Privacy Act of 1974: Notice To Add a System of Records

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Privacy Act of 1974: Notice To Add a System of Records

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice to add a system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary is proposing to add a system of

records notice to its inventory of Privacy Act systems of records

notices subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as

amended.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Information Resource

Management Staff, M-31, Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal M. Bush, Office of Information

Resource Management, Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

20590, Telephone (202) 366-9613, Fax (202) 366-7066, Internet

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Transportation proposes to

establish DOT/MARAD 30--Commitment Agreements. The purpose of this

record system is to ensure that every student and graduate of the

United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and subsidized student

and graduate of the State maritime academies incurs a mandatory service

obligation in the U.S. merchant marine. This obligation consists of:

(1) Completing the course of instruction; (2) maintaining a license as

an officer in the merchant marine of the United States for at least six

years following graduation from a school; (3) serving as a commissioned

officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve or any

other reserve unit of an armed force of the United States for at least

eight years following graduation from a school; and (4) serving as a

merchant marine officer on U.S.-flag vessels, as an employee in a U.S.

maritime-related industry ashore or as a commissioned officer on active

duty in an armed force of the United States or National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps. The maritime employment

service obligation for (4) above is three years for State maritime

academy graduates and five years for USMMA graduates.

DOT/MARAD 30

System name:

Commitment Agreements.

Security classification:

Nonpublic.

System location:

Department of Transportation (DOT), Maritime Administration

(MARAD), Academies Program Officer, Office of Maritime Labor, Training

& Safety, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:

Students, graduates of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and State

maritime academies.

Categories of records in the system:

Files containing information of students, graduates of U.S.

Merchant Marine Academy and State maritime academies. Information may

contain addresses, social security numbers, and medical information.

Authority for maintenance of the system:

46 App. U.S.C. 1295b(e).

Purposes(s):

Information collection is necessary to determine if a student or

graduate of the

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United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) or subsidized student or

graduate of a State maritime academy has a waivable/deferable situation

that prevents him/her from fulfilling the requirements for their

service obligation contract.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories

of users and the purposes of such uses:

Files are maintained on the information collected from affected

students and graduates to determine if waivers of the service

obligation may be granted. See General Routine Uses.

Disclosure to consumer reporting agencies:

None.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining,

and disposing of records in the system,

Storage:

File information is on computer with hard copy back-up material in

metal cabinets in a secured room.

Retrievability:

Files are retrieved by name.

Safeguards:

Files are retrievable only through information known to the Academy

Program Officer or other persons authorized to perform data input

tasks.

Retention and disposal:

Files are to be held until completion of eight-year service

obligation period or as determined by the Maritime Administration.

Files are currently not on a records control schedule but process to

establish a disposal schedule is underway with agency Records

Management Officer.

System manager(s) and address:

Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Academies

Program Officer, Office of Maritime Labor, Training & Safety, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Rm. 7302, Washington, DC 20590.

Notification procedure:

Same as ``System manager'' above.

Record access procedures:

Same as ``System manager'' above.

Contesting record procedures:

Same as ``System manager'' above.

Record source categories:

All information has been obtained from students, graduates of the

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and State maritime academies.

Exemptions claimed for the system:

None.

Public comment is invited on the intention to establish a new

system of records.

Issued in Washington, DC on February 17, 1997.

Michael P. Huerta,

Associate Deputy Secretary, Acting, Chief Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-6296 Filed 3-12-97; 8:45 am]

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