Notice2025-22051

Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Primary source

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Published
December 5, 2025

Issuing agencies

Railroad Retirement Board

Abstract

RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System is used to administer, certify, and voucher Social Security benefit payments.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 232 (Friday, December 5, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 232 (Friday, December 5, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56195-56197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22051]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: United States Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.

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SUMMARY: RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System is used to 
administer, certify, and voucher Social Security benefit payments.

DATES: This system of records notice (SORN) will become effective upon 
its publication, except for the routine uses that have been modified as 
part of this modification, which will be effective at the end of a 
public comment period of 30 days from the date of publication. Please 
submit written comments on or before January 5, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this publication by 
writing to Ms. Stephanie Hillyard, Secretary to the Board, U.S. 
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 
60611-1275.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chad Peek, Chief Privacy Officer, 
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, 
Illinois 60611-1275, telephone 312-751-3389 or email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d5b6bdb4b1fba5b0b0be95a7a7b7fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="37545f5653194752525c7745455519505841">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 
5 U.S.C. 552a, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Circular 
No. A-108, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has completed a 
review of its Privacy Act systems of records and proposes to modify a 
current RRB system of records titled, RRB-1, Social Security Benefit 
Vouchering System. The proposed modification to the system of records 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) adds the following categories of users 
to its Routine Uses section: Congressional representatives, contractors 
working for the federal government, law enforcement, other federal 
agencies and entities pertaining to breach notification, National 
Archives, and attorney representatives.

    Dated: December 3, 2025.

    By Authority of the Board.
Stephanie Hillyard,
Secretary to the Board.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, 
Illinois 60611-1275.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    Office of Programs--Director of Policy and Systems, U.S. Railroad 
Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    Section 7(b)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 
231f(b)(2)).

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    Records in the Social Security Vouchering System are maintained to 
administer Title II of the Social Security Act with respect to payment 
of benefits to individuals with 10 or more years or at least five years 
after 1995 of railroad service and their families.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Applicants after December 31, 1974, for benefits under Title II of 
the Social Security Act who have completed ten years or at least five 
years after 1995 of creditable service in the railroad industry, the 
spouse and/or divorced spouse or survivor of such an individual.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Name, address, Social Security number, claim number, type and 
amount of benefit, suspension and termination information, and 
electronic mail address.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Individual applicant or his or her authorized representative, the 
Social Security Administration, other record systems maintained by the 
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.

[[Page 56196]]

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or 
information contained in this system may be disclosed to authorized 
entities, as is determined to be relevant and necessary, outside RRB as 
a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
    a. 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 if that individual would 
not be denied access to the information.
    b. Disclosure may be made to contractors, grantees, experts, 
consultants, students, and others performing or working on a contract, 
service, grant, cooperative agreement, or other assignment for RRB, to 
the extent necessary to accomplish an RRB function related to this 
system of records.
    c. Disclosure may be made to the appropriate agency, whether 
federal, state, local, or foreign, charged with the responsibility of 
investigating, enforcing, or prosecuting a violation or potential 
violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and 
whether arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by 
regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, or charged with 
enforcing or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order 
issued pursuant thereto, if the disclosure would be to an agency 
engaged in functions related to the Railroad Retirement Act or the 
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, or if disclosure would be clearly 
in the furtherance of the interest of the subject individual.
    d. To another federal agency or federal entity, when the U.S. 
Railroad Retirement Board determines that information from this system 
of records is reasonably necessary to assist the recipient agency or 
entity in (1) responding to a suspected or confirmed breach or (2) 
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.
    e. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) the U.S. 
Railroad Retirement Board suspects or has confirmed that there has been 
a breach of the system of records; (2) the U.S. Railroad Retirement 
Board has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed 
breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, the U.S. Railroad 
Retirement Board (including its information systems, programs, and 
operations), the federal government, or national security; and (3) the 
disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably 
necessary to assist in connection with the U.S. Railroad Retirement 
Board's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or to 
prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
    f. Disclosure may be made to the National Archives and Records 
Administration or other federal government agencies for records 
management inspections being conducted under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 
2904 and 2906.
    g. Disclosure of non-medical information in this system of records 
may be made to the attorney representing such individuals upon receipt 
of a written letter or declaration stating the fact of representation, 
if that individual would not be denied access to the information. 
Medical information may be released to an attorney when such records 
are requested for the purpose of contesting a determination either 
administratively or judicially.
    h. Benefit rate information may be disclosed to primary 
beneficiaries regarding secondary beneficiaries (or vice versa) when 
the addition of such beneficiary affects either the entitlement or 
benefit payment.
    i. In the event the Board has determined to designate a person to 
be the representative payee of an incompetent beneficiary, disclosure 
of information concerning the benefit amount and other similar 
information may be made to the representative payee from the record of 
the individual.
    j. Benefit rates, names and addresses may be released to the 
Department of Treasury to control for reclamation and return of 
outstanding benefit payments, to issue benefit payments, act on reports 
of non-receipt, to ensure delivery of payments to the correct address 
of the beneficiary or representative payee or to proper financial 
organization, and to investigate alleged forgery, theft or unlawful 
negotiation of railroad retirement for Social Security benefit checks 
or improper diversion of payments directed to a financial organization.
    k. Beneficiary's name, address, check rate and date plus supporting 
evidence may be released to the U.S. Postal Service for investigation 
of alleged forgery or theft of railroad retirement or Social Security 
benefit checks.
    l. Beneficiary identifying information, effective date, benefit 
rates, and months paid may be furnished to the Veterans Benefits 
Administration for the purpose of assisting that agency in determining 
eligibility for benefits or verifying continued entitlement to and the 
correct amount of benefits payable under programs which it administers.
    m. Benefit rates and effective dates may be disclosed to the Social 
Security Administration, Bureau of Supplemental Security Income, and to 
federal, state and local welfare or public aid agencies to assist them 
in processing applications for benefits under their respective 
programs.
    n. Last addresses information may be disclosed to the Department of 
Health and Human Services in conjunction with the Parent Locator 
Service.
    o. Benefit rates, entitlement and other necessary information may 
be released to the Department of Labor in conjunction with payment of 
benefits under the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act.
    p. Pursuant to a request from an employer covered by the Railroad 
Retirement Act or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or from an 
organization under contract to an employer or employers, information 
regarding the Board's payment of benefits, the methods by which such 
benefits are calculated, entitlement data and present address may be 
released to the requesting employer or the organization under contract 
to the employer or employers for the purposes of determining 
entitlement to and the rates of private supplemental pension benefits 
and to calculate estimated benefits due.
    q. Information from the record of the individual concerning their 
benefit or anticipated benefit and concerning the method of calculating 
that benefit may be disclosed to an official of a labor organization of 
which the individual is a member, if the disclosure is made at the 
request of, and on behalf of, the individual.
    r. Records deemed relevant and necessary may be disclosed in a 
court proceeding relating to any claims for benefits by the beneficiary 
under the Railroad Retirement Act and may be disclosed during an 
administrative appeal to individuals who need the records to prosecute 
or decide the appeal or to individuals who are requested to provide 
information relative to an issue involved in the appeal.
    s. For payments made after December 31, 1983, beneficiary 
identifying information, address, amounts of benefits paid and repaid, 
beneficiary

