Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices 29635

(VBA), National Cemetery

Administration (NCA), and other

organizations within VA.

[FR Doc. 01–13625 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974; System

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA).

ACTION: Notice of Amendment to System

of Records.

SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5

U.S.C. 552(e)(4)) requires that all

agencies publish in the Federal Register

a notice of the existence and character

of their systems of records. Notice is

hereby given that the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending the

system of records entitled ‘‘Vietnam

Veterans Readjustment Counseling

Program—VA’’ (64VA116) as set forth in

the Federal Register 46 FR 9844 dated

1/29/81 and as amended in 56 FR 26186

dated 6/6/91. VA is amending the

system by revising the System Name

and the paragraphs for System Location,

Categories of Individuals Covered by the

System, Categories of Records in the

System, and Policies and Practices for

Storing, Retrieving, Retaining, and

Disposing of Records in the System,

including Storage, Retrievability and

Safeguards. VA is republishing the

system notice in its entirety at this time.

DATES: Comments on the amendment of

this system of records must be received

no later than July 2, 2001. If no public

comment is received, the amended

system will become effective July 2,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments

concerning the proposed new system of

records may be submitted to the Office

of Regulations Management (02D),

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC

20420. Comments 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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

Privacy Act Officer, Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20420, telephone

(727) 320–1839.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The name

and number of the system is changed

from ‘‘Vietnam Veterans Readjustment

Counseling Program-VA’’ (64VA116) to

‘‘Readjustment Counseling Service

(RCS) Vet Center Program-VA’’

(64VA15). The change in name will

more accurately reflect the broader

group of veterans receiving services and

the environment in which the services

are delivered.

For purposes of this notice changes

have been made to update the following

sections: The System Location;

Categories of Individuals Covered by the

System; Categories of Records in the

System; and Policies and Practices for

Storing, Retrieving, and Disposing of

Records in the System. Changes in the

system location section reflect the fact

that some Vet Centers have relocated to

new addresses, and that the total

number of Vet Centers has increased

since the last notice was published.

Changes in the law extending eligibility

for readjustment counseling at Vet

Centers to all veterans who served in

any war or armed conflict necessitated

the changes to the categories of

individuals covered by the system. No

new categories of information will be

collected by this system of records.

Changes to this section were to more

accurately clarify the types of

demographic and clinical information

collected. As previously, this system of

records will be stored in secure files at

the Vet Centers, but changes in the law

now require the records to be retained

for 50 years after the date of last activity.

Changes to the latter two sections also

reflect advances in computer

technology.

The notice of intent to publish and an

advance copy of the system notice have

been sent to the appropriate

Congressional committees and to the

Director of the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) as required by 5

U.S.C. 552a(r) (Privacy Act) and

guidelines issued by OMB (65 FR

77677), December 12, 2000.

Approved: May 11, 2001.

Anthony J. Principi,

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

64VA15

SYSTEM NAME:

Readjustment Counseling Service

(RCS) Vet Center Program—VA.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

(a) Counseling Folder: Maintained at

each individual Vet Center providing

readjustment counseling throughout the

country. The locations of all Vet Centers

providing readjustment counseling are

listed in VA Appendix 2 of the Biennial

Privacy Act Issuances publication.

(b) Client Information File: Certain

information extracted from the

counseling folder is stored on standalone personal computers at each Vet

Center, each of the seven RCS regional

managers’ offices, and the RCS national

data coordinator’s office.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

Eligible veterans who request and/or

are provided readjustment counseling,

including veterans’ family members

and/or other persons of significant

relationship to the veteran who are

eligible. Eligibility for readjustment

counseling at Vet Centers includes any

veteran who served in the military in a

theater of combat operations during any

period of war, or in any area during a

period in which armed hostilities

occurred. Family members are also

eligible for readjustment counseling to

the extent necessary to assist the

veteran.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

(a) Counseling Folder: All written

intake forms, applications, progress

notes and demographic and clinical

documentation deemed necessary to

provide quality counseling and

continuity of care by the counselors

and/or program officials. This would

include all information collected for the

computerized database. (b) Client

Information File: Unique veteran

identification number; social security

number; Vet Center team number;

marital status; gender; birth date; service

dates; branch of service; veteran

eligibility information; theater of

operation; service-connection;

discharge; referral source; visit

information and treatment; and other

statistical information about services

provided to that veteran.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

Title 38, United States Code, Section

1712A.

PURPOSE(S):

The purpose of this system of records

is to collect and maintain all

demographic and clinical information

required to conduct a psychological

assessment, to include a military

history, and provide quality

readjustment counseling to assist

veterans resolve war trauma and

improve their level of post-war

functioning.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

None.

29636 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

(a) Counseling Folder: Paper

documents stored in file folders. (b)

Client Information File: Stored on standalone personal computer hard drives

and any backup media.

RETRIEVABILITY:

(a) Counseling Folder: Filed or

indexed alphabetically by last name or

unique Client Number.

(b) Client Information File: Indexed

by Vet Center Number in conjunction

with unique Client Number and social

security number.

SAFEGUARDS:

(a) Counseling Folder: Access to

records at Vet Centers will be controlled

by Vet Center staff during working

hours. During other hours, records will

be maintained in locked file cabinets. In

high crime areas, Vet Center offices are

equipped with alarm systems. (b) Client

Information File: The computerized file

is in a stand-alone personal computer

and access to records is for authorized

Vet Center personnel. Access is

achieved on a need-to-know basis with

a password. Computer security is in

compliance with RCS and VA computer

security policy and protocol. All

computers are password protected and

stored inside the locked Vet Center.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

(a) Counseling Folder: The records

will be retained at the Vet Center for 50

years after the date of last activity.

Destruction of counseling folders will be

by shredding.

(b) Client Information File:

Maintained for the duration of the

program. Destruction will be by deleting

all information on all Vet Center, RCS

regional manager’s office, and the RCS

national data coordinator’s office standalone personal computers containing

the program database.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Chief Readjustment Counseling

Officer (15), VA Central Office, 810

Vermont Ave, NW., Washington, DC

20420.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

A veteran who wishes to determine

whether a record is being maintained by

the Readjustment Counseling Service

Vet Center Program under his or her

name or other personal identifier or

wishes to determine the contents of

such records should submit a written

request or apply in person to: (1) The

Team Leader of the Vet Center, or the

RCS Regional Manager having

supervisory responsibility for the Vet

Center, with whom he or she had

contact, or (2) the Chief Readjustment

Counseling Officer (15), VA Central

Office, 810 Vermont Ave, NW,

Washington, DC 20420. Inquiries should

include the individual’s full name and

social security number.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

An individual (or duly authorized

representative of such individual) who

seeks access to or wishes to contest

records maintained under his or her

name or other personal identifier may

write, call or visit the above named

individuals.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

(See Record Access Procedures

above.)

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

(1) Relevant forms to be filled out by

Vet Center team members on first

contact and each contact thereafter;

counseling sessions with veterans and

other eligible counselees. (2) Other VA

and Federal agency systems.

[FR Doc. 01–13687 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P