physical health.
( 2 ) If, upon review of the medical records requested, the system manager determines that disclosure of such records or any portion thereof might be harmful to the individual's mental or physical health, he shall inform the individual that copies of the records may be furnished to a physician of the individual's own choosing. If the individual should select a physician to conduct such a review and direct the Board to permit the physician to review the records, the system manger shall promptly forward copies of the records in question to that physician. The system manger shall inform the physician that the records are being provided to him or her for the purpose of making an independent determination as to whether release or the records directly to the individual who has requested them might be harmful to that individual. The physician shall be informed that if, in his or her opinion, direct disclosure of the records would not be harmful to the individual's mental or physical health, he or she may then provide the copies to the individual. The physician shall further be informed that should he or she determine that disclosure of the records in question might be harmful to the individual, such records shall not be disclosed and should be returned to the Board, but the physician may summarize and discuss the contents of the records with the individual.
( 3 ) The special procedure established by paragraph (e) of this section to permit an individual access to medical records pertaining to himself or herself shall not be construed as authorizing the individual to direct the Board to disclose such medical records to any third parties, other than to a physician in accordance with paragraph (e)(2) of this section. Medical records shall not be disclosed by the Board to any entities or persons other than the individual to whom the record pertains or his or her authorized physician regardless of consent, except as permissible under paragraphs (j)(1)(i), (iii), and (viii) of this section and as provided under paragraph (e)(4) of this section.
( 4 ) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (e)(1), (2) and (3) of this section and of paragraph (d) of this section, if a determination made with respect to an individual's claim for benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act is based in whole or in part on medical records, disclosure of or access to such medical records shall be granted to such individual or to such individual's representative when such records are requested for the purpose of contesting such determination either administratively of judicially.
( 5 ) The procedures for access to medical records set forth in paragraph (e) of this section shall not apply with respect to requests for access to an individual's disability decision sheet or similar adjudicatory documents, access to which is governed solely by paragraph (d) of this section.
( f ) *General exemptions* — ( 1 ) *Systems of records subject to investigatory material exemption under 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) .* RRB-43, Investigation Files, a system containing information concerning alleged violations of law, regulation, or rule pertinent to the administration of programs by the RRB or alleging misconduct or conflict of interest on the part of RRB employees in the discharge of their official duties.
( 2 ) *Scope of exemption.* ( i ) The system of records identified in this paragraph is maintained by the Office of Investigations (OI) of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), a component of the Board which performs as its principal function activities pertaining to the enforcement of criminal laws. Authority for the criminal law enforcement activities of the OIG's OI is the Inspector General Act of 1978, 5 U.S.C. App.
( ii ) Applicable information in the system of records described in this paragraph is exempt from subsections (c)(3) and (4) (Accounting of Certain Disclosures), (d) (Access to Records), (e)(1), (2), (3), (4)(G), (H), and (I), (5), and (8), (Agency Requirements), (f) (Agency Rules) and (g) (Civil Remedies) of 5 U.S.C. 552a.
( iii ) To the extent that information in this system of records does not fall within the scope of this general exemption under 5 U.S.C. 552(j)(2) for any reason, the specific exemption under 5 U.S.C. 552(k)(2) is claimed for such information. (See paragraph (g) of this section.)
( 3 ) *Reasons for exemptions.* The system of records described in this section is exempt for one or more of the following reasons: ( i ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) requires an agency to make available to the individual named in the records, at his or her request, an accounting of each disclosure of records. This accounting must state the date, nature, and purpose of each disclosure of a record and the name and address of the recipient. Accounting of each disclosure would alert the subjects of an investigation to the existence of the investigation and the fact that they are subjects of an investigation. The release of such information to the subjects of an investigation would provide them with significant information concerning the nature of the investigation, and could seriously impede or compromise the investigation and lead to the improper influencing of witnesses, the destruction of evidence, or the fabrication of testimony.
( ii ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(4) requires an agency to inform any person or other agency about any correction or notation of dispute made by the agency in accordance with subsection (d) of the Act. Since the RRB is claiming that this system of records is exempt from subsection (d) of the Act, concerning access to records, this section is inapplicable and is exempted to the extent that this system of records is exempted from subsection (d) of the Act.