[[Page 56197]]

withholding instructions, and amounts withheld by the RRB for tax 
purposes may be furnished to the Internal Revenue Service for tax 
administration.
    t. Beneficiary identifying information, entitlement data, and 
benefit rates relevant and necessary may be released to the Department 
of State and embassy and consular officials, to the American Institute 
in Taiwan, and to the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office, 
Philippines, to aid in ensuring the continued payment of beneficiaries 
living abroad.
    u. Entitlement data and benefit rates relevant and necessary may be 
released to any court, state, agency, or interested party, or to the 
representative of such court, state agency, or interested party, in 
connection with contemplated or actual legal or administrative 
proceeding concerning domestic relations and support matters.
    v. Records may be disclosed to the U.S. Department of the Treasury 
when disclosure of the information is relevant to review payment and 
award eligibility through the Do Not Pay Working System for the 
purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping improper payments to 
an applicant for, or recipient of, Federal funds, including funds 
disbursed by a state (meaning a state of the United States, the 
District of Columbia, a territory or possession of the United States, 
or a federally recognized Indian tribe) in a state-administered, 
federally funded program.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    Paper records will be stored in file cabinets or at approved 
National Archives and Records Administration records centers. 
Electronic records are maintained on computer servers, computer hard 
drives, electronic databases, email, and FedRAMP approved cloud 
information systems.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    Information from the system will be retrievable by Social Security 
number and name.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    Paper: Individual claim folders with records of all actions 
pertaining to the payment of claims are transferred to the Federal 
Records Center, Chicago, Illinois 5 years after the date of last 
payment or denial activity if all benefits have been paid, no future 
eligibility is apparent, and no erroneous payments are outstanding.
    The claim folder is destroyed 25 years after the date it is 
received in the center. Accounts receivable listings and check writing 
operations daily activity listings are transferred to the Federal 
Records Center 1 year after date of issue and are destroyed 6 years and 
3 months after receipt at the center. Other paper listings are 
destroyed 1 year after the date of issue. Changes of address source 
documents are destroyed after 1 year.
    Electronic media: Storage drives and IBM zCloud storage: 
Continually updated and permanently retained. When storage drives and 
IBM zCloud storage or other electronic media are no longer serviceable, 
they are sanitized in accordance with NIST guidelines.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    Paper: Maintained in areas not accessible to the public in locking 
filing cabinets. Offices are locked during non-business hours. The 
building has 24-hour on-site security officers, closed circuit 
television monitoring and intrusion detection systems.
    Electronic media: Computer, computer storage rooms and IBM zCloud 
storage are restricted to authorized personnel; on-line query 
safeguards include a lock/unlock password system, a terminal oriented 
transaction matrix, role-based access controls and audit trail. For 
computerized records electronically transmitted between headquarters 
and field office locations, system securities are established in 
accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) guidelines, including network monitoring, defenses in-depth, 
incident response and forensics. In addition to the on-line query 
safeguards, they include encryption of all data transmitted and 
exclusive use of leased telephone lines.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Under 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), individuals have the 
right to access and contest records maintained about them. To access or 
amend your records, submit a written request to the Railroad Retirement 
Board (RRB) with:
    1. Your identifying information.
    2. A description of the record you wish to access.
    The RRB may request proof of identity. To correct a record, specify 
the change and provide justification. If denied, you can submit a 
statement of disagreement to be included with the record.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    For additional instructions, see the Record Access Procedures and 
Notification Procedures sections.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Requests for information regarding an individual's record should be 
in writing addressed to the System Manager identified above, including 
the full name, Social Security number and claim number of the 
individual. Before information about any record will be released, the 
System Manager may require the individual to provide proof of identity 
or require the requester to furnish an authorization from the 
individual to permit release of information.

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    System of Records Notice revision from previous September 30, 2014 
Federal Register notice 79 FR 58886.

[FR Doc. 2025-22051 Filed 12-4-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on December 5, 2025.

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.