[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 39, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 39CFR268.2]

[Page 133-134]
 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                 CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
 
PART 268_PRIVACY OF INFORMATION_EMPLOYEE RULES OF CONDUCT--Table of
 
Sec.  268.2  Consequences of non-compliance.

    (a) The Privacy Act authorizes any individual, whether or not an 
employee, to bring a civil action in U.S. District Court to obtain 
judicial review of the failure of the Postal Service to comply with the 
requirements of the Act or its implementing regulations. In certain 
instances of willful or intentional non-compliance, the plaintiff may 
recover damages from the Postal Service in the minimum amount of $1,000 
together with costs of the action and attorney fees.
    (b) The Act provides criminal sanctions for individuals, including 
employees, who violate certain of its provisions.
    (1) Any officer or employee who, by virtue of his employment or 
position, has possession of, or access to, official records which 
contain individually identifiable information and who, knowing that 
disclosure of the specific material is prohibited by Postal Service 
regulations, willfully discloses the material to a person or agency not 
entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not 
more than $5,000.
    (2) Any officer or employee who willfully maintains a system of 
records

[[Page 134]]

without meeting the notice requirements set forth in Postal Service 
regulations shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than 
$5,000.
    (3) Any person who knowingly and willfully requests or obtains any 
record concerning another individual from the Postal Service under false 
pretense shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than 
$5,000.
    (c) In addition to the criminal sanctions, any employee violating 
any provisions of these rules of conduct is subject to disciplinary 
action which may result in dismissal from the Postal Service.

[40 FR 45726, Oct. 2, 1975]