Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of Amended System of Records, 15013-15017 [E8-5659]

Agencies

• Office of Personnel Management
• Personnel Management Office

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 55 (Thursday, March 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15013-15017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5659]


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 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of Amended System of Records

ACTION: Notice to amend and republish system of records.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is giving notice 
that it proposes to republish an amended system of records, OPM/
Central-1, due to changes in technology by Retirement Systems 
Modernization (RSM). This system of records is an integrated 
application that works from one central database that allows OPM 
designated employees and contractors to access the records on a need to 
know basis in accordance with OPM and Federal rules, regulations and 
safeguard procedures for personally identifiable information. RSM will 
enhance the system's functionality to enable Federal employees and 
retirees to access personal and benefits-related information. This 
notice proposes to amend and republish an existing internal system of 
records.

DATE: The changes will be effective April 21, 2008, without further 
notice unless comments are received that would result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Office of Personnel Management, 
ATTN: Marc Flaster, Chief, Support Group, Center for Retirement and 
Insurance Services, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 3313, Washington, DC 
20415-7900.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Glick (412) 657-5013.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Notice to amend and republish system of 
records.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is giving notice 
that it proposes to republish an amended system of records, OPM/
Central-1, due to changes in technology by Retirement Systems 
Modernization (RSM). RSM is a strategic initiative of OPM to improve 
quality and timeliness of services to individuals covered by the Civil 
Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement 
System (FERS), the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program 
(FEGLI), and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) by 
modernizing business practices and technology that support the 
programs. The RSM program will transform the retirement process, and 
health and life insurance elections, by devising more efficient and 
effective business systems to respond to increased customer demand for 
higher levels of customer service and online self-service tools. This 
system of records reflects the republishing of the SORN from October 
1999, as amended May 2000, inclusion of the prefatory uses as published 
in 1996 and the addition of two new routine uses.

    U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Linda M. Springer,
Director.

System name:
    Civil Service Retirement and Insurance Records.

System location:
    Deputy Associate Director, Center for Retirement and Insurance 
Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), 1900 E Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20415-0001. Certain records pertaining to State income 
tax withholdings from annuitant payments are located with State Taxing 
Offices. Certain information concerning enrollment/change in enrollment 
in a health plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program 
(FEHBP) may be located at other agencies. Certain records pertaining to 
overpayments must be forwarded to the Department of the Treasury for 
collection activity. Certain records pertaining to enrollment in a 
Preauthorized Debit Program (PAD) for sending recurring remittances to 
OPM for service credit and voluntary contributions accounts are 
maintained with a lockbox bank, which operates the PAD program for OPM.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    a. Former Federal employees and members of Congress who performed 
service subject to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or 
Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS).
    b. Current Federal employees who have:
    1. Performed Federal service subject to the CSRS or FERS other than 
with their present agency; or
    2. Had data converted to the OPM Retirement Systems Modernization 
Program; or
    3. Filed a designation of beneficiary for benefits payable under 
the CSRS; or
    4. Requested OPM to review a claim for health benefits made under 
the FEHBP; or
    5. Enrolled/changed enrollment in a plan under the FEHBP; or
    6. Filed a service credit application in connection with former 
Federal service; or
    7. Filed an application for disability retirement with OPM and are 
awaiting final decision, or whose disability retirement application has 
been disapproved by OPM.
    c. Former Federal employees who died subject to or who retired 
under the CSRS or FERS, or their surviving spouses, and/or children who 
have received or are receiving CSRS or FERS benefits and/or benefits 
under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program, or 
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
    d. Former Federal employees who died subject to or who retired 
under a Federal Government retirement system other than CSRS or FERS, 
or their surviving spouses and/or children, who have received or are 
receiving benefits from FEGLI and/or FEHBP.
    e. Applicants for Federal employment found unsuitable for 
employment on medical grounds.
    f. Former spouses of Federal employees who have received or are 
receiving CSRS or FERS benefits, or who have filed a court order 
awarding future benefits.

Categories of records in the system:
    This system comprises those retirement service history records of 
employee's service in the Federal Government from their current 
employing agency if the employee has been converted to the Retirement 
Systems Modernization Program and/or an agency other than for the 
agency in which they may presently be employed.

