DOL/PWBA-9

SYSTEM NAME:

Office of Enforcement Correspondence Tracking System

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

None.

SYSTEM LOCATIONS:

Office of Enforcement, PWBA
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20210.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Correspondents, such as employee benefit plan professionals, and other individuals involved in investigations and enforcement actions.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Information including plan name, plan administrator's name, service provider's name, trustee's name, and names of other individuals (such as the named defendants) involved in investigations and enforcement actions. Letters from the general public requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act or relating to all aspects of pension and welfare benefit plans covered by Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the status of individuals under these plans, the Department's replies to the inquiries, and related internal memoranda, including notes pertaining to meetings and telephone calls.

AUTHORITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

29 U.S.C. 1134-37.

PURPOSE(S):

This system of records is used to track the progress of correspondence through the Office of Enforcement, including a record of action taken on or response to an inquiry received from the general public or others, and to access investigative information related to field office correspondence regarding investigations instituted by the Department of Labor (DOL) under the Title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The investigative files are used in the prosecution of violations of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSE OF SUCH USES:

In addition to those universal routine uses listed in the General Prefatory Statement to this document, pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 1134, a record from this system of records may be disclosed, subject to the restrictions imposed by various statutes and rules, such as the Privacy Act, to a department or agency of the United States, or to any person actually affected by any matter which may be the subject of the investigation; except that any information obtained by the Secretary of Labor pursuant to section 6103(g) of Title 26 shall be made available only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:

None.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

The records in this system are maintained in an electronic database.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Records are retrieved from the electronic database by the name of the plan, service provider name, trustee name, the name of another individual (such as the named defendant) involved in the investigation or enforcement action, or the name of the correspondent. Records are also retrieved by case number, the plan's employer identification number (EIN).

SAFEGUARDS:

Direct access to and use of these records is restricted to authorized personnel in the Office of Enforcement. General correspondence are maintained in file cabinets with access limited to OE staff. The electronic database is password protected and limited to use by authorized personnel.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

General correspondence files are destroyed after three years. The electronic database files are deleted when no longer needed.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Director of Enforcement, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:

Individuals wishing to inquire whether this system of records contains information about them should contact the System Manager. Individuals should furnish their full name, address, and employee benefit plan association and should identify the employee benefit plan by name, address, and EIN (if known).

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

Request for access to records should follow the notification procedure described above. Specific materials in the system have been exempted from Privacy Act provisions under 5 U.S.C. 552a (j)(2) and (k)(2). To the extent that this system of records is not subject to exemption, it is subject to access, contest of the content of the record, and appeal of a denial to access. A determination as to exemption shall be made at the time a request for access is received. Access procedures are the same as the Notification procedures described above. Individuals requesting access must also comply with Privacy Act regulations regarding verification of identity and access to records (29 CFR 71.2).

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

Same as the Notification procedure above, except individuals desiring to contest or amend information maintained in the system should direct their written request to the appropriate System Manager listed above, state clearly and concisely what information is being contested, the reasons for contesting it, and the proposed amendment to the information sought pursuant to 29 CFR 71.9.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Correspondence from individuals, individual complaints, witnesses, or interviews conducted during investigations or plan participant or beneficiary information obtained during investigations on cases opened in the Office of Enforcement or in any of the PWBA field offices.

SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:

a. Criminal Law Enforcement: In accordance with subsection 552a(j)(2) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2), information maintained for criminal law enforcement purposes in PWBA's Office of Enforcement or its field offices is exempt from subsections (c)(3), and (4), (d), (e)(1), (2), and (3), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), (e) (5) and (8), (f), and (g) of 5 U.S.C. 552a.

b. Other Law Enforcement: In accordance with subsection 552a(k)(2) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2), investigatory material in this system of records compiled for civil law enforcement purposes is exempt from subsections (c)(3), (d)(1), (2), (3), and (4), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G) and (I), and (f) of 5 U.S.C. 552a.