[Federal Register: December 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 245)]
[Notices]
[Page 77810-77813]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de08-147]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DHS-2008-0145]
Privacy Act of 1974; United States Coast Guard--020 Substance
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program System of Records
AGENCY: Privacy Office; DHS.
ACTION: Notice of Privacy Act system of records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and as part of the
Department of Homeland Security's ongoing effort to review and update
legacy system of records notices, the Department of Homeland Security
is giving notice that it proposes to update and reissue the following
legacy record system, DOT/CG 638 Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program
Record System as a Department of Homeland Security/United States Coast
Guard system of records notice titled, DHS/USCG--020 Substance Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Program. This system of records notice will
allow the USCG to collect and maintain the USCG's Substance Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Program records. Categories of individuals,
categories of records, and the routine uses of this legacy system of
records notice have been reviewed and updated to better reflect the
Department of Homeland Security/United States Coast Guard's--020
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program record system. This
new system will be included in the Department of Homeland Security's
inventory of record systems.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 20,
2009. This new system will be effective January 20, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-
2008-0145 by one of the following methods:
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-866-466-5370.
Mail: Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy
Office, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the
agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments
received will be posted without change and may be read at http://
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
[[Page 77811]]
Docket: For access to the docket, to read background
documents, or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions please contact:
David Roberts (202-475-3521), Privacy Officer, United States Coast
Guard. For privacy issues please contact: Hugo Teufel III (703-235-
0780), Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Pursuant to the savings clause in the Homeland Security Act of
2002, Public Law 107-296, Section 1512, 116 Stat. 2310 (November 25,
2002), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/United States Coast
Guard (USCG) have relied on preexisting Privacy Act systems of records
notices for the collection and maintenance of records that concern the
DHS/USCG--020 Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program.
As part of its efforts to streamline and consolidate its record
systems, DHS is updating and reissuing a DHS/USCG system of records
under the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) that deals with active duty
military personnel receiving substance abuse rehabilitation treatment.
This record system will allow DHS/USCG to collect and maintain records
regarding active duty military personnel receiving substance abuse
rehabilitation treatment. The collection and maintenance of this
information will assist DHS/USCG in meeting its obligation to assist
active duty USCG personnel needing substance abuse rehabilitation
treatment.
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and as part of the DHS's
ongoing effort to review and update legacy system of records notices,
DHS is giving notice that it proposes to update and reissue the
following legacy record system DOT/CG 638 Alcohol Abuse Prevention
Program Record System (65 FR 19475 4/11/2000) as a DHS/USCG system of
records notice titled, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Program. This system of records notice will allow the USCG to collect
and maintain the USCG's Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Program records. Categories of individuals and categories of records
have been reviewed, and the routine uses of this legacy system of
records notice have been updated to better reflect the DHS/USCG's
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program record system. This
new system will be included in the DHS inventory of record systems.
II. Privacy Act
The Privacy Act embodies fair information principles in a statutory
framework governing the means by which the United States Government
collects, maintains, uses and disseminates individual's information.
The Privacy Act applies to information that is maintained in a ``system
of records.'' A ``system of records'' is a group of any records under
the control of an agency from which information is stored and retrieved
by the name of the individual or by some identifying number such as
property address, mailing address, or symbol assigned to the
individual. In the Privacy Act, an individual is defined to encompass
United States citizens and lawful permanent residents. DHS extends
administrative Privacy Act protections to all individuals where
information is maintained on both U.S. citizens, lawful permanent
residents, and visitors. Individuals may request their own records that
are maintained in a system of records in the possession or under the
control of DHS by complying with DHS Privacy Act regulations, 6 CFR
5.21.
The Privacy Act requires each agency to publish in the Federal
Register a description denoting the type and character of each system
of records that the agency maintains, and the routine uses that are
contained in each system in order to make agency record keeping
practices transparent, to notify individuals regarding the uses of
their records, and to assist individuals to more easily find such files
within the agency. Below is the description of the Substance Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Program System of Records.
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), DHS has provided a report of
this new system of records to the Office of Management and Budget and
to Congress.
III. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
This system of records contains individually identifiable health
information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996, applies to most of such health information. Department of Defense
6025.18-R may place additional procedural requirements on the uses and
disclosures of such information beyond those found in the Privacy Act
of 1974 or mentioned in this system of records notice.
System of Records:
DHS/USCG-020.
System name:
United States Coast Guard--020 Substance Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Program.
Security classification:
Unclassified.
System location:
Records are maintained at the USCG Headquarters in Washington, DC
and field offices.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Categories of individuals covered by this system include Coast
Guard personnel, active duty and reserve, receiving substance abuse
rehabilitation treatment, and those screened in connection with
substance abuse issues.
Categories of records in the system:
Categories of records in this system include:
Individual's name;
Employee ID Number (EMPLID);
Rate/Rank;
History of substance abuse;
Operation facility code;
Treatment center;
Diagnosis;
Dates of treatment;
Treatment records;
Notes on aftercare; and
Final disposition and type.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
5 U.S.C. 301; 5 U.S.C. 7901; 14 U.S.C. 632; 42 U.S.C. 4541;
COMDTINST M6200.1A, the Coast Guard Health Promotion Manual.
