[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8814-8815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4691]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Financial Management Service
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of alteration of Privacy Act system of records.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service
(FMS), gives notice of a proposed alteration to the system of records
entitled ``Debt Collection Operations System -Treasury/FMS .014,''which
is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The
system was last published in its entirety in the Federal Register Vol.
60, page 56776 on November 9, 1995, and subsequently altered in the
Federal Register Vol. 61, page 11939 on March 22, 1996.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 28, 1997. The
proposed system of records will be effective April 7, 1997, unless FMS
receives comments which would result in a contrary determination.
ADDRESS: Comments must be submitted to the Debt Management Services,
Financial Management Service, 401 14th Street, SW, Room 151,
Washington, DC 20227. Comments received will be available for
inspection at the same address between the hours of 9a.m. and 4p.m.
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerry Isenberg, Debt Management
Services, (202) 874-6859.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996
(DCIA), Pub. L. 104-134, enacted April 26, 1996, provides the
Department of the Treasury (Treasury) with specific legislative
authority and responsibility to collect and/or manage the collection of
claims owed to the Federal Government. The DCIA also provides new
government-wide debt collection tools such as administrative wage
garnishment, public dissemination of delinquent debtor information, and
authorizes the sale of debt to the private sector. The DCIA authorizes
Treasury to collect claims, or facilitate the collection of claims,
owed to States, Territories and Commonwealths of the United States, and
the District of Columbia by offsetting Federal payments. Similarly,
under the provisions of the DCIA, Treasury may enter into agreements
with States, Territories, Commonwealths, and the District of Columbia
to facilitate collection of debts owed to the Federal Government by
[[Page 8815]]
offset of State, Territory, Commonwealth and District of Columbia
payments. Finally, the DCIA bars agencies from extending Federal
financial assistance in the form of a Federal loan or loan guaranty if
the applicant is delinquent on a Federal claim. Consistent with the
DCIA, Executive Order 13019, signed by the President on September 28,
1996, directs Treasury to promptly take steps to facilitate:
(1) Offset of Federal payments to collect delinquent child support
debts being enforced by States; and
(2) Denial of Federal credit in the form of a Federal loan or loan
guaranty to persons delinquent on their child support debts. FMS is the
Treasury bureau responsible for the implementation of the DCIA and the
Executive Order.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, FMS proposes to alter system
of records Treasury/FMS .014, ``Debt Collection Operations System--
Treasury/Financial Management Service'', as follows:
Treasury/FMS .014
System Name:
Debt Collection Operations System--Treasury/Financial Management
Service.
System Location:
Description of change: The words ``Debt Collection Operations''are
replaced with the words ``Debt Management Services''.
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
* * *
Description of change: The following is added at the end thereof:
``Records are also maintained on individuals who are indebted to
States, Territories and Commonwealths of the United States, and the
District of Columbia, including records on individuals who owe past due
support which is being enforced by a State, Territory, Commonwealth or
the District of Columbia.''
Categories of Records in the System:
Description of changes:
The word ``agency'' in the first sentence is replaced by ``governmental
entity'', and the words ``client agency'' in the second sentence are
replaced by ``governmental entity''.
* * * * *
Authority for Maintenance of the System:
Description of change:
After ``* * * and the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-369,
as amended);'' insert ``The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996
(Pub. L. 104-134,Sec. 31001); * * *''
Purpose(s):
Description of change:
The first sentence is revised to read,``The purpose of this system is
to maintain records of individuals and entities that are: (1) Indebted
to the Financial Management Service (FMS); (2) indebted to the various
Federal Government departments and agencies and whose accounts are
being serviced or collected by FMS; and (3) indebted to States,
Territories and Commonwealths of the United States, and the District of
Columbia (including past due child support debts being enforced by the
States, Territories, Commonwealths or the District of Columbia).''
* * *
Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
* * * * *
Description of changes:
The words ``to the U.S. Government'' and ``and'' are removed in
routine use (7). The period ``.'' at the end of routine use (8) is
replaced with a semicolon ``;'', and the following routine uses are
added at the end thereof:
``(9) Any Federal, State, or local agency, or to the public for the
purpose of collecting on a delinquent debt through the use of debt
collection tools authorized under the Debt Collection Improvement Act
of 1996 such as referring the debt to debt collection centers,
administrative wage garnishment, public dissemination of debtor
information, or selling the debt; or any other legitimate debt
collection purpose;
``(10) Any Federal, State or local agency for the purpose of accounting
on or reporting the status of debts for which the Federal, State or
local agency has a financial or other legitimate need for the
information in the performance of official duties;
``(11) Any Federal agency or its agents for the purpose of denying
Federal financial assistance in the form of a loan or loan guaranty to
an individual delinquent on a Federal claim, or delinquent on a child
support claim referred to FMS for administrative offset; and
``(12) Any State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or
the District of Columbia to collect a claim owed to the Federal
Government or to assist in the collection of a State, Commonwealth,
Territory or District of Columbia claim pursuant to a reciprocal
agreement between FMS and the State, Territory, Commonwealth or the
District of Columbia.''
* * * * *
Dated: February 18, 1997.
Alex Rodriguez,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Administration).
[FR Doc. 97-4691 Filed 2-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 4810-35-F
