Notice2021-28490
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 4, 2022
Effective
February 3, 2022
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are issuing public notice of our intent to modify an existing system of records entitled, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications (60-0058), last published on December 29, 2010. This notice publishes details of the modified system as set forth below under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 263-267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28490]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. SSA-2021-0015]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are issuing
public notice of our intent to modify an existing system of records
entitled, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN
Applications (60-0058), last published on December 29, 2010. This
notice publishes details of the modified system as set forth below
under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
DATES: The system of records notice (SORN) is applicable upon its
publication in today's Federal Register, with the exception of the new
routine uses, which are effective February 3, 2022. We invite public
comment on the routine uses or other aspects of this SORN. In
accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are providing the public a
30-day period in which to submit comments. Therefore, please submit any
comments by February 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: The public, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and
Congress may comment on this publication by writing to the Executive
Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General
Counsel, SSA, Room G-401 West High Rise, 6401 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, or through the Federal e-Rulemaking
Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Please reference docket number
SSA-2021-0015. All comments we receive will be available for public
inspection at the above address and we will post them to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa M. Bellitto, Government
Information Specialist, Privacy Implementation Division, Office of
Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, SSA, Room G-401
West High Rise, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-
6401, telephone: (410) 966-5855, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b161e171208081a551655191e1717120f0f143b08081a551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8de0e8e1e4fefeeca3e0a3efe8e1e1e4f9f9e2cdfefeeca3eae2fb">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are modifying routine uses and adding new
routine uses to this SORN. We are modifying routine uses:
<bullet> Number 1 that permits disclosures to employees (or agents
on their behalf) to complete records for reporting wages;
<bullet> Number 25 that permits disclosures to the Department of
Education for postsecondary education purposes;
<bullet> Number 32 that permits disclosures to the Department of
Homeland Security for administration of E-Verify; and
<bullet> Number 40 that permits disclosures to the Corporation for
National and Community Service for administration of the National and
Community Service Act.
We are clarifying the language in existing routine use numbers 3,
4, 5, 11, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 29, and 47 for easier reading.
We are adding routine uses that will permit disclosures to
contractors, cooperative agreement awardees, Federal and State
agencies, Federal congressional support agencies for research and
statistical activities that increase knowledge of SSA programs; to
State agencies or other local protective social service agencies, in
situations involving suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of minor
children or vulnerable adults; to State vital records agencies who have
a contract with SSA, when necessary to inform the State vital records
agency that death information it reported to SSA was determined to be
erroneous; to the Department of Treasury for disclosure and
verification of prisoner information for the purposes of tax
administration, debt collections, and improper payments or collections
of delinquent debts owed to the United States, as well as to State and
Federal agencies for conducting statistical and research activities; to
the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Support
Enforcement for the administration of the Federal Parent Locator
System; and to the Office of the President in response to an inquiry
from that office made on behalf of, and at the request of, the subject
of the record or a third party acting on the subject's behalf.
In addition, we are also deleting the following routine uses, from
the prior version of the SORN, published in the Federal Register on
December 29, 2010 at 75 FR 82121, as they are covered under existing
routine uses or no longer necessary:
<bullet> Number 5--this routine use permitted disclosures to a
contractor for the purpose of collating, evaluating, analyzing,
aggregating, or otherwise refining records;
<bullet> Number 7--this routine use permitted disclosures to the
Department of Energy, for its epidemiological research study of the
long-term effects of low-level radiation exposure, as permitted by SSA
Regulations 20 CFR 401.150(c);
<bullet> Number 26--this routine use permitted disclosures to DVA
or third parties under contract to DVA to disclose SSNs and dates of
birth for the purposes of conducting medical research and
epidemiological studies;
<bullet> Number 38 that permits disclosure to Federal, State, or
congressional support agencies for research, evaluation, or statistical
studies;
<bullet> Number 39--this routine use permitted disclosure to State
and Territory motor vehicle administration agency officials, and to
State and Territory chief election officials to verify the accuracy of
information the State Agency provides with response to applications for
voter registration; and
<bullet> Number 44--this routine use permitted disclosures to the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of
Agriculture's National Finance Center, the Office of Personnel
Management, the States, or the States' respective contractors or agents
charged with administering the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program
(PCIP), to verify personal identification data (e.g., name, SSN, and
date of birth) and to confirm citizenship status information in our
records to assist these agencies with determining applicants'
entitlement to benefits under PCIP.
