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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 249 (Monday, December 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 106414-106416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31321]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0047]

Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of a new system of records.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 and Office of Management 
and Budget Circular No. A-108, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives 
notice that a component agency, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) proposes to add a new system of records to its 
inventory of records. The system of records being proposed is the APHIS 
Student Outreach Programs System, USDA/APHIS-26. The purpose of this 
system is to facilitate the submission and review of information 
submitted by students and their parents or guardians as part of the 
application process for student outreach programs.

DATES: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4) and (11), this notice is 
applicable upon publication, subject to a 30-day notice and comment 
period in which to comment on the routine uses described in the 
``Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System'' section of this 
system of records notice. Please submit any comments by January 29, 
2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2020-0047 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2020-0047, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 2C-10.16, 4700 River Road, Unit 25, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at www.regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is 
located in Room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure 
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions, please contact 
Ms. Sophia Kirby, Chief, Outreach and Communications, OCRDI, 4700 River 
Road, Unit 92, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-4192; email: 
[email protected]. For Privacy Act questions concerning this 
system of records notice, please contact Director, Freedom of 
Information and Privacy Act Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 50, Riverdale, 
MD 20737; (301) 851-4076; email: [email protected]. For USDA 
Privacy Act questions, please contact the USDA Chief Privacy Officer, 
Information Security Center, Office of Chief Information Officer, USDA, 
Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 
20250; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
is proposing to add a new system of records, titled APHIS Student 
Outreach Programs System, USDA/APHIS-26, that APHIS' Office of Civil 
Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion (OCRDI) will use to facilitate the 
submission and review of information submitted by students and their 
parents or guardians as part of the application process for outreach 
programs such as AgDiscovery. (AgDiscovery is a summer outreach program 
designed to help teenagers explore careers in areas such as plant and 
animal science, wildlife management, and agribusiness (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/careers/students-grads/agdiscovery).) APHIS Student 
Outreach Programs challenge students to consider the importance of 
American agriculture, and the role USDA plays in this critical mission. 
Students participate in experiential learning activities on and off 
campus, attend workshops, lectures, laboratory, and field exercises, in 
addition to a variety of cultural and teambuilding activities. The 
maintenance of this system is conducted in a manner consistent with the 
guidelines established in 7 U.S.C. 2279 (Farming Opportunities Training 
and Outreach).
    The application process for OCRDI's outreach programs provides 
information needed to discover and explore a student's interest in 
agriculture and provides recommendations from others who are familiar 
with the student's character. That information, which is collected 
annually from applicants, will be used to evaluate and select the 
participants for APHIS Student Outreach Programs. The application 
process also provides the agency and participating educational 
institutions information required to evaluate and rate the applicants.
    Individuals covered by the system include students who apply for 
APHIS Student Outreach Programs and their parent(s) or guardian(s).
    APHIS will share information from the system pursuant to the 
requirements of the Privacy Act and, in the case of its routine uses, 
when the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which

[[Page 106415]]

the information was compiled. A full list of routine uses is included 
in the routine uses section below.

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    APHIS Student Outreach Programs System, USDA/APHIS-26.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    The electronic component is completed via the IBM Forms Filler for 
application submissions. This component and the paper files are located 
in the Office of Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion, 4700 River 
Road, Unit 92, Riverdale, MD 20737.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    APHIS Student Outreach Programs Manager, APHIS, 4700 River Road, 
Unit 92, Riverdale, MD 20737.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    The maintenance of this system is conducted in a manner consistent 
with the guidelines established through the Farming Opportunities 
Training and Outreach found in 7 U.S.C. 2279.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    APHIS Student Outreach Programs System is used to facilitate the 
submission and review of information submitted by students, their 
parents, or guardians, and those that provide recommendations for the 
students as part of the application process for Office of Civil Rights, 
Diversity, and Inclusion programs such as AgDiscovery. These programs 
are designed to help teenagers explore careers in areas such as plant 
and animal science, wildlife management, and agribusiness.
    The application process provides the information needed to assess a 
student's interest in agriculture, and provides recommendations from 
others who are familiar with the student's interests and character. The 
information, which is collected annually from applicants, will 
ultimately be used to select the participants for APHIS Student 
Outreach Programs. The application process also provides the APHIS and 
the participating educational institutions the information to rate and 
rank the applicants.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Categories of individuals covered by the system include students 
who apply for APHIS Student Outreach Programs, their parent(s) or 
guardian(s), and individuals mentioned or referenced in documents 
entered into the system.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    The categories of records in the system include, but are not 
limited to, the name, address, phone number(s), gender, grade, name of 
educational institution, name of parent(s) or guardian(s) and their 
contact information, emergency contact information, email address, 
essay, volunteer service, extracurricular activities, student contract, 
parental release form, applicant rating and ranking, past program 
participation, photo release, agency comments, and individuals 
mentioned or referenced in documents entered into the system. Records 
also include a letter of recommendation form that is completed by a 
teacher, educational institution counselor or administrator, as well as 
other persons with personal knowledge of the student. (Three letters of 
recommendation are required for applicants.) The name of the specific 
host educational institution associated with the student is also 
maintained in the system, as well as information about the applicant's 
past participation in the program.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    The sources for the information in this system comes directly from 
the applicant, the applicant's parent(s) or guardian(s), and those who 
have provided recommendation letters for them, such as parents, 
teachers, and other persons.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, records contained in the system may be 
disclosed outside USDA as a routine use under 5.U.S.C. 552a(b)(3), to 
the extent that such uses are compatible with the purposes for which 
the information was collected. Such permitted routine uses include the 
following:
    (1) To the partnering educational institutions that receive the 
funding via the cooperative agreement to administer the APHIS Student 
Outreach Programs and assists in the application review, rating, and 
selection of participants;
    (2) When a record on its face, or in conjunction with other 
records, 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, APHIS may disclose the record to the 
appropriate agency, whether Federal, foreign, State, Tribal, local, or 
other public authority responsible for enforcing, investigating, or 
prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing 
the statute, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, if the 
information disclosed is relevant to any enforcement, regulatory, 
investigative, or prosecutive responsibility of the receiving entity;
    (3) To the Department of Justice when: (a) USDA or any component 
thereof; or (b) any employee of USDA in his or her official capacity, 
or any employee of the agency in his or her individual capacity where 
the Department of Justice has agreed to represent the employee; or (c) 
the United States Government, is a party to litigation or has an 
interest in such litigation, and USDA determines that the records are 
relevant and necessary to the litigation and the use of such records by 
the Department of Justice is for a purpose that is compatible with the 
purpose for which USDA collected the records;
    (4) In an appropriate proceeding before a court, grand jury, or 
administrative or adjudicative body or official, when the USDA or other 
agency representing the USDA determines that the records are both 
relevant and necessary to the proceeding; or in an appropriate 
proceeding before an administrative or adjudicative body when the 
adjudicator determines the records to be relevant to the proceeding;
    (5) To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when: (a) USDA 
suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of 
records; (b) USDA has determined that as a result of the suspected or 
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, USDA 
(including its information systems, programs, and operations), the 
Federal Government, or national security; and (c) the disclosure made 
to such agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to 
assist in connection with USDA's efforts to respond to the suspected or 
confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm;
    (6) To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when information 
from this system of records is reasonably necessary to assist the 
recipient agency or entity in (a) responding to a suspected or 
confirmed breach or (b) preventing, minimizing, or remedying the risk 
of harm to individuals, the recipient agency, or entity (including its 
information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal Government, 
or national security, resulting from a suspected or confirmed breach;
    (7) To a Congressional office in response to an inquiry from that

[[Page 106416]]

Congressional office made at the written request of the individual 
about whom the record pertains;
    (8) To contractors and their agents, grantees, experts, 
consultants, and others performing or working on a contract, service, 
grant, cooperative agreement, or other assignment for the USDA, when 
necessary to accomplish an agency function related to this system of 
records; and
    (9) To the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) or 
other Federal Government agencies pursuant to records management 
activities conducted under 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    Records are maintained in paper copy and electronically. Paper 
records are maintained at APHIS Headquarters at 4700 River Road Unit 
92, Riverdale, MD 20737. The office is locked during non-business hours 
and requires the presentation of employee identification for admittance 
at all times. Electronic copies are housed on the USDA secured computer 
system and are entered into an electronic database stored on the USDA 
secured computer system at the address above in Riverdale, MD.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    The records can be retrieved by the name of the applicant or 
applicant's parent or guardian and educational institution.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    APHIS has requested records disposition authority from NARA. 
Records will be retained until appropriate disposition authority is 
obtained, and records will then be disposed of in accordance with the 
authority granted.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    External users (educational institution coordinators) will only be 
able to access applications submitted on behalf of their respective 
organizations and must obtain Identity Assurance Level (IAL) 2 
eAuthentication access credentials. Access to system data is granted by 
the system owner on a limited basis to participating educational 
institutions, OCRDI student program employees and administrators, and 
applicants and educational institutions are granted access to their own 
basic information. These entities can use their identification and 
password to access the system and modify their own personal information 
and information within their own profile; however, they do not have 
access to modify sensitive data or data that is locked/password 
protected.
    Marketing and Regulatory Programs Information Technology (MRP IT) 
has access to user information on a limited basis allowing them to 
perform only their specific job functions. Access is limited to 
administrators on a least privileged basis utilizing separation of 
duties. MRP IT application support staff have accounts with the 
appropriate level of access and permissions that allow them to access 
and modify user data. These permissions are granted by a limited number 
of management personnel.
    Access is monitored by USDA Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Cybersecurity and Privacy Operations Center, and MRP IT 
application support staff to ensure authorized and appropriate use of 
the data. To gain full access to the system, internal users must have 
an IAL eAuthentication using a personal identity verification (PIV) 
card.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    All requests for access to records must be in writing and should be 
submitted to the APHIS Privacy Act Officer, 4700 River Road Unit 50, 
Riverdale, MD 20737; or by facsimile (301) 734-5941; or by email 
[email protected]. In accordance with 7 CFR 1.112, (Procedures for 
requests pertaining to individual records in a record system), the 
request must include the full name of the individual making the 
request; the name of the system of records; any other information 
specified in the system notice; and preference of inspection, in person 
or by mail. In accordance with 7 CFR 1.113, prior to inspection of the 
records, the requester shall present sufficient identification (e.g., 
driver's license, employee identification card) to establish that the 
requester is the individual to whom the records pertain. In addition, 
if an individual submitting a request for access wishes to be supplied 
with copies of the records by mail, the requester must include with his 
or her request sufficient data for the agency to verify the requester's 
identity.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    Individuals seeking to contest or amend records maintained in this 
system of records must direct their request to the address indicated in 
the ``RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES'' paragraph, above and must follow the 
procedures set forth in 7 CFR 1.116, (Request for correction or 
amendment to record). All requests must state clearly and concisely 
what record is being contested, the reasons for contesting it, and the 
proposed amendment to the record.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Individuals may be notified if a record in this system of records 
pertains to them when the individuals request information utilizing the 
same procedures as those identified in the ``RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES'' 
paragraph, above.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    N/A.
    A report on this new system of records, required by 5 U.S.C. 
552a(r), as implemented by Office of Management and Budget Circular A-
108, was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee 
on Oversight and Reform, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the 
Administrator of the Office of Management and Budget's Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of December 2024.
Donna Lalli,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-31321 Filed 12-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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