( iii ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(d) requires an agency to permit an individual to gain access to records pertaining to him or her, to request amendment of such records, to request a review of an agency decision not to amend such records, and to contest the information contained in such records. Granting access to records in this system of records could inform the subject of the investigation of an actual or potential criminal violation of the existence of that investigation, of the nature and scope of the information and evidence obtained as to his or her activities, of the identity of confidential sources, witnesses, and law enforcement personnel, and could provide information to enable the subject to avoid detection or apprehension. Granting access to such information could seriously impede or compromise an investigation, lead to the improper influencing of witnesses, the destruction of evidence, or the fabrication of testimony, and disclose investigative techniques and procedures.
( iv ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1) requires each agency to maintain in its records only such information about an individual as is relevant and necessary to accomplish a purpose required by statute or executive order of the President. The application of this provision could impair investigations and law enforcement, because it is not always possible to detect the relevance or necessity of specific information in the early stages of an investigation. Relevance and necessity are often questions of judgment and timing, and it is only after the information is evaluated that the relevance and necessity of such information can be established.
( v ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(2) requires an agency to collect information to the greatest extent practicable directly from the subject individual when the information may result in adverse determinations about an individual's rights, benefits, and privileges under Federal programs. The application of this provision could impair investigations and law enforcement by alerting the subject of an investigation of the existence of the investigation, enabling the subject to avoid detection or apprehension, to influence witnesses improperly, to destroy evidence, or to fabricate testimony. Moreover, in certain circumstances the subject of an investigation cannot be required to provide information to investigators, and information must be collected from other sources. Furthermore, it is often necessary to collect information from sources other than the subject of the investigation to verify the accuracy of the evidence collected.
( vi ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(3) requires an agency to inform each person whom it asks to supply information, on a form that can be retained by the person, of the authority under which the information is sought and whether disclosure is mandatory or voluntary; of the principal purposes for which the information is intended to be used; of the routine uses which may be made of the information; and of the effects on the person, if any, of not providing all or any part of the requested information. The application of this provision could provide the subject of an investigation with substantial information about the nature of that investigation.
( vii ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) and (H) require an agency to publish a Federal Register notice concerning its procedures for notifying an individual at his request if the system of records contains a record pertaining to him or her, how he or she can gain access to such a record, and how he or she can contest its contents. Since the RRB is claiming that the system of records is exempt from subsection (f) of the Act, concerning agency rules, and subsection (d) of the Act, concerning access to records, these requirements are inapplicable and are exempted to the extent that these systems of records are exempted from subsections (f) and (d) of the Act. Although the RRB is claiming exemption from these requirements, RRB has published such a notice concerning its notification, access, and contest procedures because, under certain circumstances, RRB might decide it is appropriate for an individual to have access to all or a portion of his or her records in this system of records.
( viii ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(I) requires an agency to publish in the Federal Register notice concerning the categories of sources or records in the system of records. Exemption from this provision is necessary to protect the confidentiality of the sources of information, to protect the privacy of confidential sources and witnesses, and to avoid the disclosure of investigative techniques and procedures. Although RRB is claiming exemption from this requirement, RRB has published such a notice in broad generic terms in the belief that this is all subsection (e)(4)(I) of the Act requires.
( ix ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(5) requires an agency to maintain its records with such accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and completeness as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual in making any determination about the individual. Since the Act defines “maintain” to include the collection of information, complying with this provision would prevent the collection of any data not shown to be accurate, relevant, timely, and complete at the moment it is collected. In collecting information for criminal law enforcement purposes, it is not possible to determine in advance what information is accurate, relevant, timely, and complete. Facts are first gathered and then placed into a logical order to prove or disprove objectively the criminal behavior of an individual. Material which may seem unrelated, irrelevant, or incomplete when collected may take on added meaning or significance as the investigation progresses. The restrictions of this provision could interfere with the preparation of a complete investigative report, thereby impending effective law enforcement.
( x ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(8) requires an agency to make reasonable efforts to serve notice on an individual when any record on such individual is made available to any person under compulsory legal process when such process becomes a matter of public record. Complying with this provision could prematurely reveal an ongoing criminal investigation to the subject of the investigation.