In addition, we are modifying the notice throughout to correct
miscellaneous stylistic formatting and typographical errors of the
previously published notice, and to ensure the language reads
consistently across multiple systems. We are republishing the entire
notice for ease of reference.
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), we have provided a report to
OMB and Congress on this modified system of records.
Matthew Ramsey,
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the
General Counsel.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN
Applications, 60-0058.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
[[Page 264]]
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Social Security Administration, Office of Systems, Office of
Systems Operations and Hardware Engineering, Robert M. Ball Building,
6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Retirement
and Disability Policy, Office of Income Security Programs, 6401
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, (410) 966-5855.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
Sections 205(a) and (c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
405(a) and (c)(2)).
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
We use information in this system to assign SSNs and for a number
of administrative and program purposes, including but not limited to:
For various Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, Supplemental
Security Income, and Medicare/Medicaid claims purposes; as a case
control number; as a secondary beneficiary cross-reference control
number for enforcement purposes; for verification of individual
identity factors; and for other claims purposes related to establishing
benefit entitlement. We use information in this system:
<bullet> For the general administration of the Social Security Act
to ensure the accuracy of enumeration related information in other SSA
systems;
<bullet> to prevent the processing of an SSN card application for a
person whose application we identified was supported by evidence that
either:
[cir] We suspect may be fraudulent and we are verifying evidence,
or
[cir] we determined to be fraudulent information;
<bullet> to record accurate earnings information to the correct
individual;
<bullet> to prevent issuance of multiple SSNs to a person;
<bullet> for resolution of earnings discrepancy cases; and
<bullet> for research and statistical activities.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
This system contains a record of each person who has applied for
and to whom we have assigned an SSN. This system also contains records
of each person who applied for an SSN, but to whom we did not assign
one for one of the following reasons: (1) His or her application was
supported by documents that we suspect may be fraudulent and we are
verifying the documents with the issuing agency; (2) we have determined
the person submitted fraudulent documents; (3) we do not suspect fraud
but we need to further verify information the person submitted or we
need additional supporting documents; or (4) we have not yet completed
processing the application.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
We collect applications for SSNs. This system contains all of the
information we received on the applications for SSNs (e.g., name, date
and place of birth, sex, both parents' names, reference number, and
alien registration number) and all information obtained during the
processing of the SSN request. The system also contains:
<bullet> Changes in the information on the applications the SSN
holders submit;
<bullet> information from applications supported by evidence we
suspect or determine to be fraudulent, along with the mailing addresses
of the persons who filed such applications and descriptions of the
documentation they submitted;
<bullet> cross-references when multiple numbers have been issued to
the same person;
<bullet> a form code that identifies the Form SS-5 (Application for
a Social Security Card Number) as the application the person used for
the initial issuance of an SSN, or for changing the identifying
information (e.g., a code indicating original issuance of the SSN, or
that we assigned the person's SSN through our enumeration at birth
program);
<bullet> a citizenship code that identifies the number holder's
status as a U.S. citizen or the work authorization of a non-citizen;
<bullet> a special indicator code that identifies types of
questionable data or special circumstances concerning an application
for an SSN (e.g., false identity; illegal alien; scrambled earnings);
<bullet> an indication that an SSN was assigned based on
harassment, abuse, or life endangerment;
<bullet> an indication that a person has filed a benefit claim
under a particular SSN; and
<bullet> other indicators needed to process SSN requests.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
We obtain information in this system of records from SSN applicants
(or persons acting on their behalf), as well as Federal, State, and
local agencies.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
We will disclose records pursuant to the following routine uses;
however, we will not disclose any information defined as ``return or
return information'' under 26 U.S.C. 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code
(IRC), unless authorized by a statute, the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), or IRS regulations.
1. To employers (or agents on their behalf) in order to complete
their records for reporting wages to us pursuant to the Federal
Insurance Contributions Act and section 218 of the Social Security Act.
2. To Federal, State, and local entities to assist them with
administering income maintenance and health-maintenance programs, when
a Federal statute authorizes them to use the SSN.
3. To the Department of Justice (DOJ) for investigating and
prosecuting violations of the Social Security Act.
4. To Department of Homeland Security, upon request, to identify
and locate aliens in the United States pursuant to section 290(b) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1360(b)).
5. To the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), for the purpose of
administering provisions of the Social Security Act relating to
railroad employment and for administering the Railroad Unemployment
Insurance Act.
