5 C.F.R. Subpart D—Disclosure of Records
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 297—PRIVACY PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS
Subpart D—Disclosure of Records
§ 297.401 Conditions of disclosure.
An official or employee of the Office or agency should not disclose a record retrieved from a Governmentwide system of records to any person, another agency, or other entity without the express written consent of the subject individual unless disclosure is—
(a) To officers or employees of the Office who have a need for the information in the performance of their duties.
(b) Required by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
(c) For a routine use as published in the
(d) To the Bureau of the Census for uses pursuant to title 13 of the United States Code.
(e)(1) To a recipient who has provided the agency with advance adequate written assurance that the record will be used solely as a statistical research or reporting record. The record will be transferred in a form that is not individually identifiable. The written statement should include as a minimum:
(i) A statement of the purpose for requesting the records; and
(ii) Certification that the records will be used only for statistical purposes.
(2) These written statements should be maintained as records. In addition to deleting personal identifying information from records released for statistical purposes, the system manager will reasonably ensure that the identity of the individual cannot be deduced by combining various statistical records.
(f) To the National Archives of the United States as a record that has sufficient historical or other value to warrant its continued preservation by the United States Government, or for evaluation by the Archivist of the United States or his or her designee to determine whether the record has such value.
(g) To another agency or 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 or his designated representative has made a written request to the Office or agency that maintains the record specifying the particular portion desired and the law enforcement activity for which the record is sought.
(h) To a person showing compelling circumstances affecting the health and safety of an individual, not necessarily the individual to whom the record pertains. Upon such disclosure, a notification should be sent to the last known address of the subject individual.
(i) To the Congress or to a Congressional committee, subcommittee, or joint committee to the extent that the subject matter falls within its established jurisdiction.
(j) To the Comptroller General or any authorized representatives of the Comptroller General in the course of the performance of the duties of the General Accounting Office.
(k) Pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(l) To a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 (f) of title 31 of the United States Code.
§ 297.402 Disclosure pursuant to a compulsory legal process served on the Office.
For purposes of this section, the Office considers that a subpoena signed by a judge is equivalent to a court order.
(a) The Office may disclose, without prior consent of the data subject, specified information from a system of records whenever such disclosure is pursuant to an order signed by the appropriate official of a court of competent jurisdiction or quasi-judicial agency. In this subpart, a court of competent jurisdiction includes the judicial system of a state, territory, or possession of the United States.
(b) Notice of the order will be provided to the data subject by the Office as soon as practicable after service of the order. The notice should be mailed to the last known address of the individual and state the name and number of the case or proceeding, and the nature of the information sought.
(c) Before complying or refusing to comply with the order, an official with authority to disclose records under this subpart should consult legal counsel to ensure that the response is appropriate.
(d) Before responding to the order or subpoena signed by a judge, an official with authority to disclose records under this subpart in consulting with legal counsel will ensure that—
(1) The requested material is relevant to the subject matter of the related judicial or administrative proceeding;
(2) Motion is made to quash or modify an order that is unreasonable or oppressive:
(3) Motion is made for a protective order when necessary to restrict the use or disclosure of any information furnished for purposes other than those of the involved proceeding; or
(4) Request is made for an extension of time allowed for response, if necessary.
(e) If an order or subpoena signed by a judge for production of documents also requests appearance of an Office employee, the response should be to furnish certified copies of the appropriate records. In those situations where the subpoena is not signed by a judge, the Office will return the document to the sender and indicate that no action will be taken to provide records until the subpoena is signed by a judge.
(f) If oral testimony is requested by the order or subpoena signed by a judge, an explanation that sets forth the testimony desired must be furnished to the Office system manager. The individual who has been ordered or subpoenaed to testify should consult with counsel to determine the matters about which the individual may properly testify.
(g) In all situations concerning an order, subpoena signed by a judge, or other demand for an employee of the Office to produce any material or testimony concerning the records that are subject to the order, that are contained in the Office's systems of records, and that are acquired as part of the employee's official duties, the employee shall not provide the information without the prior approval of the appropriate Office official.
(h) If it is determined that the information should not be provided, the individual ordered or subpoenaed to do so should respectfully decline to comply with the demand based on the instructions from the appropriate Office official.
(i) Notice of the issuance of the ex parte order or subpoena signed by a judge is not required if the system of records has been exempted from the notice requirement of 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(8) pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j) by a Notice of Exemption published in the
[53 FR 1998, Jan. 26, 1988, as amended at 57 FR 56732, Nov. 30, 1992]
§ 297.403 Accounting of disclosure.
(a) The Office or agency will maintain a record of disclosures in cases where records about the individual are disclosed from an Office system of records except—
(1) When the disclosure is made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552); or
(2) When the disclosure is made to those officers and employees of the Office or agency who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties.
(b) This accounting of the disclosures will be retained for at least 5 years or for the life of the record, whichever is longer, and will contain the following information:
(1) A brief description of the record disclosed;
(2) The date, nature, and purpose for the disclosure; and
(3) The name and address of the purpose, agency, or other entity to whom the disclosure is made.
(c) Except for the accounting of disclosure made to agencies, individuals, or entities in law enforcement activities or disclosures made from the Office's exempt systems of records, the accounting of disclosures will be made available to the data subject upon request in accordance with the access procedures of this part.
[53 FR 1998, Jan. 26, 1988. Redesignated at 57 FR 56732, Nov. 30, 1992]
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