When an agency establishes a new, or makes changes to, an existing system of records, a notice of the agency’s intent must be published in the Federal Register. This provision of the Act is to prevent the keeping of secret record systems.
The notice describes the system of records and must contain the following information:
a. name and location of the system;
b. the categories of individuals on whom records are maintained;
c. the types of records maintained;
d. each routine use;
e. retrievability, storage, access controls, retention, and disposition of the records;
f. the title and business address of the agency official who is responsible for the system;
g. how an individual can be notified if the system contains a record on him/her;
h. how an individual can access or amend the record; and
i. the categories of sources of records in the system.
The Act requires an agency to publish notice of a proposed routine use for a system of records in the Federal Register at least 30 days prior to the implementation of the new routine use to allow for public comment.