[[Page 15014]]

Also included in the system are current personnel data pertaining to 
active United States Postal Service employees who, by virtue of the 
provisions set forth in 5 U.S.C. 2105(e), are not considered civil 
service employees. It also contains information concerning health 
benefit enrollment/change in enrollment, and information developed in 
support of claims for benefits made under the retirement, health 
benefits, and life insurance programs for Federal employees that OPM 
administers. Also included are medical records and supporting evidence 
on those individuals whose application for disability retirement has 
been rejected. Consent forms and other records related to the 
withholding of State income tax from annuitant payments, whether 
physically maintained by the State or OPM, are included in this system. 
Consent forms and other records related to enrollment in the 
Preauthorized Debit Program, whether physically maintained by the 
authorized lockbox bank or OPM, are included in the system.

These records contain the following information:
    a. Documentation of Federal service subject to the CSRS or FERS.
    b. Documentation of service credit and refund claims made under the 
CSRS or FERS.
    c. Documentation of voluntary contributions made by eligible 
individuals.
    d. Retirement and death claims files, including documents 
supporting the retirement application, health benefits, and life 
insurance eligibility, medical records supporting disability claims 
(after receipt by OPM), and designations of beneficiary.
    e. Claim review files pertaining to requests made under the FEHBP 
reviewed by OPM.
    f. Enrollment and change in enrollment information under the FEHBP.
    g. Documentation of continuing coverage for life insurance and 
health benefits for annuitants and their survivors under a Federal 
Government retirement system other than the CSRS or FERS, or for 
compensationers and their survivors under the Office of Workers' 
Compensation programs.
    h. The system also maintains a file of court orders submitted by 
former spouses of Federal employees. These court orders are submitted 
to support claims to apportion funds/benefits due to a Federal employee 
at some point in the future.
    i. Records relating to overpayments made to annuitants, survivor 
annuitants, spouses and/or dependents. These records may be retained in 
OPM or provided to the Department of the Treasury, pursuant to the Debt 
Collection Act of 1996. There are two different systems applicable to 
overpayments. The OPM financial management system uses the Social 
Security Number (SSN) as part of the identifying information in the 
record. The Debt Collection Act of 1996 requires agencies to turn over 
all receivables more than 180 days past due to the Department of the 
Treasury for all further collection activity. The SSN is one of the 
required fields for transferring the record to the Department of the 
Treasury. OPM may obtain the SSN from case files or requests made to 
credit bureaus.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    Includes the following with any revisions or amendments:
    Section 3301 and chapters 83, 84, 87, 89 of title 5, United States 
Code, Pub. L. 83-598, 84-356, 86-724, and 94-455; and Executive Order 
9397.

Purpose(s):
    These records provide information and verification on which to base 
entitlement and computation of CSRS and FERS benefits, CSRS and FERS 
and survivors' benefits, FEHBP and enrollments, and FEGLI benefits, and 
to withhold State income taxes from annuitant payments. These records 
may also be used to compute CSRS and FERS benefit estimates. These 
records also serve to review rejection of applicants for Federal 
employment on medical suitability grounds. These records also may be 
used to locate individuals for personnel research. These records also 
provide information and verification concerning enrollment/change in 
enrollment in a plan under the FEHBP

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    a. For Law Enforcement Purposes--To disclose pertinent information 
to the appropriate Federal, State, or local agency responsible for 
investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, rule, 
regulation, or order, where OPM becomes aware of an indication of a 
violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law or 
regulation.
    b. For Certain Disclosures to Other Federal Agencies--To disclose 
information to a Federal agency, in response to its request in 
connection with the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance of 
a security clearance, the conducting of a suitability or security 
investigation of an individual, the classifying of jobs, the letting of 
a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit by 
the requesting agency, to the extent that the information is relevant 
and necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the matter.
    c. For Congressional Inquiry--To provide information to a 
congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an 
inquiry from that congressional office made at the request of that 
individual.
    d. For Judicial/Administrative Proceedings--To disclose information 
to another Federal agency, to a court, or a party in litigation before 
a court or in an administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal 
agency, when the Government is a party to the judicial or 
administrative proceeding. In those cases where the Government is not a 
party to the proceeding, records may be disclosed if a subpoena has 
been signed by a judge.
    e. For National Archives and Records Administration--To disclose 
information to the National Archives and Records Administration for use 
in records management inspections.
    f. Within OPM for Statistical/Analytical Studies--By OPM in the 
production of summary descriptive statistics and analytical studies in 
support of the function for which the records are collected and 
maintained, or for related workforce studies. While published studies 
do not contain individual identifiers, in some instances the selection 
of elements of data included in the study may be structured in such a 
way as to make the data individually identifiable by inference.
    g. For Litigation--To disclose information to the Department of 
Justice, or in a proceeding before a court, adjudicative body, or other 
administrative body before which OPM is authorized to appear, when:
    (1) OPM, or any component thereof; or
    (2) Any employee of OPM in his or her official capacity; or
    (3) Any employee of OPM in his or her individual capacity where the 
Department of Justice or OPM has agreed to represent the employee; or
    (4) The United States, when OPM determines that litigation is 
likely to affect OPM or any of its components; is a party to litigation 
or has an interest in such litigation, and the use of such records by 
the Department of Justice or OPM is deemed by OPM to be relevant and 
necessary to the litigation provided, however, that the disclosure is 
compatible with the purpose for which records were collected.

