6764 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2001 / Notices

his designee, acting pursuant to

delegated authority, approved the

application of BUCS Federal Bank,

Owings Mills, Maryland, convert to the

stock form of organization. Copies of the

application are available for inspection

at the Dissemination Branch, Office of

Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20552, and the

Southeast Regional Office, Office of

Thrift Supervision, 1475 Peachtree

Street, NE., Atlanta, GA 30309.

Dated: January 12, 2001.

By the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Nadine Y. Washington,

Corporate Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–1577 Filed 1–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6720–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974; System of

Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA).

ACTION: Notice of Amendment to VA

System of Records—Voluntary Service

Records—VA.

SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974

requires that all agencies publish in the

Federal Register notice of the existence

of their systems of records. Notice is

hereby given that the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending the

system of records entitled ‘‘Voluntary

Service Records—VA’’ (57VA125) as set

forth in the Federal Register at 42 FR

6032 dated 02–01–77. The number of

the system is changed from 57VA125 to

57VA10C2 to maintain consistency of

numbering with the Office code for the

VA Voluntary Service (VAVS). VA is

amending the system by including a

purpose, by adding a new routine use,

and by revising the paragraphs for

System Location 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.

DATES: Comments on the amendment of

this system of records must be received

no later than February 21, 2001. If no

public comments are received, the new

system will become effective February

21, 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: VAVS has

been an integral part of the VA system

since 1946 and operates the largest

Volunteer Program in the Federal

government supplementing staff and

resources in all areas of patient care and

support. Its mission is to provide a

structured Volunteer Program under the

management of VA compensated

employees in cooperation with

community resources to serve America’s

veterans and their families with dignity

and compassion. VAVS volunteers

assist veteran patients by augmenting

staff in such settings as hospital wards,

nursing homes, community-based

volunteer programs, end-of-life care

programs, foster care, and veterans

outreach centers. VAVS volunteers and

their organizations annually contribute

millions of dollars in gifts, donations,

and time. Volunteers are a priceless

asset to these veterans and VA.

Electronic and paper records are

maintained in Voluntary Service to

include master records of Regularly

Scheduled (RS) Volunteers, documents

of participation of Occasional

Volunteers, signed ‘‘Waiver of Claims to

Remuneration Agreement,’’ parental or

guardian consent forms for student

volunteers, etc. Voluntary Service

administrative and general

correspondence files will be maintained

in accordance with Records Control

Schedule (RCS) 10–1. Voluntary Service

has determined as a matter of policy to

record hours and visits of all volunteers

each month. These paper and electronic

records and information may be used for

tracking the number of RS Volunteers,

Occasional Volunteers, and student

volunteers; to produce statistical and

managerial reports on the number of

hours and visits of all volunteers each

month; and to present volunteers with

appreciation awards for service. The

processing of this data is accomplished

by utilizing the Veterans Health

Information Systems and Technology

Architecture (VISTA).

Routine use 1 has been replaced by

three routine use disclosure statements

that more accurately reflect disclosing

relevant information to agencies charged

with enforcing the law conducting

investigations. All of the routine use

disclosure statements were renumbered.

Two routine use disclosures have been

added to assist in the administration of

the VAVS program. Relevant

information may be disclosed to the

Department of Justice and United States

Attorneys in defense or prosecution of

litigation involving the United States,

and to Federal agencies upon their

request in connection with review of

administrative tort claims filed under

the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C.

2672. If one of the volunteer drivers is

in an accident while driving a Disabled

American Veterans vehicle, and there is

litigation concerning the accident, VA

must be able to provide relevant

information. This information may

include what assignment the volunteer

has and whether or not the volunteer

was listed as having worked on the day

or days in question. A similar situation

would apply if any volunteer were

injured while volunteering at VA.

Relevant information may be disclosed

to individuals, organizations, private or

public agencies, etc., with whom VA

has a contract or agreement to perform

such services as VA may deem

practicable for the purposes of laws

administered by VA, in order for the

contractor or subcontractor to perform

the services of the contract or

agreement. VA occasionally contracts

out certain of its functions when this

would contribute to effective and

efficient operations. VA must be able to

give a contractor whatever information

is necessary for the contractor to fulfill

its duties. In these situations, safeguards

are provided in the contract prohibiting

the contractor from using or disclosing

the information for any purpose other

than that described in the contract.