( xi ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(f)(1) requires an agency to promulgate rules which shall establish procedures whereby an individual can be notified in response to his or her request if any system of records named by the individual contains a record pertaining to him or her. The application of this provision could impede or compromise an investigation or prosecution if the subject of an investigation was able to use such rules to learn of the existence of an investigation before it could be completed. In addition, mere notice of the fact of an investigation could inform the subject or others that their activities are under or may become the subject of an investigation and could enable the subjects to avoid detection or apprehension, to influence witnesses improperly, to destroy evidence, or to fabricate testimony. Since the RRB is claiming that these systems of records are exempt from subsection (d) of the Act, concerning access to records, the requirements of subsections (f)(2) through (5) of the Act, concerning agency rules for obtaining access to such records, are inapplicable and are exempted to the extent that this system of records is exempted from subsection (d) of the Act. Although RRB is claiming exemption from the requirements of subsection (f) of the Act, RRB has promulgated rules which establish Agency procedures because, under certain circumstances, it might be appropriate for an individual to have access to all or a portion of his or her records in this system of records. These procedures are described elsewhere in this part.
( xii ) 5 U.S.C. 552a(g) provides for civil remedies if an agency fails to comply with the requirements concerning access to records under subsections (d)(1) and (3) of the Act; maintenance of records under subsection (e)(5) of the Act; and any rule promulgated thereunder, in such a way as to have an adverse effect on an individual. Since the RRB is claiming that this system of records is exempt from subsections (c)(3) and (4), (d), (e)(1), (2), (3), (4)(G), (H), and (I), (5), and (8), and (f) of the Act, the provisions of subsection (g) of the Act are inapplicable and are exempted to the extent that this system or records is exempted from those subsections of the Act.
( g ) *Specific exemptions* — ( 1 ) *Systems of records subject to investigatory material exemption under 5 U.S.C. 552a (k* )(*2*). RRB-43, Investigation Files, a system containing information concerning alleged violations of law, regulation, or rule pertinent to the administration of programs by the RRB or alleging misconduct or conflict of interest on the part of RRB employees in the discharge of their official duties.
( 2 ) *Privacy Act provisions from which exempt.* The system of records described in this paragraph is exempt from subsections (c)(3) (Accounting of Certain Disclosures), (d) (Access to Records), (e)(1), 4G, H, and I (Agency Requirements), and (f) (Agency Rules) of 5 U.S.C. 552a.
( 3 ) *Reasons for exemptions.* The system of records described in this section is exempt for one or more of the following reasons: ( i ) To prevent the subject of the investigations from frustrating the investigatory process.
( ii ) To protect investigatory material compiled for law enforcement purposes.
( iii ) To fulfill commitments made to protect the confidentiality of sources and to maintain access to necessary sources of information.
( iv ) To prevent interference with law enforcement proceedings.
( h ) *Request for amendment of a record.* ( 1 ) An individual may request that a record pertaining to himself be amended by submitting a written request for such amendment to the system manager as described in the annual notice published in the Federal Register. Requests under this subsection may be made either by mail or in person at the headquarters offices of the Railroad Retirement Board, 844 Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Such a request should include a statement of the information in the record which the individual believes is incorrect, a statement of any information not in the record which the individual believes would correct the record, if included, and a statement of any evidence which substantiates the individual's belief concerning the inaccuracy of the information presently contained in the record.
( 2 ) Prior to rendering a determination in response to a request under this subsection, the system manager shall require that the individual provide identifying data such as his name, date of birth, and social security number.
( 3 ) The system manager responsible for the system of records which contains the challenged record shall acknowledge receipt of the request in writing within ten working days following the date on which the request for amendment was received in his office and shall promptly render a decision either granting or denying the request. ( i ) If the system manager grants the individual's request to amend his record, the system manager shall amend the record accordingly, advise the individual in writing that the requested amendment has been made and where an accounting of disclosures has been made, advise all previous recipients of the record to whom disclosure of such record was made and accounted for of the fact that the amendment was made and the substance of the amendment.
( ii ) If the system manager denies the individual's request to amend his record, the system manager shall inform the individual that the request has been denied in whole or in part, the reason for the denial and the procedure regarding the individual's right to appeal the denial to the Board.