6. To the Department of the Treasury, for:
(a) Tax administration as defined in section 6103 of the IRC (26
U.S.C. 6103);
(b) investigating the alleged theft, forgery, or unlawful
negotiation of Social Security checks; and
(c) administering those sections of the IRC that grant tax benefits
based on support or residence of children. As required by section
1090(b) of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Public Law 105-34, this
routine use applies specifically to the SSNs of parents show on an
application for an SSN for a person who has not yet attained age 18.
7. To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from that
office made on behalf of, and at the request of, the subject of the
record or third party acting on the subject's behalf.
8. To the Department of State for administering the Social Security
Act in foreign countries through its facilities and services.
9. To the American Institute, a private corporation under contract
to the Department of State, for administering the Social Security Act
on Taiwan through facilities and services of that agency.
[[Page 265]]
10. To the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Regional Office,
Manila, Philippines, for the administration of the Social Security Act
in the Philippines and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region through
services and facilities of that agency.
11. To the Department of Labor for administering provisions of
Title IV of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, as amended by
the Black Lung Benefits Act, and for studies on the effectiveness of
training programs to combat poverty.
12. To DVA:
(a) To validate SSNs of compensation recipients/pensioners so that
DVA can release accurate pension/compensation data to us for Social
Security program purposes; and
(b) upon request, for purposes of determining eligibility for, or
amount of DVA benefits, or verifying other information with respect
thereto.
13. To Federal agencies that use the SSN as a numerical identifier
in their record-keeping systems for the purpose of validating SSNs.
14. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court or other tribunal,
or another party before such court or tribunal, when:
(a) SSA, or any component thereof; or
(b) any SSA employee in his or her official capacity; or:
(c) Any SSA employee in his or her individual capacity where DOJ
(or SSA, where it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the
employee; or
(d) the United States or any agency thereof where we determine the
litigation is likely to us or any of its components, is a party to the
litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and SSA determines
that the use of such records by DOJ, a court or other tribunal, or
another party before the tribunal is relevant and necessary to the
litigation, provided, however, that in each case, we determine that
such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records
were collected.
15. To State audit agencies for the purpose of:
(a) Auditing State supplementation payments and Medicaid
eligibility considerations; and
(b) expenditures of Federal funds by the State in support of the
Disability Determination Services.
16. To the Social Security agency of a foreign country to carry out
the purpose of an international social security agreement entered into
between the United States and the other country, pursuant to section
233 of the Social Security Act.
17. To Federal, State, or local agencies (or agents on their
behalf), for administering income or health maintenance programs
including programs under the Social Security Act. Such disclosures
include the release of information to the following agencies, but are
not limited to:
(a) RRB, for administering provisions of the Railroad Retirement
Act and Social Security Act, relating to railroad employment, and for
administering provisions of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act;
(b) VA, for administering 38 U.S.C. 1312, and upon request, for
determining eligibility for, or amount of, veterans' benefits or for
verifying other information with respect thereto pursuant to 38 U.S.C.
5106;
(c) Department of Labor for administering provisions of Title IV of
the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, as amended by the Black
Lung Benefits Act.
18. To State welfare departments:
(a) Pursuant to agreements with us, for the administration of State
supplementation payments;
(b) for enrollment of welfare beneficiaries for medical insurance
under section 1843 of the Social Security Act; and
(c) for conducting independent quality assurance reviews of SSI
beneficiary records, provided that the agreement for Federal
administration of the supplementation provides for such an independent
review.
19. To third party contacts (e.g., State bureaus of vital
statistics and the Department of Homeland Security) that issue
documents to persons when the third party has, or is expected to have,
information that will verify documents when we are unable to determine
if such documents are authentic.
20. To the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Human Rights
and Special Prosecutions Section, upon receipt of a request for
information pertaining to the identity and location of aliens for the
purpose of detecting, investigating and, where appropriate, taking
legal action against suspected participants in Nazi persecution,
genocide, and torture or extra judicial killings in the United States.
21. To the Selective Service System for the purpose of enforcing
draft registration pursuant to the provisions of the Military Selective
Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 462, as amended by section 916 of Pub. L.
97-86).
22. To contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for
assisting SSA in the efficient administration of its programs. We will
disclose information under this routine use only in situations in which
SSA may enter into a contractual or similar agreement with a third
party to assist in accomplishing an agency function relating to this
system of records.
23. To the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
under 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
24. To the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) upon receipt of a
request from that agency in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 8347(m)(3), to
disclose SSN information when OPM needs the information to administer
its pension program for retired Federal Civil Service employees.
