Department of State January 9, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This report is submitted in compliance with Appendix I to OMB Circular Number A-130 entitled ``Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records about Individuals.'' The Department of State (``Department'') intends to alter an existing system of records, ``Passport Records'' (STATE-26), to reflect additional routine uses for the information maintained in the Passport Records System. Purpose: The information collected and maintained in the system of records entitled ``Passport Records'' is in keeping with the Department's responsibility to adjudicate applications for U.S. passports. Proposed alterations appear in the routine uses section of the system description. The purpose in granting access to other entities varies, but principally encompasses the following functions: To support national defense, border security, and foreign policy activities; To ensure the proper functioning and integrity of law enforcement, counterterrorism, and fraud-prevention activities by supporting law enforcement personnel in the conduct of their duties; To support the investigatory process; and To assist with verification of passport validity to support employment eligibility and identity corroboration for public and private employment. This Systems of Records Notice (SORN) documents an updated list of routine uses for records maintained in the passport records system to include disclosure to the following entities: Department of Homeland Security for law enforcement; counterterrorism; border patrol, screening, and security purposes; fraud prevention activities; and verification of passport validity to support employment eligibility and identity corroboration for public and private employment; Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and other components, for law enforcement, counterterrorism, border security, fraud prevention, and criminal and civil litigation activities; INTERPOL and other international organizations for law enforcement, counterterrorism, fraud prevention, criminal activities related to lost and stolen passports; National Counterterrorism Center to support strategic operational planning and counterterrorism intelligence activities; Office of Personnel Management (OPM), other federal agencies, or contracted outside entities to support the investigations that OPM, other federal agencies, and contractor personnel conduct for the federal government in connection with verification of employment eligibility and/or the issuance of a security clearance; Social Security Administration to support employment- eligibility verification for public and private employers, and for support in verification of social security numbers used in processing U.S. passport applications; Federal, state, local or other agencies for use in legal proceedings as government counsel deems appropriate, in accordance with any understanding reached by the agency with the U.S. Department of State. Foreign governments, to permit such governments to fulfill passport control and immigration duties and their own law enforcement, counterterrorism, and fraud prevention functions, and to support U.S. law enforcement, counterterrorism, and fraud prevention activities. Public and private employers seeking to confirm the authenticity of the U.S. passport when it is presented as evidence of identity and eligibility to work in the United States; Contractor personnel conducting data entry, scanning, corrections, and modifications, or conducting other authorized functions related to passport records.