[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 203 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54632-54634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27789]


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FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Amendment of a System of Records

AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration.

ACTION: Notice of amendment of a system of records maintained on 
individuals; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11)), the 
Farm Credit Administration is issuing notice of our intent to amend the 
system of records entitled Employee Attendance, Leave, and Payroll 
Records--FCA (Employee Record System) to reflect the addition of 
several new routine uses and the inclusion of machine readable records, 
paper

[[Page 54633]]

records, and some computer-output microfiche in the category of 
records.

DATE: The changes will become effective as proposed, on November 26, 
1997, unless comments which would warrant our preventing the changes 
from taking effect are received on or before such date.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals may comment on this publication by 
writing to Debra Buccolo, Privacy Act Officer, in care of Cindy 
Nicholson, Farm Credit Administration, McLean, Virginia 22102-5090. 
Comments should be submitted in triplicate. All communications received 
will be available for examination by interested parties in the offices 
of the Farm Credit Administration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Debra Buccolo, Privacy Act Officer, Farm Credit Administration, McLean, 
Virginia 22102-5090, (703) 883-4022, TDD (703) 883-4444, or
Jane Virga, Office of General Counsel, Farm Credit Administration, 
McLean, Virginia, 22102-5090, (703) 883-4071, TDD (703) 883-4444.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Discussion of Additions to Routine Use

    Pursuant to Pub. L. 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work 
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Farm Credit Administration 
will disclose data from its system of records entitled Employee 
Attendance, Leave, and Payroll Records--FCA to the Office of Child 
Support Enforcement, Administration for Children and Families, 
Department of Health and Human Services for use in its Federal Parent 
Locator System (FPLS) and Federal Tax Offset System, DHHS/OCSE No. 09-
90-0074.
    FPLS is a computerized network through which States may request 
location information from Federal and State agencies to find non-
custodial parents and/or their employers for purposes of establishing 
paternity and securing support. Effective October 1, 1997, the FPLS 
will be enlarged to include the National Directory of New Hires, a 
database containing information on employees commencing employment, 
quarterly wage data on private and public sector employees, and 
information on unemployment compensation benefits. Effective October 1, 
1998, the FPLS will be expanded to include a Federal Case Registry. The 
Federal Case Registry will contain abstracts on all participants 
involved in child support enforcement cases. When the Federal Case 
Registry is instituted, its files will be matched on an ongoing basis 
against the files in the National Directory of New Hires to determine 
if an employee is a participant in a child support case anywhere in the 
country. If the FPLS identifies a person as being a participant in a 
State child support case, that State will be notified of the 
participant's current employer. State requests to the FPLS for location 
information will also continue to be processed after October 1, 1998.
    The Farm Credit Administration will disclose the following data on 
individuals hired after October 1, 1997, to the FPLS: the name, 
address, and social security number of the employee; and the name, 
address, and Federal Employer Identification Number of the employer.
    In addition, names and social security numbers submitted by the 
Farm Credit Administration to the FPLS will be disclosed by the Office 
of Child Support Enforcement to the Social Security Administration for 
verification to ensure that the social security number provided is 
correct.
    The data disclosed by the Farm Credit Administration to the FPLS 
will also be disclosed by the Office of Child Support Enforcement to 
the Secretary of the Treasury for use in verifying claims or the 
advance payment of the earned income tax credit or to verify a claim of 
employment on a tax return.

II. Compatibility of Additional Routine Use

    We are proposing these routine uses in accordance with the Privacy 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3)). The Privacy Act permits the disclosure of 
information about individuals without their consent for a routine use 
where the information will be used for a purpose that is compatible 
with the purpose for which the information was originally collected. 
The Office of Management and Budget has indicated that a ``compatible'' 
use is a use that is necessary and proper. See OMB Guidelines, 51 FR 
18982, 18985 (1986). Because the proposed uses of the data are required 
by Pub. L. 104-193, they are necessary and proper uses and, therefore, 
``compatible uses.''

 III. Effect of the Proposed Changes on Individuals

    We will disclose information under the proposed routine uses only 
as required under Pub. L. 104-193 and as permitted by the Privacy Act.

IV. Other Changes

    The notice also reflects changes in designated points of contact 
for inquiring about the Employee Record System, accessing the records, 
and requesting amendments to the records. Several minor technical and 
editorial changes that reflect reorganizations within the Farm Credit 
Administration and its relocation from Washington, DC, to McLean, 
Virginia, have also been included. In addition to the general editorial 
changes, revisions were made to reflect the inclusion of machine 
readable records, paper records, and some computer-output microfiche in 
the category of records.
    As required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the Privacy Act, the FCA has 
sent notice of this amended system of records to the Office of 
Management and Budget, the Committee on Government Operations of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of 
the Senate.
    Accordingly, this system notice is amended as set forth below.
 FCA-7

System Name:
    Employee Attendance, Leave, and Payroll Records--FCA.

System Location:
    Farm Credit Administration, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 
22102-5090 and field offices.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    Current and former FCA employees.

Categories of Records in the System:
    Records consist of paper, electronic, and microfiche files 
containing payroll-related information for FCA employees reported on a 
biweekly, year-to-date, and, in some cases, an annual basis. The 
records contain the ``Agency Time Tracking System,'' payroll and leave 
data for each employee, including rate and amount of pay, hours worked, 
tax and retirement deductions, leave bank records, life insurance and 
health insurance deductions, savings allotments, savings bond and 
charity deductions, other financial deductions, mailing addresses, and 
home addresses. From July 1982 to March 1990, FCA payroll services were 
provided by the Department of Treasury utilizing its Treasury Personnel 
Payroll Information System (TPPIS). Beginning in April 1990, FCA 
payroll services have been provided by the National Finance Center's 
U.S. Department of Agriculture Personnel Payroll System.

