# Privacy Act Of 1974; System of Records
**AGENCY:**
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
**ACTION:**
Notice of amendment to systems of records.
**SUMMARY:**
As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e), notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending two existing systems of records 121VA19, “National Patient Databases—VA”, and 136VA19E, “Library Network (VALNET)—VA” to: Add a routine use relating to releasing information to agencies in the event of fraud or abuse. VA is also amending the 121VA19 system of records by amending the routine use relating to releasing information to the General Services Administration and the revision of Appendix 4 is being amended for additional databases.
**DATES:**
Comments on the amendment of these systems of records must be received no later than December 27, 2010. If no public comment is received, the amended system will become effective December 27, 2010.
**ADDRESSES:**
Written comments may be submitted through *www.Regulation.gov* ; by mail or hand-delivery to Director, Regulations Management (02REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or by fax to (202) 273-9026. Comments received will be available for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Room 1063B, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 461-4902 (this is not a toll-free number) for an appointment. In addition, during the comment period, comments may be viewed online through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at *http://www.Regulations.gov* .
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Privacy Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420; telephone (704) 245-2492.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
VA provides health care services to many of America's Veterans through the Veterans Health Administration. During the course of providing health care, VHA collects medical and health information on Veterans. In order to protect Veteran's medical or health information VHA is adding one routine use and amending one routine use to one existing system of records (121VA19) and one routine use to one other existing system of records (136VA19E).
**Additional Routine Uses**
The routine use added to 121VA19 and 136VA19E would permit VA to disclose information to other Federal agencies which may be made to assist such agencies in preventing and detecting possible fraud or abuse by individuals in their operations and programs.
The routine use added to these two systems of records would permit disclosures by the Department to report a suspected incident of identity theft and provide information and/or documentation related to or in support of the reported incident.
The routine use being amended to 121VA19 would permit VA to disclose information to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) in records management inspections conducted under authority of Title 44, Chapter 29, of the United States Code (U.S.C.). NARA and GSA are responsible for management of old records no longer actively used, but which may be appropriate for preservation, and for the physical maintenance of the Federal Government's records. VA must be able to provide the records to NARA and GSA in order to determine the proper disposition of such records.
Appendix 4 has been amended to include Defense and Veterans Eye Injury Registry (DVEIR)—VA Service-Related Eye Injury Data Store, Embedded Fragment Registry (EFR), The Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE), Veterans Informatics, Information and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), and Dental Encounter System.
The Report of Intent to Amend these Systems of Records Notice and an advance copy of the systems notice have been sent to the appropriate Congressional committees and to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) (Privacy Act) and guidelines issued by OMB (65 FR 77677), December 12, 2000.
Approved: November 3, 2010.
John R. Gingrich,
Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.
**Notice of Amendment of Systems of Records**
1. In the system identified as 121VA19, “National Patient Databases—VA,” as set forth in the *Federal Register* , 73 FR 16103, and last amended in the *Federal Register* on March 26, 2008. One new routine use is added as follows:
**121VA19**
**SYSTEM NAME: “National Patient Databases—VA”.**
**ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:**
4. Disclosure may be made to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) for records management inspections under authority of Title 44, Chapter 29, of the United States Code.
23. Disclosure to other Federal agencies may be made to assist such agencies in preventing and detecting possible fraud or abuse by individuals in their operations and programs.
2. In the system identified as 136VA19E, “Library Network (VALNET)—VA,” as set forth in the *Federal Register* 73 FR 55214 dated September 24, 2008. One new routine use is added as follows:
**136VA19E**
**SYSTEM NAME: “Library Network (VALNET)—VA”**
**ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:**
15. Disclosure to other Federal agencies may be made to assist such agencies in preventing and detecting possible fraud or abuse by individuals in their operations and programs.
| Database name | Location |
| --- | --- |
| Addiction Severity Index | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Bidirectional Health Information Exchange | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Cardiac Assessment Tracking and Reporting for Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories | Denver VA Medical Center |
| Care Management Information System | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Clinical Case Registries | Austin Information Technology Center |
| CMOP Centralized Database System | Southwest CMOP |
| Continuous Improvement in Cardiac Surgery | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Corporate Data Warehouse | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Cruetzfelet-Jakob Disease Lookback Dataset | Cincinnati VA Medical Center |
| Decision Support System | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Defense and Veterans Eye Injury Registry (DVEIR)—VA Service-Related Eye Injury Data Store | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Dental Encounter System | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Eastern Pacemaker Surveillance Center Database | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Embedded Fragment Registry (EFR) | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Emerging Pathogens Initiative | Austin Information Technology Center |
| The Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE) | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Federal Health Information Exchange | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Financial Clinical Data Mart | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Former Prisoner of War Statistical Tracking System | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Functional Status and Outcome Database | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Home Based Primary Care | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Mammography Quality Standards VA | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Master Patient Index | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Medical SAS File (MDP) (Medical District Planning (MEDIPRO)) | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Missing Patient Register | Austin Information Technology Center |
| National Mental Health Database System | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| National Medical Information System | Austin Information Technology Center |
| National Survey of Veterans | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Office of Quality and Performance (OQP) | (OQP) Data Center |
| Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers Registry | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Patient Assessment File | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Pharmacy Benefits Management | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Radiation Exposure Inquiries Database | Office of Information Field Office |
| Remote Order Entry System | Denver Distribution Center |
| Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Short Form Health Survey for Veterans | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| VA National Clozapine Registry | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| VA Vital Status File | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Veterans Administration Central Cancer Registry | Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| Veterans Informatics, Information and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) | Austin Information Technology Center |
| Veterans Integrated Service Network Support Service Center Databases | Austin Information Technology Center |