Opinion ID: 462280
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Routine Uses

Text: 47 The Privacy Act permits disclosure of information for a routine use, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(b)(3), which it defines as the use of such record for a purpose which is compatible with the purpose for which it was collected. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(a)(7). The Act requires that the agency publish in the Federal Register, at least annually, a notice of the existence and character of each routine use of the records contained in the system, including the categories of users and the purpose of such use. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(e)(4)(D). At least 30 days prior to the publication of a routine use, the agency must publish a notice of any new use or intended use of the information in the system, and provide an opportunity for interested persons to submit written data, views, or arguments to the agency. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(e)(11). 48
49 The government urges that the disclosure here was in conformance with Veterans' Administration Routine Use 22. That provision states that: 50 In the event that a system of records maintained by this agency to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, ... the relevant records in the system of records may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency ... charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, or rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto. 51 43 Fed.Reg. 44,743 (1978). We reject the government's assertion that this routine use permits the disclosure here. It is clear from the language of the provision that this routine use deals with referral of records to law enforcement officials only when the records themselves indicate a violation of law. In this case, by contrast, the disclosure was in no way related to the VA's suspicion that the records indicated a violation of law. 52
53 Subsequent to the VA's disclosure of Doe's records, the VA promulgated two new routine uses relating to disclosure pursuant to federal and state subpoenas. The routine use dealing with federal subpoenas provides that: 54 Any information in this system may be disclosed to a federal grand jury, a Federal Court or a party in litigation or a Federal Agency or party to an administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal Agency, in order for the VA to respond to and comply with the issuance of a federal subpoena. 55 47 Fed.Reg. 51,841 (1982) (proposed November 17, 1982). 22 56 The promulgation of this new routine use is not relevant to our assessment of what the statute meant as of November 5, 1981, the day the VA disclosed Doe's records. 23 The new routine use is, however, very relevant to Doe's request for injunctive and declaratory relief against further disclosure of his records pursuant to a grand jury subpoena. If the district court determines that such equitable relief is appropriate, 24 it will have to consider the validity and scope of the new routine use. We fully expect that the parties would, at that point, be given a full opportunity to brief and argue this issue.