The Austin Automation Center (AAC)

is designated as the corporate database

for this program. Data transmission

between the AAC and VA health care

facilities is accomplished using the

Department’s wide area network. All

transmissions include header

information that is used for validation

purposes. In addition, consistency

checks in the software are used to

validate the transmission, and electronic

acknowledgment messages are returned

to the sending application. Strict control

measures are enforced to ensure that

access to, and disclosure from, all

records are limited to Voluntary Service

employees whose official duties warrant

access to files. The automated electronic

record system recognizes authorized

users by keyboard entry of a series of

unique passwords. Employees are

required to sign a user access agreement

acknowledging their knowledge of

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2001 / Notices 6765

confidentiality requirements, and all

employees receive annual training on

information security. Working spaces

and record storage areas in Voluntary

Service are locked during non-business

hours.

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 (61 FR 6428),

February 20, 1996.

Approved: January 5, 2001.

Hershel W. Gober,

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

57VA10C2

SYSTEM NAME:

Voluntary Service Records—VA.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

Paper and electronic records are

maintained at each of the VA health

care facilities. Only electronic records

are maintained at the Austin

Automation Center (AAC), Austin,

Texas. Active records are retained at the

facility where the individual has

volunteered to assist the administrative

and professional personnel and at the

AAC. Basic information for all inactive

records is retained at the facility where

the volunteer worked.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

All volunteers, regularly-scheduled

and occasional, including non-affiliated

and members of voluntary service

organizations; and welfare, service,

veterans, fraternal, religious, civic,

industrial, labor, and social groups or

clubs which voluntarily offer the

services of their organizations and/or

individuals to assist with the provision

of care to patients, either directly or

indirectly, through VA Voluntary

Service under Title 38, United States

Code, section 513.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Administrative records containing

personal information about the

individual making application to

become a volunteer in a VA health care

facility, VA regional office, or VA

cemetery. These minimum records

include the volunteer’s name, address,

social security number, date of birth,

telephone number, next-of-kin

information, assignments worked, hours

and years of service and last award

received. Information relating to the

individual membership in service

organizations, qualifications,

restrictions and preferences of duty and

availability to schedule time of service.

Medical and training records pertaining

to the volunteer’s service will also be

maintained for all active volunteers at

the facility where the volunteer works.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

Title 38, United States Code, section

513.

PURPOSE(S):

The records and information are used

for tracking the number of Regularly

Scheduled (RS) Volunteers, Occasional

Volunteers, and student volunteers; to

produce statistical and managerial

reports on the number of hours and

visits of all volunteers each month; and

to present volunteers with certificates of

appreciation for service.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

1. Any information in this system,

except the name and address of a

veteran, which is relevant to a suspected

violation or reasonably imminent

violation of law, whether civil, criminal

or regulatory in nature and whether

arising by general or program statute or

by regulation, rule or order issued

pursuant thereto, may be disclosed to a

Federal, State, local or foreign agency

charged with the responsibility of

investigating or prosecuting such

violation, or charged with enforcing or

implementing the statute, regulation,

rule or order issued pursuant thereto.

2. The name and address of a veteran,

which is relevant to a suspected

violation or reasonably imminent

violation of law, whether civil, criminal

or regulatory in nature and whether

arising by general or program statute or

by regulation, rule or order issued

pursuant thereto, may be disclosed to a

Federal agency charged with the

responsibility of investigating or

prosecuting such violation, or charged

with enforcing or implementing the

statute, regulation, rule or order issued

pursuant thereto, in response to its

official request.

3. The name and address of a veteran,

which is relevant to a suspected

violation or reasonably imminent

violation of law concerning public

health or safety, whether civil, criminal

or regulatory in nature and whether

arising by general or program statute or

by regulation, rule or order issued

pursuant thereto, may be disclosed to

any foreign, State or local governmental

agency or instrumentality charged under

applicable law with the protection of

the public health or safety if a qualified

representative of such organization,

agency or instrumentality has made a

written request that such name and

address be provided for a purpose

authorized by law.

4. Volunteer records may be used to

confirm volunteer service, duty

schedule, and assignments to service

organizations, Bureau of

Unemployment, insurance firms, office

of personnel of the individual’s fulltime employment; to assist in the

development of VA history of the

volunteer and his/her assignments; and

to confirm voluntary hours for on-thejob accidents, and for recognition

awards.

