§ 146.9 Appeals to the Commission. ( a ) Any individual may petition the Commission: ( 1 ) To review a refusal to comply with an individual request for access to records pursuant to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(d)(1), and §§ 146.3 and 146.5 of the rules in this part;
( 2 ) To review denial of a request for amendment made pursuant to § 146.8;
( 3 ) To correct any determination that may have been made adverse to the individual based in whole or in part upon inaccurate, irrelevant, untimely or incomplete information;
( 4 ) To correct a failure to comply with any other provision of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and the rules of this part 146, which has had an adverse effect on the individual.
( b ) The petition to the Commission shall be in writing and shall ( 1 ) state in what manner it is claimed the Commission or any Commission employee has failed or refused to comply with provisions of the Privacy Act or of the rules contained in this part 146, and
( 2 ) set forth the corrective action the petitioner wishes the Commission to take. The petitioner may, if he wishes, state such facts and cite such legal or other authorities as he considers appropriate.
( c ) The petition shall be directed to the General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel at the Commission's Washington, DC headquarters.
( d ) The Commission will make a determination of any petition filed pursuant to this § 146.9 within thirty days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) after receipt by the FOI, Privacy and Sunshine Acts compliance staff, Office of the Secretariat of the petition, unless for good cause shown, the Commission extends the 30-day period. If a petition is denied, the Commission will notify the petitioner in writing and state the reasons therefor.
( e ) Where the petition is made for review of a denial of a request for amendment made pursuant to § 146.8, the following additional procedures shall apply: ( 1 ) If upon review the Commission grants the petition to amend the record, notice of the correction and its substance shall be given to each person or agency to whom the record had previously been disclosed, as shown on the record of disclosures maintained in accordance with § 146.6(c) of these rules.
( 2 ) If upon review the initial denial of the request for amendment is upheld in whole or in part, the individual shall be notified of the provisions for judicial review of that determination which are set forth in section 552a(g)(1)(A) and (2)(A), of title 5 of the U.S. Code and the provisions for disputed records set forth in paragraph (e)(3) of this section.
( 3 ) If after review the Commission has declined to amend the records as the individual has requested, the individual may file with the FOI, Privacy and Sunshine Acts compliance staff, Office of the Secretariat a concise statement setting forth why he disagrees with the Commission's denial of his request. Any subsequent disclosure containing information about which a statement of disagreement has been filed shall clearly note the portion which is disputed, and include a copy of the individual's statement. The Commission may also include a copy of a concise statement explaining its reasons for not making the amendments requested.
( f ) The General Counsel or his or her designee is hereby delegated the authority to act for the Commission in deciding appeals under this section. The General Counsel may, in his or her sole and unfettered discretion, refer such appeals to the Commission for decision.
[41 FR 3211, Jan. 21, 1976, as amended at 41 FR 28261, July 9, 1976; 45 FR 26954, Apr. 22, 1980; 51 FR 26874, July 28, 1986; 60 FR 49336, Sept. 25, 1995; 89 FR 71818, Sept. 4, 2024]