Purpose(s):
The purpose of this system is to administer the USCG Substance
Abuse Prevention and Treatment program, including to identify alcohol
and drug abusers within the USCG; to treat, counsel, and rehabilitate
individuals who participate in the USCG Substance Abuse Program; as a
management tool to identify trends, judge the magnitude of drug and
alcohol abuse, and to measure the effectiveness of drug and alcohol
prevention efforts in the USCG.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories
of users and the purposes of such uses:
Note: For records of identity, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment
of any client/patient, irrespective of whether or when he/she ceases to
be a client/patient, maintained in connection with the performance of
any alcohol or drug abuse prevention and treatment function conducted,
requested, or directly or indirectly assisted by any department or
agency of the United
[[Page 77812]]
States, shall, except as provided therein, be confidential and be
disclosed only for the purposes and under circumstances expressly
authorized in 42 U.S.C. 290dd-2. The routine uses set forth below do
not apply to this information. This statute takes precedence over the
Privacy Act of 1974 to the extent that disclosure is more limited.
However, access to the record by the individual to whom the record
pertains is governed by the Privacy Act.
Note: For those records not described above, this system of
records contains individually identifiable health information. The
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, applies
to most of such health information. Department of Defense 6025.18-R
may place additional procedural requirements on the uses and
disclosures of such information beyond those found in the Privacy
Act of 1974 or mentioned in this system of records notice.
Therefore, routine uses outlined below may not apply to such health
information.
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 of
information contained in this system may be disclosed outside DHS as a
routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
A. To the Department of Justice (including United States Attorney
Offices) or other Federal agency conducting litigation or in
proceedings before any court, adjudicative or administrative body when
it is necessary to the litigation and one of the following is a party
to the litigation or has an interest in such litigation:
1. DHS or any component thereof;
2. any employee of DHS in his/her official capacity;
3. any employee of DHS in his/her individual capacity where the
Department of Justice or DHS has agreed to represent the employee; or
4. the United States or any agency thereof, is a party to the
litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and DHS determines
that the records are both relevant and necessary to the litigation and
the use of such records is compatible with the purpose for which DHS
collected the records.
B. To a congressional office from the record of an individual in
response to an inquiry from that congressional office made at the
request of and with the consent of the individual to whom the record
pertains in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 290dd-2(g).
C. To contractors and their agents, grantees, experts, consultants,
and others performing or working on a contract, service, grant,
cooperative agreement, or other assignment for DHS, when necessary to
accomplish an agency function related to this system of records.
Individuals provided information under this routine use are subject to
the same Privacy Act requirements and limitations on disclosure as are
applicable to DHS officers and employees.
D. To appropriate State and local authorities to report, under
State law, incidents of suspected child abuse or neglect to the extent
described under 42 CFR 2.12 and in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 290dd-
2(e).
E. To any person or entity to the extent necessary to prevent an
imminent and potential crime that directly threatens loss of life or
serious bodily injury.
F. To report to appropriate authorities when an individual is
potentially at risk to harm himself/herself or others.
G. To health care components of the Department of Veterans Affairs
furnishing health care to veterans.
Disclosure to consumer reporting agencies:
None.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining,
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Records in this system are stored electronically or on paper in
secure facilities in a locked drawer behind a locked door. The records
are stored on magnetic disc, tape, digital media, and CD-ROM.
Retrievability:
Records may be retrieved by individual name, EMPLID, or unit
operation facility code.
Safeguards:
Records in this system are safeguarded in accordance with
applicable rules and policies, including all applicable DHS automated
systems security and access policies. Strict controls have been imposed
to minimize the risk of compromising the information that is being
stored. Access to the computer system containing the records in this
system is limited to those individual who have a need to know the
information for the performance of their official duties and who have
appropriate clearances or permissions.
Retention and disposal:
Records in this system are stored electronically in secure
facilities behind a locked door. The records are stored on an
electronic server. Records are destroyed when three years old or when
superseded or obsolete (GRS 1, item 36).
System Manager and address:
Commandant, CG-11, United States Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 2nd
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001.
Notification procedure:
Individuals seeking notification of and access to any record
contained in this system of records, or seeking to contest its content,
may submit a request in writing to Commandant, CG-11, United States
Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 2nd Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-
0001.
When seeking records about yourself from this system of records or
any other USCG system of records your request must conform to the
Privacy Act regulations set forth in 6 CFR Part 5. You must first
verify your identity, meaning that you must provide your full name,
current address and date and place of birth. You must sign your
request, and your signature must either be notarized or submitted to
you under 28 U.S.C. 1746, a law that permits statements to be made
under penalty of perjury as a substitute for notarization. While no
specific form is required, you may obtain forms for this purpose from
the Director, Disclosure and FOIA, http://www.dhs.gov or 1-866-431-
0486. In addition you should provide the following:
An explanation of why you believe the Department would
have information on you,
Specify when you believe the records would have been
created,
If your request is seeking records pertaining to another
living individual, you must include a statement from that individual
certifying his/her agreement for you to access his/her records.
Without this bulleted information the USCG may not be able to
conduct an effective search, and your request may be denied due to lack
of specificity or lack of compliance with applicable regulations.
Record access procedures:
See ``Notification procedure'' above.
Contesting record procedures:
See ``Notification procedure'' above.
Record source categories:
Information originates from personnel who submit to drug and
alcohol testing, DHS and its components and offices, and testing and
treatment facilities.
Exemptions claimed for the system:
None.
[[Page 77813]]
Dated: December 10, 2008.
Hugo Teufel III,
Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. E8-29848 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
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