§ 9.66 - Determinations authorizing or denying correction of records; appeals.

§ 9.66 Determinations authorizing or denying correction of records; appeals.

(a) Initial determinations.

(1) For agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations shall determine whether to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record. For all other agency records, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer with the advice of the system manager having control of the record, shall determine whether to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record. The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer shall notify the requesting individual. Unless the request presents unusual difficulties or involves extensive numbers of records, individuals must be notified of determinations to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record within 30 working days after receipt of the request. In making this determination, the NRC official shall be guided by the following standards:

(i) Records shall contain only such information about an individual as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an NRC function required to be accomplished by statute or by executive order of the President;

(ii) Records used by NRC in making any determination about any individual shall be as accurate, relevant, current, and complete as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual in the determination;

(iii) No record shall describe how any individual has exercised rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless such record is expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained, or is pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.

(2) For agency records located in the Office of Inspector General, if correction or amendment of a record is authorized, the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations shall correct or amend the record. For all other agency records, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer shall correct or amend the record. The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer shall notify the requesting individual in writing that the correction or amendment has been made and provide the individual with a courtesy copy of the corrected record.

(3) If correction or amendment of a record is refused, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer shall notify the requesting individual in writing of the refusal and the reasons therefor, and shall advise the individual that the refusal may be appealed to the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, as appropriate, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this section.

(b) Appeals from initial adverse determinations. If an individual's request to amend or correct a record has been denied, in whole or in part, the individual may appeal that action and request a final review and determination of that individual's request by the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, as appropriate. An appeal of an initial determination must be filed within 60 calendar days of the receipt of the initial determination. For agency records denied by the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Inspector General and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. For agency records denied by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter “Privacy Act Correction Appeal.” The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. Requests for final review must set forth the specific item of information sought to be corrected or amended and should include, where appropriate, records supporting the correction or amendment.

(c) Final determinations.

(1) The Inspector General, for agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, for all other agency records, shall make a final agency determination within 30 working days of receipt of the request for final review, unless the time is extended for good cause shown such as the need to obtain additional information, the volume of records involved, or the complexity of the issue. The extension of time may not exceed 30 additional working days. The requester shall be advised in advance of any extension of time and of the reasons therefor.

(2) For agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, if the Inspector General makes a final determination that an amendment or correction of the record is warranted on the facts, the Inspector General or the IG's designee, shall correct or amend the record pursuant to the procedures in § 9.66(a)(2). For all other agency records, if the Executive Director for Operations, or the EDO's designee, makes a final determination that an amendment or correction of the record is warranted on the facts, the EDO or the EDO's designee, shall notify the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer to correct or amend the record to the procedures in § 9.66(a)(2).

(3) If the Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, makes a final determination that an amendment or correction of the record is not warranted on the facts, the individual shall be notified in writing of the refusal to authorize correction or amendment of the record in whole or in part, and of the reasons therefor, and the individual shall be advised of his/her right to provide a “Statement of Disagreement” for the record and of his/her right to judicial review pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(g).

[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 20645, May 20, 1976; 41 FR 25997, June 24, 1976; 52 FR 31609, Aug. 21, 1987; 54 FR 53316, Dec. 28, 1989; 55 FR 33647, Aug. 17, 1990; 63 FR 15743, Apr. 1, 1998; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003; 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]