[[Page 15015]]

    h. For the Merit Systems Protection Board--To disclose information 
to officials of the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Office of the 
Special Counsel, when requested in connection with appeals, special 
studies of the civil service and other merit systems, review of OPM 
rules and regulations, investigations of alleged or possible prohibited 
personnel practices, and such other functions, e.g., as promulgated in 
5 U.S.C. 1205 and 1206, or as may be authorized by law.
    i. For the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)--To 
disclose information to the EEOC when requested in connection with 
investigations into alleged or possible discrimination practices in the 
Federal sector, compliance by Federal agencies with the Uniform 
Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures or other functions vested 
in the Commission and to otherwise ensure compliance with the 
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 7201.
    j. For the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)--To disclose 
information to the FLRA or its General Counsel when requested in 
connection with investigations of allegations of unfair labor practices 
or matters before the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
    k. For Non-Federal Personnel--To disclose information to private 
organizations, contractors, grantees, volunteers, or other non-Federal 
personnel performing or working on a project, contract, service, grant, 
cooperative agreement, or job for, to the benefit of, or consistent 
with the interests of the Federal Government when OPM has determined 
that the use of that information is compatible with proper disclosure 
and will benefit Federal employees, annuitants or their dependents, 
survivors, and beneficiaries. To disclose information to contractors, 
grantees, or volunteers performing or working on a contract, service, 
grant, cooperative agreement, or job for the Federal Government.
    l. To disclose, to the following recipients, information needed to 
adjudicate a claim for benefits under OPM's or the recipient's benefits 
program(s), or information needed to conduct an analytical study of 
benefits being paid under such programs: Office of Workers' 
Compensation Programs; Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Benefit 
Program; Social Security Administration's Old Age, Survivor and 
Disability Insurance and Medical Programs and Supplemental Security 
Income Program; Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Department 
of Defense; Railroad Retirement Board; military retired pay programs; 
Federal civilian employee retirement programs (other than the CSRS or 
FERS); or other national, State, county, municipal, or other publicly 
recognized charitable or social security administrative agencies;
    m. To disclose to the Office of Federal Employees Group Life 
Insurance (OFEGLI) information necessary to verify the election, 
declination, or waiver of regular and/or optional life insurance 
coverage or eligibility for payment of a claim for life insurance.
    n. To disclose to health insurance carriers contracting with OPM to 
provide a health benefits plan under the FEHB, SSN, and other 
information necessary to identify enrollment in a plan, to verify 
eligibility for payment of a claim for health benefits, or to carry out 
the coordination for benefits provisions of such contracts.
    o. To disclose to any inquirer, if sufficient information is 
provided to assure positive identification of an individual on whom a 
department or agency maintains retirement or insurance records, the 
fact that an individual is or is not on the retirement rolls, and if 
so, the type of annuity (employment or survivor, but not retirement on 
disability) being paid, or if not, whether a refund has been paid.
    p. When an individual to whom a record pertains dies, to disclose 
to any person possibly entitled in the order of precedence for lump-sum 
benefits, information in the individual's record that might properly be 
disclosed to the individual, and the name and relationship of any other 
person whose claim for benefits takes precedence or who is entitled to 
share the benefits payable. When a representative of the estate has not 
been appointed, the individual's next of kin may be recognized as the 
representative of the estate.
    q. To disclose to the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the 
Treasury, information as required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 
as amended.
    r. To disclose to the Department of Treasury information necessary 
to issue benefit checks or savings bonds.
    s. To disclose information to any person who is responsible for the 
care of the individual to whom a record pertains, and who is found by a 
court or OPM Contract Doctors to be incompetent or under other legal 
disability, information necessary to assure payment of benefits to 
which the individual is entitled.
    t. To disclose to the Parent Locator Service of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, upon its request, the present address of an 
annuitant, or former employee, for enforcing child support obligations 
against such individual.
    u. In connection with an examination ordered by the agency under:
    (1) Medical examination procedures; or
    (2) Agency-filed disability retirement procedures.
    To disclose to the agency-appointed representative of an employee 
all notices, decisions, other written communications, or any pertinent 
medical evidence other than medical evidence that a prudent physician 
would hesitate to inform the individual of; such medical evidence will 
be disclosed only to a licensed physician, designated in writing for 
that purpose by the individual or his or her representative.
    v. To disclose information to any source from which additional 
information is requested relevant to OPM determination on an 
individual's eligibility for or entitlement to coverage under the 
retirement, life insurance, and health benefits program, to the extent 
necessary to identify the individual and the type of information 
requested.
    w. To disclose information to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) at any stage of the legislative coordination and clearance 
process in connection with private relief legislation as set forth in 
OMB circular No. A-19.
    x. To provide an official of another Federal agency information 
needed in the performance of official duties related to reconciling or 
reconstructing data files; compiling descriptive statistics; and making 
analytical studies to support the function for which the records were 
collected and maintained.
     y. To disclose to a Federal agency, in response to its request, 
the address of any annuitant or applicant for refund of retirement 
deductions, if the agency requires that information to provide 
consideration in connection with the collection of a debt due the 
United States.
    z. To disclose to an allottee, as defined in 5 CFR 831.1501, the 
name, address, and the amount withheld from an annuitant's benefits, 
pursuant to 5 CFR 831.1501 et seq. as an allotment to that allottee to 
implement the program of voluntary allotments authorized by 5 U.S.C. 
8345(h) or 8465.
    aa. To disclose to a State agency responsible for the collection of 
State income taxes the information required by an Agreement to 
Implement State Income Tax Withholdings from Civil Service Annuities 
entered pursuant to section 1705 of Pub. L. 97-35 or 5 U.S.C. 8469 to 
implement the program of voluntary State income tax withholding 
required by 5 U.S.C. 8345(k) or 8469.

