Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 2009 Data Protection Seminar TMA Privacy Office

Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 3 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the Privacy Act and its various implementing regulations that protect the solicitation, collection, and use of individual information and the maintenance of such information in systems of records

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 4 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Objectives Upon completion of this presentation, you should be able to: − Explain the scope of the Privacy Act and the rights it protects related to personally identifiable information (PII) − Identify the definition of System of Records Notice (SORN) − Identify the definition of Privacy Act Statement (PAS)

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 5 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Brief Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974 Statutory Authority − Codified as 5 U.S.C. § 552(a), as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-130 DoD Regulatory Authority − DoD Directive − DoD R − Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Administrative Instruction (AI) No. 81

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 6 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Purpose of the Privacy Act To safeguard information that Federal records contain pertaining to individuals To provide access to individuals to correct inaccuracies in their information To balance individual privacy interests with the government’s need to maintain information about them To provide remedies for wrongful disclosures

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 7 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements What the Privacy Act Protects Examples of information the Privacy Act protects − Social Security Numbers (SSNs) − Home address − Home telephone − Date of birth (year included) − Personal medical information − Personal/private information (e.g., financial) A personal identifier is something that identifies, relates, or is unique to an individual

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 8 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Records Containing Protected Information Whenever a Federal agency maintains information about individuals and retrieves it using a personal identifier, the record system is a Privacy Act “system of records” − A record is any item, collection, or group of information about an individual that is stored − A system of records is a group of records under the control of a DoD Component where there is retrieval of individuals’ information by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifier assigned to the individual

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 9 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Disclosures and Exceptions No agency shall disclose any record contained in a system of records by any means of communication without a written request or prior consent of the individual to whom the record pertains Ten (10) exceptions exist permitting use/disclosure without individual consent. Examples include: − Routine use “for a purpose compatible to purpose of collection” − Systems of records that do not retrieve records using a personal identifier

System of Records Notice TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 11 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements System of Records Notices The Privacy Act requires agencies to identify systems of records that allow for the collection of information retrieved using a personal identifier; and, to publish a SORN in the Federal Register of new or revised systems of record to provide an opportunity for interested persons to comment  This informs the general public of what data is being collected, the purpose and authority for such collection, and the rules agencies must follow in collecting and maintaining individual information

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 12 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements On the Road to Compliance SORNs operate like an auto insurance policy by describing what is covered and how much protection is provided; and, just like an auto policy is required to operate a car, a SORN is required to operate a system of records

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 13 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements SORN Elements System name Classification Location Authority for maintenance Purpose Uses and categories of users Policies and practices System manager Notification procedures Record access procedures Contest procedures Record source categories Exemptions claimed

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 14 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements On the Road to Compliance Just like an auto policy describes the owner’s information, address, coverage, etc., a SORN does much of the same by complying with Privacy Act requirements to provide important information about systems of records

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 15 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements The Role of the TMA Privacy Office Coordinate all SORN submissions for HA and TMA Serve as the point of contact as for all new, altered, amended, changed, or deleted systems as appropriate (and for submission to OSD and Joint Staff (OSD/JS) for eventual publication as SORNs) Coordinate with program/system managers to review policies, practices that apply to new or existing systems Maintain the OSD specific inventory of SORNs for TMA

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 16 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements The Role of Program Offices Perform a risk assessment to analyze threats to and vulnerabilities of a computer system, and the potential impact of the loss of information − Obtain and complete a system notice format certification document available through the OSD/JS Privacy Office −

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 17 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements The Role of Program Offices (continued) Prepare a new or revised narrative statement − Incorporate the changes and updates from the system format document and those in the narrative statement into a final SORN and submit it to the TMA Privacy Office for review at −

Privacy Act Statements TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 19 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Privacy Act Statements The Privacy Act requires that when an agency solicits information from an individual for a system of records that it must inform the individual in writing of the following: − Authority − Principal purpose − Routine uses − Whether disclosure is mandatory or voluntary

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 20 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements On the Road to Compliance On the road to compliance, a Privacy Act Statement is just like the flashing stop sign on the side of a school bus, there are consequences to ignoring either

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 21 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Penalties for Non-Compliance Non-compliance with the Privacy Act carries misdemeanor criminal penalties and fines of up to $5000 for: − Soliciting or collecting individual data under false pretenses − Unauthorized disclosure without written permission or consent − Maintaining or collecting data for a system of records without meeting public notice requirements There are also substantial civil penalties including awards for actual damages, payment of reasonable attorney fees, and removal from employment

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 22 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Social Security Number Solicitation When soliciting personal information from an individual for inclusion in a system of records, and especially when an SSN is solicited/collected, a Privacy Act Statement must be provided Note: The Privacy Act makes it unlawful to deny any benefit, right, or privilege provided by law because the individual refuses to disclose their SSN

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 23 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Safeguards Personal information shall be collected, maintained, used, or disclosed, subject to appropriate safeguards − Administrative − Physical − Technical

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 24 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements On the Road to Compliance Visibility matters. A stop sign is universally recognized because of it's shape and color; however it fails to provide its intended protection on the side of a bus if it is not extended, flashing, and otherwise prominently visible. The same is true with Privacy Act Statements; placement and visibility, are just as crucial to Privacy Act Statements as the information they convey

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 25 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Placement of Privacy Act Statements On forms: At the top of the page immediately under the title On surveys: At the beginning of the survey in a cover memo or attached directly to the survey On web pages: Conspicuously placed, at or before the point of collection For mass collections: In the largest print possible to promote visibility by all

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 26 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Summary You should now be able to: − Explain the scope of the Privacy Act and the rights it protects related to PII − Identify the definition of SORN − Identify the definition of PAS

TRICARE Management Activity HEALTH AFFAIRS 27 Privacy Act: System of Records Notices and Privacy Act Statements Resources The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C § 552a) OMB Circular No. A-130 OMB Memorandum 99-05, and Attachment B DoD Directive DoD Regulation R OSD Administrative Instruction No. 81 SORN questions/comments: Privacy Act questions/comments − DoD Privacy Office: − TMA Privacy Office: