# Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
**AGENCY:**
United States Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).
**ACTION:**
Notice of a modified system of records.
**SUMMARY:**
RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System is used to administer, certify, and voucher Social Security benefit payments.
**DATES:**
This system of records notice (SORN) will become effective upon its publication, except for the routine uses that have been modified as part of this modification, which will be effective at the end of a public comment period of 30 days from the date of publication. Please submit written comments on or before January 5, 2026.
**ADDRESSES:**
Interested parties may comment on this publication by writing to Ms. Stephanie Hillyard, Secretary to the Board, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Mr. Chad Peek, Chief Privacy Officer, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275, telephone 312-751-3389 or email at *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Circular No. A-108, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has completed a review of its Privacy Act systems of records and proposes to modify a current RRB system of records titled, RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System. The proposed modification to the system of records pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) adds the following categories of users to its Routine Uses section: Congressional representatives, contractors working for the federal government, law enforcement, other federal agencies and entities pertaining to breach notification, National Archives, and attorney representatives.
By Authority of the Board.
Dated: December 3, 2025.
Stephanie Hillyard,
Secretary to the Board.
**SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:**
RRB-1, Social Security Benefit Vouchering System.
**SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:**
Unclassified.
**SYSTEM LOCATION:**
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.
**SYSTEM MANAGER(S):**
Office of Programs—Director of Policy and Systems, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.
**AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:**
Section 7(b)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(2)).
**PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:**
Records in the Social Security Vouchering System are maintained to administer Title II of the Social Security Act with respect to payment of benefits to individuals with 10 or more years or at least five years after 1995 of railroad service and their families.
**CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:**
Applicants after December 31, 1974, for benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act who have completed ten years or at least five years after 1995 of creditable service in the railroad industry, the spouse and/or divorced spouse or survivor of such an individual.
**CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:**
Name, address, Social Security number, claim number, type and amount of benefit, suspension and termination information, and electronic mail address.
**RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:**
Individual applicant or his or her authorized representative, the Social Security Administration, other record systems maintained by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.
**ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:**
In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or information contained in this system may be disclosed to authorized entities, as is determined to be relevant and necessary, outside RRB as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
a. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the request of that individual if that individual would not be denied access to the information.
b. Disclosure may be made to contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, students, and others performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative agreement, or other assignment for RRB, to the extent necessary to accomplish an RRB function related to this system of records.
c. Disclosure may be made to the appropriate agency, whether federal, state, local, or foreign, charged with the responsibility of investigating, enforcing, or prosecuting a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, if the disclosure would be to an agency engaged in functions related to the Railroad Retirement Act or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, or if disclosure would be clearly in the furtherance of the interest of the subject individual.
d. To another federal agency or federal entity, when the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board determines that information from this system of records is reasonably necessary to assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to a suspected or confirmed breach or (2) preventing, minimizing, or remedying the risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or entity (including its information systems, programs, and operations), the federal government, or national security, resulting from a suspected or confirmed breach.
e. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of records; (2) the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (including its information systems, programs, and operations), the federal government, or national security; and (3) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
f. Disclosure may be made to the National Archives and Records Administration or other federal government agencies for records management inspections being conducted under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
g. Disclosure of non-medical information in this system of records may be made to the attorney representing such individuals upon receipt of a written letter or declaration stating the fact of representation, if that individual would not be denied access to the information. Medical information may be released to an attorney when such records are requested for the purpose of contesting a determination either administratively or judicially.
h. Benefit rate information may be disclosed to primary beneficiaries regarding secondary beneficiaries (or vice versa) when the addition of such beneficiary affects either the entitlement or benefit payment.
i. In the event the Board has determined to designate a person to be the representative payee of an incompetent beneficiary, disclosure of information concerning the benefit amount and other similar information may be made to the representative payee from the record of the individual.
j. Benefit rates, names and addresses may be released to the Department of Treasury to control for reclamation and return of outstanding benefit payments, to issue benefit payments, act on reports of non-receipt, to ensure delivery of payments to the correct address of the beneficiary or representative payee or to proper financial organization, and to investigate alleged forgery, theft or unlawful negotiation of railroad retirement for Social Security benefit checks or improper diversion of payments directed to a financial organization.
k. Beneficiary's name, address, check rate and date plus supporting evidence may be released to the U.S. Postal Service for investigation of alleged forgery or theft of railroad retirement or Social Security benefit checks.
l. Beneficiary identifying information, effective date, benefit rates, and months paid may be furnished to the Veterans Benefits Administration for the purpose of assisting that agency in determining eligibility for benefits or verifying continued entitlement to and the correct amount of benefits payable under programs which it administers.
m. Benefit rates and effective dates may be disclosed to the Social Security Administration, Bureau of Supplemental Security Income, and to federal, state and local welfare or public aid agencies to assist them in processing applications for benefits under their respective programs.