[[Page 15016]]

    bb. To disclose to the Social Security Administration the SSN of 
civil service annuitants to determine:
    (1) Their vital status as shown in the Social Security Master 
Records;
    (2) Whether recipients of the minimum annuity are receiving at 
least the Special Primary Insurance Amount benefit from the Social 
Security Administration; and
    (3) Whether civil service retirees with post-1956 military service 
credit are receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration.
    cc. To disclose information contained in the Retirement Annuity 
Master File; including the name, SSN, date of birth, sex, OPM's claim 
number, health benefit enrollment code, retirement date, retirement 
code (type of retirement), annuity rate, pay status of case, 
correspondence address, and ZIP code, of all Federal retirees and their 
survivors to Federal agencies and requesting States to help eliminate 
fraud and abuse in the benefit programs administered by the Federal 
agencies and States (and those States to local governments) and to 
collect debts and overpayments owed to the Federal Government, and to 
State Governments and their components.
    dd. To disclose to a Federal agency, a person or an organization 
contracting with a Federal agency for rendering collection services 
within the purview of section 13 of the Debt Collection Act of 1982, in 
response to a written request from the head of the agency or his other 
designee, or from the debt collection contractor, the following data 
concerning an individual owing a debt to the Federal Government:
    (1) The debtor's name, address, SSN, and other information 
necessary to establish the identity of the individual;
    (2) the amount, status, and history of the claim; and
    (3) the agency or program under which the claim arose.
    ee. To disclose information contained in the Retirement Annuity 
Master File, upon written request, to State tax administration 
agencies, for the express purpose of ensuring compliance with State tax 
obligations by persons receiving benefits under the CSRS or the FERS 
and to prevent fraud and abuse, but only the following data elements: 
Name, correspondence address, date of birth, sex, SSN, annuity rate, 
commencing date of benefits, and retirement code (type of retirement).
    ff. To disclose information to a State court or administrative 
agency in connection with a garnishment, attachment, or similar 
proceeding to enforce an alimony or child support obligation.
    gg. To disclose to a former spouse when necessary to explain how 
that former spouse's benefit under 5 U.S.C. 8341(h), 8345(j), 8445, or 
8467 was computed.
    hh. To disclose to a Federal or State agency (or its agent) when 
necessary to locate individuals who are owed money or property either 
by a Federal agency, State or local agency, or by a financial 
institution or similar institution.
    ii. To disclose to a health plan participating in the FEHBP and to 
an FEHBP enrollee or covered family member or an enrollee or covered 
family member's authorized representative, in connection with the 
review of a disputed claim for health benefits, from information 
maintained within this system of records, the decision of OPM regarding 
the disputed claim review.
    jj. To disclose to a State or local government, or private 
individual or association engaged in volunteer work, identifying and 
address information and other pertinent facts, for the purpose of 
developing an application as representative payee for an annuitant or 
survivor annuitant who is mentally incompetent or under other legal 
disability.
    kk. To disclose on request to a spouse or dependent child (or 
court-appointed guardian thereof) of a CSRS or FERS annuitant or an 
annuitant of any other Federal retirement system enrolled in the FEHBP 
whether the annuitant has changed from a self-and-family to a self-only 
health benefits enrollment.
    ll. To the Defense Manpower Data Center, Department of Defense, and 
the U.S. Postal Service to conduct computer matching programs for the 
purpose of identifying and locating individuals who are receiving 
Federal salaries or benefit payments and are past due in their 
repayment of debts owed to the U.S. Government under certain programs 
administered by the OPM in order to collect the debts under the 
provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365) by 