( i ) *Appeal of initial adverse determination on amendment.* ( 1 ) An individual, whose request for amendment of a record pertaining to him is denied, may appeal that determination to the Board by filing a written appeal with the Secretary of the Board, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. The written notice of appeal should include a statement of the information in the record which the individual believes is correct, a statement of any information not in the record which the individual believes would correct the record, if included, and a statement of any evidence which substantiates the individual's belief concerning the inaccuracy of the information presently contained in the record.
( 2 ) The Board shall consider the appeal and render a final decision thereon within thirty working days following the date on which the appeal is received in the office of the Secretary of the Board. An extension of the thirty day response period is permitted for a good cause upon notification of such to the requester.
( 3 ) If, upon consideration of the appeal, the Board upholds the denial, the appellant shall be so informed in writing. The appellant shall be advised that he may file a concise statement with the Board setting forth his reasons for disagreeing with the Board's decision and the procedures to be followed in filing such a statement of disagreement. The individual shall also be informed of his right to judicial review as provided under section 552a(g)(1)(A) of title 5 of the United States Code. If disclosure has or will be made of a record containing information about which an individual has filed a statement of disagreement, that contested information will be annotated and a copy of the statement of disagreement will be provided to past and future recipients of the information along with which the Board may include a statement of its reasons for not amending the record in question.
( 4 ) If, upon consideration of the appeal, the Board reverses the denial, the Board shall amend the record, advise the appellant in writing that such amendment has been made, and where an accounting of disclosures has been made, advise all previous recipients of the record to whom disclosure of such was made and accounted for, of the fact that the amendment was made and the substance of the amendment.
( j ) *Disclosure of record to person other than the individual to whom it pertains.* ( 1 ) Records collected and maintained by the Railroad Retirement Board in the administration of the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act which contain information of a personal or private nature shall not be disclosed to any person or to another agency without the express written consent of the individual to whom the record pertains. Such written consent shall not be required if the disclosure is not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation and is: ( i ) To officers or employees of the Railroad Retirement Board who, in the performance of their official duties, have a need for the record;
( ii ) Required under section 552 of title 5 of the U.S. Code;
( iii ) For a routine use of such record as published in the annual notice in the Federal Register;
( iv ) To the Bureau of the Census for uses pursuant to the provisions of title 13 of the United States Code;
( v ) To a recipient who has provided the Board with advance written assurance that the record will be used solely as a statistical or research record, and the record is to be transferred in a form that is not individually identifiable;
( vi ) To the National Archives of the United States as a record which has sufficient historical or other value to warrant its continued preservation by the U.S. Government or for evaluation by the administrator of General Services or his designee to determine whether the record has such value;
( vii ) To another agency or to an instrumentality of any governmental jurisidiction within or under the control of the United States for a civil or criminal law enforcement activity if the activity is authorized by law, and if the head of the agency or instrumentality has made a written request to the agency which maintains the record specifying the particular portion desired and the law enforcement activity for which the record is sought;
( viii ) To a person pursuant to a showing of compelling circumstances affecting the health or safety of an individual if, upon such disclosure, notification is transmitted to the last known address of such individual;
( ix ) To either House of Congress, or, to the extent of matter within its jurisdiction, any committee or subcommittee thereof, any joint committee of Congress or subcommittee of any such joint committee;
( x ) To the Comptroller General, or any of his authorized representatives, in the course of the performance of the duties of the General Accounting Office; or
( xi ) Pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
( 2 ) The Railroad Retirement Board shall maintain an accounting of all disclosures of records made under paragraph (h)(1) of this section, except those made under paragraphs (h)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section. This accounting will include: ( i ) Date of disclosure;
( ii ) Specific subject matter of disclosure;
( iii ) Purpose of disclosure; and
( iv ) Name and address of the person or agency to whom the information has been released. The Railroad Retirement Board shall maintain the accounting for five years or the life of the system of records, whichever is longer, and make such accounting, with the exception of disclosures made under paragraph (h)(1)(vii) of this section, available to the individual to whom the record pertains upon his request. If, subsequent to disclosure of a record for which disclosure an accounting has been made pursuant to this subsection, an amendment is made to that record or an individual has filed a statement of disagreement concerning that record, the person or agency to whom such disclosure was made shall be notified of the amendment or statement of disagreement.