25. To the Department of Education, upon request, to verify SSNs
and to disclose citizenship status concerning applicants who apply to
postsecondary educational institutions for financial assistance under
Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091).
26. To student volunteers, individuals working under a personal
services contract, and other workers who technically do not have the
status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for us, as
authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable
information (PII) in our records in order to perform their assigned
agency functions.
27. To Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and
private security contractors, as appropriate, information necessary:
(a) To enable them to ensure the safety of our employees and
customers, the security of our workplace, and the operation of our
facilities; or
(b) to assist investigations or prosecutions with respect to
activities that affect such safety and security or activities that
disrupt the operation of our facilities.
28. To recipients of erroneous Death Master File (DMF) information,
to disclose corrections to information that resulted in erroneous
inclusion of persons in the DMF.
29. To State vital records and statistics agencies, the SSNs of
newborn children for administering public health and income maintenance
programs, including conducting statistical studies and evaluation
projects.
30. To State motor vehicle administration agencies (MVA) and to
State agencies charged with administering State identification card
programs for the public to verify names, dates of birth, and Social
Security numbers on those persons who apply for, or for whom the State
issues, driver's licenses or State identification cards.
31. To entities conducting epidemiological or similar research
[[Page 266]]
projects, upon request, pursuant to section 1106(d) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306(d)), to disclose information as to whether
a person is alive or deceased, provided that:
(a) We determine, in consultation with the Department of Health and
Human Services, that the research may reasonably be expected to
contribute to a national health interest;
(b) the requester agrees to reimburse us for the costs of providing
the information; and
(c) the requester agrees to comply with any safeguards and
limitations we specify regarding re-release or re-disclosure of the
information.
32. To the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to employers
for the administration of the E-Verify Program, pursuant to Public Law
104-208, section 404(e). We will inform DHS and the employer
participating in the E-Verify Program that the identifying data (SSN,
name, and date of birth) furnished by an employer concerning a
particular employee matches, or does not match, the data maintained in
this system of records, and when there is such a match, that
information in this system of records indicates that the employee is,
or is not, a citizen of the United States.
33. To a State Bureau of Vital Statistics (BVS) that is authorized
by States to issue electronic death reports when the State BVS requests
that we verify the SSN of a person on whom the State will file an
electronic death report after we verify the SSN.
34. To the Department of Defense (DOD) to disclose validated SSN
information and citizenship status information for the purpose of
assisting DOD in identifying those members of the Armed Forces and
military enrollees who are aliens or non-citizen nationals who may
qualify for expedited naturalization or citizenship processing. These
disclosures will be made pursuant to requests made under section 329 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1440, as executed by
Executive Order 13269.
35. To contractors, cooperative agreement awardees, State agencies,
Federal agencies, and Federal congressional support agencies for
research and statistical activities that are designed to increase
knowledge about present or alternative Social Security programs; are of
importance to the Social Security program or the Social Security
beneficiaries; or are for an epidemiological project that relates to
the Social Security program or beneficiaries. We will disclose
information under this routine use pursuant only to a written agreement
with us.
36. To State and Territory MVA officials (or agents or contractors
on their behalf) and State and Territory chief election officials,
under the provisions of section 205(r)(8) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 405(r)(8)), to verify the accuracy of information the State
agency provides with respect to applications for voter registration for
those persons who do not have a driver's license number:
(a) When the applicant provides the last four digits of the SSN, or
(b) when the applicant provides the full SSN, in accordance with
section 7 of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a note), as described in
section 303(a)(5)(D) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002. (42 U.S.C.
15483(a)(5)(D)).
37. To the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to any State,
any record or information requested in writing by the Secretary for the
purpose of administering any program administered by the Secretary, if
we disclosed records or information of such type under applicable
rules, regulations, and procedures in effect before the date of
enactment of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements
Act of 1994.
38. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when:
(a) SSA suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of
the system of records;
(b) SSA has determined that as a result of the suspected or
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, SSA (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 SSA's efforts to
respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or to prevent, minimize,
or remedy such harm.
39. To State agencies charged with administering Medicaid and the
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to verify personal
identification data (e.g., name, SSN, and date of birth) and to
disclose citizenship status information to assist them in determining
new applicants' entitlement to benefits provided by the CHIP.