voluntary repayment, or by administrative or salary offset procedures.
    mm. To any other Federal agency for the purpose of effecting 
administrative or salary offset procedures against a person employed by 
that agency or receiving or eligible to receive some benefit payments 
from the agency when OPM as a creditor has a claim against that person.
    nn. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to the 
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, and to 
any other debt collection center designated by the Secretary of the 
Treasury, or any debt collection contractor for the purpose of 
collecting the receivable by cross servicing in accordance with 31 
U.S.C. 3711(M).
    oo. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to the 
Department of Justice for the purpose of litigating to enforce 
collection of a past due account or to obtain the Department of 
Justice's concurrence in a decision to compromise, suspend, or 
terminate collection action on an overpayment with the principal amount 
in excess of $100,000 or such higher amount as the Attorney General 
may, from time to time, prescribe in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711(a).
    pp. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to the 
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, or to 
any other debt collection center designated by the Secretary of the 
Treasury, or any other Federal agency for the purpose of collecting the 
receivable through offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716 (administrative offset), 
31 U.S.C. 3720A (Tax refund offset), 5 U.S.C. 5514 (Salary offset), or 
offset under any other statutory or common law authority.
     qq. To disclose information concerning overpayees in arrears to 
other Federal agencies for the purpose of implementing 31 U.S.C. 3720B, 
which prohibits persons who are past due on Federal debts from 
obtaining Federal financial assistance in the form of loans or loan 
insurance or guaranties.
    rr. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to any 
employer of the debtor for the purpose of conducting administrative 
wage garnishment pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3720D.
    ss. To disclose information or publicly disseminate information 
concerning overpayees in arrears and the debt to the public for the 
purpose of publicly disseminating information regarding the identity of 
the debtor pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3720B.
    tt. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to 
State and local governments in an effort to collect monies owed the 
Federal government.
    uu. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to the 
Internal Revenue Service for the purpose of: Effecting an 
administrative offset against the individual's income tax refund to 
recover monies owed the Federal government by the individual, or 
obtaining the mailing address of a taxpayer in order to locate the 
individual to collect or compromise a Federal receivable against the 
taxpayer in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711, 3717, 3728, and 3718 and 26 
U.S.C. 6103(m)(2) and 6402.

[[Page 15017]]

    vv. To disclose information concerning past due receivables to any 
person or for any debt collection purpose authorized by statue not 
specifically enumerated here.
    ww. To provide an official of another Federal agency information 
needed in the performance of official duties related to retirement, 
federal employee health, and/or federal employee life insurance 
benefits counseling.
    xx. To authorized agencies, entities, and persons when:
    (1) OPM suspects or has confirmed that the security or 
confidentiality of information in the system of records has been 
compromised;
    (2) OPM has determined that as a result of the suspected or 
confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property 
interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or 
integrity of this system or other systems or programs (whether 
maintained by OPM or another agency or entity) that rely upon the 
compromised information; and
    (3) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is 
reasonably necessary to assist in connection with OPM's efforts to 
respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, 
or remedy such harm.