Authority for Maintenance of the System:
    12 U.S.C. 2249, 2252.

[[Page 54634]]

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
    Relevant records in the Employee Record System may be disclosed as 
a routine use:
    (1) In the event that information in this record system indicates a 
violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or 
regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or 
particular program statute, or by regulation, rule, or order issued 
pursuant thereto, to the appropriate agency or authority, whether 
Federal, State, local, or foreign, charged with the responsibility for 
investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing 
or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant 
thereto.
    (2) To a Federal, State, or local agency maintaining civil, 
criminal, or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent 
information, such as current licenses, if necessary to obtain 
information relevant to a decision concerning the hiring or retention 
of an employee, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a grant 
or other benefit.
    (3) To a Federal agency, in response to its request, in connection 
with the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance of a security 
clearance, reporting an investigation of an employee, the letting of a 
contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit by the 
requesting agency to the extent that the information is relevant and 
necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the matter.
    (4) 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.
    (5) To the Department of Justice for use in litigation or in a 
proceeding before a court or adjudicative body before which the FCA is 
authorized to appear, when
    (a) The FCA, or any component thereof; or
    (b) Any employee of the FCA in his or her official capacity; or
    (c) Any employee of the FCA in his or her individual capacity where 
the Department of Justice or the FCA has agreed to represent the 
employee; or
    (d) The United States, where the FCA determines that litigation is 
likely to affect the FCA or any of its components, is a party to the 
litigation or proceeding or has an interest in such litigation or 
proceeding, and the use of such records by the Department of Justice or 
the use of such records in the proceeding is deemed by the FCA to be 
relevant and necessary, provided, however, that in each case, the FCA 
determines that disclosure of the records to the Department of Justice 
or the disclosure of such records in the proceeding is compatible with 
the purpose for which the records were collected.
    (6) To a court, magistrate, or administrative tribunal in the 
course of presenting evidence, including disclosures to counsel or 
witnesses in the course of civil discovery, litigation, or settlement 
negotiations or in connection with criminal proceedings.
    (7) To appropriate offices and agencies to prepare payroll, to meet 
Government payroll recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and to 
retrieve and supply payroll and leave information as required for FCA 
needs. In addition, information in this record system is used to 
furnish certain information (name; permanent or temporary status; most 
recent position, grade, or salary) to other Government agencies or 
commercial or credit organizations or to verify employment to 
prospective employers.
    (8) To Federal, State, and local taxing authorities concerning 
compensation to employees or contractors for personal services; to the 
Office of Personnel Management, Department of the Treasury, Department 
of Labor, and other Federal agencies concerning pay, benefits, and 
retirement of employees; to Federal employees' health benefits carriers 
concerning health insurance of employees; to financial organizations 
concerning employee savings account allotments and net pay to checking 
accounts; to State human resource offices administering unemployment 
compensation programs; to educational and training organizations 
concerning employee qualifications and identity for specific courses; 
and to heirs, executors, and legal representatives of beneficiaries.
    (9) To the Office of Child Support Enforcement, dministration for 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, Federal 
Parent Locator System (FPLS), and Federal Tax Offset System for use in 
locating individuals and identifying their income sources, to establish 
paternity, establish and modify orders of support, and for enforcement 
action.
    (10) To the Office of Child Support Enforcement for release to the 
Social Security Administration for verifying Social Security numbers in 
connection with the operation of the FPLS by the Office of Child 
Support Enforcement.
    (11) To the Office of Child Support Enforcement for release to the 
Department of Treasury for purposes of administering the Earned Income 
Tax Credit Program (section 32, Internal Revenue Code of 1986) and 
verifying a claim with respect to employment in a tax return.

Disclosures to Consumer Reporting Agencies:
    Disclosure may be made from this system, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b)(12), to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 
3711(f) of title 31.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    Paper records are maintained in cabinets or records are maintained 
electronically.

Retrievability:
    Paper records are retrieved by name. Electronic records are 
accessed by social security number.

Safeguards:
    Files are kept in areas that are locked after business hours. 
Access to records is limited to authorized individuals.

Retention and Disposal:
    In accordance with National Archives and Records Administration 
General Records Schedule requirements for payroll-related records.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Chief, Human Resources Division, Farm Credit Administration, 1501 
Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 22102-5090.

Notification Procedure:
    All inquiries about this system of records shall be addressed to: 
Privacy Act Officer, Farm Credit Administration, 1501 Farm Credit 
Drive, McLean, VA 22102-5090.

Record Access Procedures:
    Requests for access to a record shall be directed to: Privacy Act 
Officer, Farm Credit Administration, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 
22102-5090, as provided in 12 CFR part 603.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    Requests for amendments to a record shall be directed to: Privacy 
Act Officer, Farm Credit Administration, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, 
McLean, VA 22102-5090, as provided in 12 CFR part 603.

Record Source Categories:
    Individual on whom the record is maintained. FCA employees who 
approve the records.

    Dated: October 15, 1997.
Floyd Fithian,
Secretary, Farm Credit Administration Board.
[FR Doc. 97-27789 Filed 10-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6705-01-P