40. To the Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services for the purpose of the administration of
Insurance Affordability Programs (IAP) and to identify individuals who
qualify for an exemption from the individual responsibility requirement
in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of
2010 (Pub. L. 111-148), as amended by the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-152). IAPs include a Qualified
Health Plan through the Exchange, Advance Payments of the Premium Tax
Credit, Cost Sharing Reductions, Medicaid, the Children's Health
Insurance Program, and the Basic Health Program.
41. To the Corporation for National and Community Service, upon
request, to verify SSNs and to provide citizenship status as recorded
in our records concerning individuals applying to serve in approved
national service positions and those designated to receive national
service education awards under the National and Community Service Act.
42. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when SSA
determines that 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.
43. To State and local government agencies, in situations involving
suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of minor children or
vulnerable adults, to report suspected abuse or determine a victim's
eligibility for services.
44. To a State BVS, when it provided SSA information that an
individual was deceased to notify the State of the error in the record
so furnished.
45. To the Department of the Treasury, for purposes of tax
administration, debt collection, and identifying, preventing, and
recovering improper payments under federally funded programs and to
Federal and State agencies for conducting statistical and research
activities, pursuant to sections 202(x) and 1611(e) of the Social
Security Act. We will disclose only verified prisoner information
(e.g., name, SSN, gender code, and date of birth) under this routine
use.
46. To the Office of the President in response to an inquiry from
that office made on behalf of, and at the request of, the subject of
the record or a third party acting on the subject's behalf.
47. To the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child
Support Enforcement, as required by section 453(e)(2) and (j)(1) of the
Social
[[Page 267]]
Security Act for the administration of the Federal Parent Locator
System.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
We will maintain records in this system in paper and in electronic
form.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
This system maintains information about individuals by SSN, name,
date of birth, the agency's internal processing reference number, or
alien registration number. If we deny an application because the
applicant submitted fraudulent evidence, or if we are verifying
evidence we suspect to be fraudulent, we will retrieve records either
by the applicant's name plus month and year of birth, or by the
applicant's name plus the eleven-digit reference number of the
disallowed application.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
In accordance with NARA rules codified at 36 CFR 1225.16, we
maintain records in accordance with an agency-specific records
schedule, N1-47-09-02, Enumeration System, item 2, and the approved
NARA General Records Schedule 4.2, items 020, 050, and 130.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
We retain electronic and paper files containing personal
identifiers in secure storage areas accessible only by our authorized
employees and contractors who have a need for the information when
performing their official duties. Security measures include, but are
not limited to, the use of codes and profiles, personal identification
number and password, and personal identification verification cards. We
restrict access to specific correspondence within the system based on
assigned roles and authorized users. We keep paper records in cabinets
within secure areas, with access limited to only those employees who
have an official need for access in order to perform their duties. We
use audit mechanisms to record sensitive transactions as an additional
measure to protect information from unauthorized disclosure or
modification.
We annually provide our employees and contractors with appropriate
security awareness training that includes reminders about the need to
protect PII and the criminal penalties that apply to unauthorized
access to, or disclosure of, PII (5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(1)). Furthermore,
employees and contractors with access to databases maintaining PII must
annually sign a sanctions document that acknowledges their
accountability for inappropriately accessing or disclosing such
information.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals may submit requests for information about whether this
system contains a record about them by submitting a written request to
the system manager at the above address, which includes their name,
SSN, or other information that may be in this system of records that
will identify them. Individuals requesting notification of, or access
to, a record by mail must include: (1) A notarized statement to us to
verify their identity; or (2) must certify in the request that they are
the individual they claim to be and that they understand that the
knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining
to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
Individuals requesting notification of, or access to, records in
person must provide their name, SSN, or other information that may be
in this system of records that will identify them, as well as provide
an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver's
license. Individuals lacking identification documents sufficient to
establish their identity must certify in writing that they are the
individual they claim to be and that they understand that the knowing
and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to
another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
These procedures are in accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR
401.40 and 401.45.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
Same as record access procedures. Individuals should also
reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are
contesting, and state the corrective action sought and the reasons for
the correction with supporting justification showing how the record is
incomplete, untimely, inaccurate, or irrelevant. These procedures are
in accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR 401.65(a).
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
Same as records access procedures. These procedures are in
accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR 401.40 and 401.45.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
75 FR 82121, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
78 FR 40542, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
79 FR 8780, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
83 FR 31250, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
83 FR 31251, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
83 FR 54969, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders
and SSN Applications.
[FR Doc. 2021-28490 Filed 1-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 4, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.