Disclosures to consumer reporting agencies:
    Disclosures pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12): Disclosures may be 
made from this system to consumer reporting agencies as defined in the 
Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a(f)) or the Federal Claims 
Collection Act of 1966 (31 U.S.C. 3701(a)(3)) Policies and practices 
for storing, retrieving, retaining and disposing of records in the 
system:

Storage:
    These records are maintained on secured LAN drives, databases, 
mainframes, magnetic tapes, disks, microfiche, and in folders.

Retrievability:
    These records are retrieved by the name, SSN, date of birth and/or 
claim number of the individual to whom they pertain.

Safeguards:
    Records are kept in lockable metal file cabinets or in a secured 
facility with access limited to those whose official duties require 
access. Systems storing electronic data undergo system certification & 
accreditation processes and follow other appropriate federal security 
standards. Transfer of data to and from this system of record occurs 
over secure connections using encryption when appropriate. Personnel 
screening is employed to prevent unauthorized disclosure.

Retention and disposal:
    All records on a claim for retirement, life insurance, health 
benefits, and tax withholdings are maintained permanently in paper and/
or electronic imaged format. Medical suitability records are maintained 
for 18 months. Requests for review of health benefits claims are 
maintained up to 3 years. Disposal of manual records is by shredding or 
burning; magnetic tapes and discs are erased.

System manager(s) and address:
    Deputy Associate Director, Center for Retirement and Insurance 
Services, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20415-0001.

Records Access Procedures:
    Individuals wishing to access their own records online through Your 
Benefits Resource (YBR) must follow a two-step identification and 
authorization process. Individuals must provide personal identifiers 
and/or a system user id for identification followed by a system 
password and/or personal indicative data for authentication.

OPM and Other Agency Access Procedures:
    Designated OPM, agency, and shared service center employees may be 
granted a defined level of access to other participants' records in 
this system for the purpose of performing official duties related to 
retirement, federal employee health, and/or federal employee life 
insurance benefits counseling. Those granted access to other 
participants' records must furnish their user identifying information 
and authentication information to obtain access.

Individual Access Procedures:
    Individuals wishing to request access to their records in this 
system should contact the system manager. Individuals must furnish the 
following information for their records to be located and identified:
    a. Name, including all former names.
    b. Date of birth.
    c. SSN.
    d. Name and address of office in which currently and/or formerly 
employed in the Federal service.
    e. Annuity, service credit, or voluntary contributions account 
number, if assigned.
    Individuals requesting access must also follow OPM's Privacy Act 
regulations on verification of identity and access to records (5 CFR 
part 297).

Contesting record procedure:
    Individuals wishing to request amendment of their records in this 
system that are originated by OPM should contact the system manager.
    Individuals must furnish the following information for their 
records to be located and identified:
    a. Name, including all former names.
    b. Date of birth.
    c. SSN.
    d. Name and address of office in which currently and/or formerly 
employed in the Federal service.
    e. Annuity, service credit, or voluntary contributions account 
number, if assigned.
    Individuals requesting amendment of their records must also follow 
OPM's Privacy Act regulations regarding verification of identity and 
amendment of records (5 CFR part 297).
    Individuals requesting amendment of records that were not 
originated by OPM must contact the agency that established the record 
in accordance with (5 CFR 831.102 and 841.106).

Record source categories:
    The information in this system is obtained from:
    a. The individual to whom the information pertains.
    b. Agency pay, leave, and allowance records.
    c. National Personnel Records Center.
    d. Federal civilian retirement systems other than the CSRS/FERS.
    e. Military retired pay system records.
    f. Office of Workers' Compensation Benefits Program.
    g. Veteran's Administration Pension Benefits Program.
    h. Social Security Old Age, Survivor, and Disability Insurance and 
Medicare Programs.
    i. Health insurance carriers and plans participating in the FEHBP.
    j. OFEGLI.
    k. Official Personnel Folders.
    l. The individual's co-workers and supervisors.
    m. Physicians who have examined or treated the individual.
    n. Former spouse of the individual.
    o. State courts or support enforcement agencies.
    p. Credit bureaus.

[FR Doc. E8-5659 Filed 3-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-38-P