n. Last addresses information may be disclosed to the Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the Parent Locator Service.
o. Benefit rates, entitlement and other necessary information may be released to the Department of Labor in conjunction with payment of benefits under the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act.
p. Pursuant to a request from an employer covered by the Railroad Retirement Act or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or from an organization under contract to an employer or employers, information regarding the Board's payment of benefits, the methods by which such benefits are calculated, entitlement data and present address may be released to the requesting employer or the organization under contract to the employer or employers for the purposes of determining entitlement to and the rates of private supplemental pension benefits and to calculate estimated benefits due.
q. Information from the record of the individual concerning their benefit or anticipated benefit and concerning the method of calculating that benefit may be disclosed to an official of a labor organization of which the individual is a member, if the disclosure is made at the request of, and on behalf of, the individual.
r. Records deemed relevant and necessary may be disclosed in a court proceeding relating to any claims for benefits by the beneficiary under the Railroad Retirement Act and may be disclosed during an administrative appeal to individuals who need the records to prosecute or decide the appeal or to individuals who are requested to provide information relative to an issue involved in the appeal.
s. For payments made after December 31, 1983, beneficiary identifying information, address, amounts of benefits paid and repaid, beneficiary withholding instructions, and amounts withheld by the RRB for tax purposes may be furnished to the Internal Revenue Service for tax administration.
t. Beneficiary identifying information, entitlement data, and benefit rates relevant and necessary may be released to the Department of State and embassy and consular officials, to the American Institute in Taiwan, and to the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office, Philippines, to aid in ensuring the continued payment of beneficiaries living abroad.
u. Entitlement data and benefit rates relevant and necessary may be released to any court, state, agency, or interested party, or to the representative of such court, state agency, or interested party, in connection with contemplated or actual legal or administrative proceeding concerning domestic relations and support matters.
v. Records may be disclosed to the U.S. Department of the Treasury when disclosure of the information is relevant to review payment and award eligibility through the Do Not Pay Working System for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping improper payments to an applicant for, or recipient of, Federal funds, including funds disbursed by a state (meaning a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, a territory or possession of the United States, or a federally recognized Indian tribe) in a state-administered, federally funded program.
**POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:**
Paper records will be stored in file cabinets or at approved National Archives and Records Administration records centers. Electronic records are maintained on computer servers, computer hard drives, electronic databases, email, and FedRAMP approved cloud information systems.
**POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:**
Information from the system will be retrievable by Social Security number and name.
**POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:**
*Paper:* Individual claim folders with records of all actions pertaining to the payment of claims are transferred to the Federal Records Center, Chicago, Illinois 5 years after the date of last payment or denial activity if all benefits have been paid, no future eligibility is apparent, and no erroneous payments are outstanding.
The claim folder is destroyed 25 years after the date it is received in the center. Accounts receivable listings and check writing operations daily activity listings are transferred to the Federal Records Center 1 year after date of issue and are destroyed 6 years and 3 months after receipt at the center. Other paper listings are destroyed 1 year after the date of issue. Changes of address source documents are destroyed after 1 year.
*Electronic media:* Storage drives and IBM zCloud storage: Continually updated and permanently retained. When storage drives and IBM zCloud storage or other electronic media are no longer serviceable, they are sanitized in accordance with NIST guidelines.
**ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:**
*Paper:* Maintained in areas not accessible to the public in locking filing cabinets. Offices are locked during non-business hours. The building has 24-hour on-site security officers, closed circuit television monitoring and intrusion detection systems.
*Electronic media:* Computer, computer storage rooms and IBM zCloud storage are restricted to authorized personnel; on-line query safeguards include a lock/unlock password system, a terminal oriented transaction matrix, role-based access controls and audit trail. For computerized records electronically transmitted between headquarters and field office locations, system securities are established in accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines, including network monitoring, defenses in-depth, incident response and forensics. In addition to the on-line query safeguards, they include encryption of all data transmitted and exclusive use of leased telephone lines.
**RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:**
Under 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), individuals have the right to access and contest records maintained about them. To access or amend your records, submit a written request to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) with:
1. Your identifying information.
2. A description of the record you wish to access.
The RRB may request proof of identity. To correct a record, specify the change and provide justification. If denied, you can submit a statement of disagreement to be included with the record.
**CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:**
For additional instructions, see the Record Access Procedures and Notification Procedures sections.
**NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:**
Requests for information regarding an individual's record should be in writing addressed to the System Manager identified above, including the full name, Social Security number and claim number of the individual. Before information about any record will be released, the System Manager may require the individual to provide proof of identity or require the requester to furnish an authorization from the individual to permit release of information.
**EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:**
None.
**HISTORY:**
System of Records Notice revision from previous September 30, 2014 *Federal Register* notice 79 FR 58886.