[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 24, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 24CFR16.3]

[Page 190-191]
 
                 TITLE 24--HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
PART 16--IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 16.3  Procedures for inquiries.

    (a) Any individual, regardless of age, may submit an inquiry to the 
Department. The inquiry should be made either in person at the office 
of, or by mail addressed to, the appropriate Privacy Act Officer. 
Although oral requests may be honored, a requester may be asked to 
submit his request in writing. The envelope containing the request and 
the letter itself should both clearly indicate that the subject is a 
``PRIVACY ACT INQUIRY''. If an individual believes the Department 
maintains a record pertaining to that individual but does not know which 
system of records might contain such a record and/or which 
organizational component of the Department maintains the system of 
records, assistance in person or by mail will be provided at the first 
address listed in Appendix A to this part.
    (b)(1) An inquiry should contain the following information:
    (i) Name, address and telephone number of the individual making the 
request;
    (ii) Name, address and telephone number of the individual to whom 
the record pertains, if the requesting individual is either the parent 
of a minor or the legal guardian of the individual to whom the record 
pertains;
    (iii) A certified or authenticated copy of documents establishing 
parentage or guardianship;
    (iv) Whether the individual to whom the record pertains is a citizen 
of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent 
residence in to the United States;
    (v) Name of the system of records, as published in the Federal 
Register;
    (vi) Location of the system of records, as published in the Federal 
Register;
    (vii) Such additional information as the individual knows will or 
believes might assist the Department in responding to the inquiry (for 
example, the individual's past or present relationship with the 
Department, e.g. mortgagor, contractor, employee, including relevant 
dates) and in verifying the individual's identity (for example, date of 
birth, place of birth, names of parents, place of work, dates of 
employment, position title, etc.);
    (viii) Date of inquiry; and,
    (ix) Individual's signature.

The Department reserves the right to require compliance with the 
identification procedures appearing at Sec. 16.4(d) where circumstances 
warrant.
    (2) In compliance with 5 U.S.C. 552a (e)(3) each individual 
supplying the information in accordance with paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section hereby is informed that:
    (i) The authority authorizing solicitation of the information is 5 
U.S.C. 552a, disclosure is voluntary, and no penalty is attached for 
failure to respond;
    (ii) The principal purpose for which the information is intended to 
be used is processing the inquiry under the Act;
    (iii) The routine uses which may be made of the information are the 
routine uses appearing as a prefatory statement to the Department's 
notice of systems of records published in the Federal Register; and,
    (iv) The effects of not providing all or any part of the information 
may delay, or in some cases make impossible, the Department's processing 
of the action on the request under the Act.

[[Page 191]]

    (3) If, having been made aware of the contents of paragraph (b)(2) 
of this section, an individual submits the information listed in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, he or she will be deemed to have made 
the submission on a purely voluntary and consentual basis.
    (c) When an inquiry is misdirected by the requester, or not 
addressed as specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the Department 
official receiving same shall make reasonable effort to identify, and 
promptly refer it to, the appropriate Privacy Act Officer and the time 
of receipt for processing purposes will be the time when it is received 
by the Privacy Act Officer.
    (d) When an inquiry fails to provide necessary information as set 
forth in paragraph (b) of this section, the requester shall be advised 
that the time of receipt for processing purposes will be the time when 
the additional necessary information is received by the Privacy Act 
Officer.
    (e) Each inquiry received shall be acted upon promptly by the 
responsible Privacy Act Officer. Every effort will be made to respond 
within ten days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) of the date 
of receipt. If a response cannot be made within ten days, the Privacy 
Act Officer shall send an acknowledgement during that period providing 
information on the status of the inquiry. The Privacy Act Officer may 
indicate that additional information would facilitate processing or that 
further information is necessary to process the inquiry.