[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20850-20851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9606]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Amendment of System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:  Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
is revising an existing routine use to the system of records entitled 
``Personnel and Accounting Pay System-VA'' (27VA047) as set forth in 
the Federal Register 40 FR 38095 (8/26/75) and amended in 48 FR 16372 
(4/15/83), 50 FR 23009 (5/30/85), 51 FR 6858 (2/26/86), 51 FR 25968 (7/
17/86), 55 FR 42534 (10/19/90), 56 FR 23952 (5/24/91), 58 FR 39088 (7/
21/93), 58 FR 40852 (7/30/93), 60 FR 35448 (7/7/95), 62 FR 41483 (8/1/
97), and 62 FR 68362 (12/31/97). This system of records contains 
information on current and former salaried VA employees.
    Public Law 103-94 (October 6, 1993) created section 5520a of Title 
5, United States Code, which permits the garnishment of Federal 
employees' wages. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued 
regulations (5 CFR part 582) which implement the legislation. VA added 
a new routine use No. 28 on July 7, 1995, to system of records 27VA047 
in order to comply with this legislation. This route specifically 
permitted the disclosure of information to a garnisher concerning the 
name and address of any new employer of a former VA employee who is the 
subject of a garnishment by legal process.
    In conjunction with a garnishment procedure against a current 
employee, Federal agencies may also be served with interrogatories, and 
must respond to them in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5520a and OPM 
regulations 5 CFR 582.202(a) and 582.303. The information sought under 
interrogatories is usually personal information protected by the 
Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a. Consequently, VA may provide information in 
response to the interrogatories only when the Privacy Act authorizes 
the disclosure.
    It is unlikely employees would provide prior consent to the 
disclosure of information in response to interrogatories. In addition,

[[Page 20851]]

interrogatories are not usually accompanied by a court order directing 
an agency to answer the interrogatories. Consequently, we are revising 
existing routine use number 28 in order to comply with the provisions 
on interrogatories found in 5 U.S.C. 5520a and OPM's regulations.
    VA has determined the release of information for this purpose is a 
necessary and proper use of the information in this system of records 
and the revision of existing routine use number 28 for transfer of this 
information is appropriate.
    An altered system of records report and a copy of the revised 
system notice have been sent to the House of Representatives Committee 
on Government Reform, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required by 5 U.S.C. 
552a(r) and guidelines issued by OMB (59 FR 37906, 37916-18 (7/25/94)).
    Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, 
suggestions, or objections regarding the proposed routine use of the 
system of records to the Director, Office of Regulations Management 
(O2D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 
1154, Washington, DC 20420. All relevant material received before May 
18, 2000 will be considered. All written comments received will be 
available for public inspection at the above address in the Office of 
Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    If no public comment is received during the 30-day review period 
allowed for public comment, or unless otherwise published in the 
Federal Register by VA, the new routine use statement is effective May 
18, 2000.

    Approved April 4, 2000.
Togo D. West, Jr.,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 00-9606 Filed 4-17-00; 8:45 am]
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