5. Disclosure may be made 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.

6. Disclosure may be made to the

National Archives and Records Service,

General Services Administration, in

records management inspections

conducted under authority of Title 44

United States Code.

7. Relevant information may be

disclosed to the Department of Justice

and United States Attorneys in defense

or prosecution of litigation involving the

United States, and to Federal agencies

upon their request in connection with

review of administrative tort claims

filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act,

28 U.S.C. 2672.

8. Relevant information may be

disclosed to individuals, organizations,

private or public agencies, etc., with

whom VA has a contract or agreement

to perform such services as VA may

deem practicable for the purposes of

laws administered by VA, in order for

the contractor or subcontractor to

perform the services of the contract or

agreement. VA occasionally contracts

out certain of its functions when this

would contribute to effective and

efficient operations.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Magnetic tapes of all active volunteers

are maintained at the AAC in Austin,

Texas. The AAC only maintains data on

active volunteers. Paper documents for

all active volunteers are maintained at

the individual VA facilities where the

volunteer has donated time. Computer

files containing such basic information

as the volunteer’s name, address, social

security number, date of birth,

telephone number, next-of-kin

information, assignments worked, hours

and years of service and last award

received are retained for all volunteers,

either active or inactive, at the VA

6766 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2001 / Notices

facility where the individual currently

volunteers or has volunteered.

RETRIEVABILITY:

All volunteer records are retrieved by

name, social security number (SSN) or

pseudo SSN.

SAFEGUARDS:

Physical Security:

1. Access to VA working space areas

and the AAC is restricted to VA

employees on a ‘‘need to know’’ basis.

Generally, VA file areas and computer

rooms are locked after normal duty

hours and are protected from outside

access by the Federal Protective Service.

2. Strict control measures are enforced

to ensure that access to and disclosure

from all records including electronic

files stored in the Volunteer

Management System in VistA are

limited to VAVS employees whose

official duties warrant access to those

files. The system recognizes authorized

employees by a series of individually

unique passwords/codes and the

employees are limited to only that

information in the file which is needed

in the performance of their official

duties.

3. Any sensitive information that may

be downloaded or printed to hard copy

format is provided the same level of

security as the electronic records. All

paper documents and informal

notations containing sensitive data are

shredded prior to disposal.

4. All new VAVS employees receive

initial information security training, and

refresher training is provided to all

employees on an annual basis.

5. Access to the AAC is generally

restricted to Center employees,

custodial personnel, Federal Protective

Service and other security personnel.

Access to computer rooms is restricted

to authorized operational personnel

through electronic locking devices. All

other persons gaining access to

computer rooms are escorted.

Information stored in the computer may

be accessed by authorized VA

employees at remote locations including

VA health care facilities, Information

Systems Centers, VA Central Office, and

Veterans Integrated Service Networks.

Access is controlled by individually

unique passwords/codes which must be

changed periodically by the employee.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

The paper and electronic records will

be maintained and disposed of in

accordance with the records disposition

authority approved by the National

Archives and Records Administration

(NARA).

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESSE(S):

Official responsible for policies and

procedures: Director, Voluntary Service

Office (10C2), Department of Veterans

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20420.

Official maintaining the system:

National Automated Information

Systems Coordinator, VA Medical

Center, 2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd.,

Altoona, Pennsylvania 16602–4377.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Individuals seeking information

concerning the existence and content of

their service records must submit a

written request or apply in person to the

VA health care facility where their

voluntary service was accomplished. All

inquiries must reasonably identify, to

the VA facility, the portion of the

volunteer’s service record they want

information about and the approximate

dates of service, in order to receive that

information. Inquiries should include

the volunteer’s name, social security

number or pseudo SSN, organization

represented, date of birth, and last

address while serving as a volunteer to

VA.

RECORDS ACCESS PROCEDURES:

Volunteers, dependents, survivors or

duly authorized representatives seeking

information regarding access to and

contesting of VAVS records may contact

the Voluntary Service office at the VA

health care facility where the individual

was a volunteer worker.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

(See Record Access Procedures

above.)

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Information in this system of records

may be provided by the volunteer, the

family of youth volunteers, civic and

service organizations, and the VA health

care facility.

[FR Doc. 01–1561 Filed 1–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P