( k ) *Annual notice of systems of records.* The Railroad Retirement Board shall publish in the Federal Register on an annual basis a listing of the various systems of records which it maintains by individual identifier. That notice shall provide the following for each system: ( 1 ) The name and location of the system;
( 2 ) The categories of individuals on whom records are maintained in the system;
( 3 ) The routine uses of the system;
( 4 ) The methods of storage, disposal, retention, access controls and retrievability of the system;
( 5 ) The title and business address of the individual who is responsible for the system;
( 6 ) The procedure whereby an individual can be notified at his request whether or not the system contains a record pertaining to him;
( 7 ) The procedure whereby the individual can be notified at his request how he can gain access to any record pertaining to him which is contained in the system;
( 8 ) How the individual can contest the contents of such a record; and
( 9 ) The categories of sources of records in the system.
( l ) *Collection of information and maintenance of records.* With respect to each system of records indexed by individual identifer which is maintained by the Railroad Retirement Board, the Railroad Retirement Board shall: ( 1 ) Maintain in each system only such information about an individual as is relevant and necessary in accomplishing the purposes for which the system is kept;
( 2 ) To the greatest extent practicable, collect information directly from the individual when that information may result in an adverse determination about such individual's rights, benefits or privileges under programs administered by the Railroad Retirement Board;
( 3 ) Inform each individual who is asked to supply information: ( i ) The authority under which the solicitation of such information is carried out;
( ii ) Whether disclosure of the requested information is mandatory or voluntary and any penalties for failure to furnish such information;
( iii ) The principal purposes for which the information will be used;
( iv ) The routine uses and transfers of such information; and
( v ) The possible effects on such individual if he fails to provide the requested information.
( 4 ) Maintain all records which are used by the Railroad Retirement Board in making any determination about any individual with such accuracy, relevance, timeliness and completeness as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual in the determination;
( 5 ) Prior to disseminating any record about an individual to any person other than an agency, unless the dissemination is made pursuant to paragraph (h)(1)(ii) of this section, make reasonable efforts to assure that such records are accurate, complete, timely and relevant for purposes of the administration of the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act;
( 6 ) Maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual to whom the record pertains or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity;
( 7 ) Make reasonable efforts to serve notice on an individual when any record on such individual is made available to any person under compulsory legal process when such process becomes a matter of public record; and
( 8 ) At least thirty days prior to publication of information under paragraph (i) of this section, publish in the Federal Register notice of any new use or intended use of the information in the system and provide an opportunity for interested persons to submit written data, views or arguments to the Railroad Retirement Board.
( m ) *Fees.* The Railroad Retirement Board may assess a fee for copies of any records furnished to an individual under paragraph (d) of this section. The fees for copies shall be $.10 per copy per page, not to exceed the actual cost of reproduction, and should be paid to the Director of Budget and Fiscal Operations for deposit to the Railroad Retirement Account. If payment is made by check, the check should be payable to the order of the Railroad Retirement Board. Any fee of less than $10 may be waived by the system manager if he determines that it is in the public interest to do so.
( n ) *Government contractors.* When the Railroad Retirement Board provides by a contract or by a subcontract subject to its approval for the operation by or on behalf of the Railroad Retirement Board of a system of records to accomplish an agency function, the Railroad Retirement Board shall, consistent with its authority, cause the requirements of section 552a of title 5 of the United States Code to be applied to such system. In each such contract or subcontract for the operation of a system of records, entered into on or after September 27, 1975, the Railroad Retirement Board shall cause to be included a provision stating that the contractors or subcontractors and their employees shall be considered employees of the Railroad Retirement Board for purposes of the civil and criminal penalties provided in sections (g) and (i) of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a (g) and (i)).
( o ) *Mailing lists.* The Railroad Retirement Board shall neither sell nor rent information containing any individual's name or address, unless authorized by statute.
( p ) *Disclosure of social security account numbers.* Whenever an individual is requested by the Railroad Retirement Board to disclose his social security account number he shall be informed as to whether such disclosure is mandatory or voluntary. If disclosure of the individual's social security account number is mandatory, he shall be informed of the statutory authority requiring such disclosure.
[41 FR 20580, May 19, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 17468, Apr. 25, 1978; 50 FR 27222, July 2, 1985. Redesignated at 52 FR 11010, Apr. 6, 1987, as amended at 53 FR 3198, Feb. 4, 1988; 54 FR 43055, Oct. 20, 1989]