§ 10.35 - Conditions of disclosure.

§ 10.35 Conditions of disclosure.

(a) No record that is contained within a system of records of the Department is disclosed by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be:

(1) To those officers and employees of the Department who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties;

(2) Required under part 7 of this title which implements the Freedom of Information Act;

(3) For a routine use as defined in § 10.5 and described pursuant to § 10.21(d)(4);

(4) To the Bureau of the Census for purposes of planning or carrying out a census or survey or related activity pursuant to the provisions of title 13, United States Code;

(5) To a recipient who has provided the Department with advance adequate written assurance that the record will be used solely as a statistical research or reporting record, and the record is to be transferred in a form that is not individually identifiable;

(6) To the National Archives of the United States as a record which has sufficient historical or other value to warrant its continued preservation by the U.S. Government, or for evaluation by the Administrator of General Services or his designee to determine whether the record has such value;

(7) To another agency or to an instrumentality of any governmental jurisdiction within or under the control of the United States for a civil or criminal law enforcement activity if the activity is authorized by law, and if the head of the agency or instrumentality has made a written request to the agency which maintains the record specifying the particular portion desired and the law enforcement activity for which the record is sought;

(8) To a person pursuant to a showing of compelling circumstances affecting the health or safety of an individual if upon such disclosure notification is transmitted to the last known address of such individual;

(9) To either House of the Congress, or to the extent of matters within its jurisdiction, any committee or subcommittee thereof, any joint committee of the Congress or subcommittee of any such joint committee;

(10) To the Comptroller General, or any authorized representatives, in the course of the performance of the duties of the General Accounting Office; or

(11) Pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(12) To a consumer reporting agency in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711(f).

(b) Any individual requesting access to his or her record or to any information pertaining to that individual which is contained within a system of records within the Department has access to that record or information unless the system of records within which the record or information is contained is exempted from disclosure in accordance with subpart G, provided, however, that nothing in this part is deemed to require that an individual be given access to any information compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil action or proceeding. No exemption contained in subpart G of part 7 of the regulations of the Office of the Secretary is relied upon to withhold from an individual any record which is otherwise accessible to such individual under the provisions of this part. Any individual who is given access to a record or information pertaining to him is permitted to have a person of his or her own choosing accompany him and to have a copy made of all or any portion of the record or information in a form comprehensible to the individual. When deemed appropriate, the individual may be required to furnish a written statement authorizing discussion of his record in the accompanying person's presence.

(c) Medical records. Where requests are for access to medical records, including psychological records, the decision to release directly to the individual, or to withhold direct release, shall be made by a medical practitioner. Where the medical practitioner has ruled that direct release will do harm to the individual who is requesting access, normal release through the individual's chosen medical practitioner will be recommended. Final review and decision on appeals of disapprovals of direct release will rest with the General Counsel.

(d) Any person requesting access to records or to any information pertaining to other individuals is not granted such access unless that person can show that he or she has obtained permission for such access from the individual to whom the record pertains, unless the request comes within one of the exceptions of paragraph (a) of this section.

[45 FR 8993, Feb. 11, 1980, as amended at 62 FR 23667, May 1, 1997]