Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

complete the forms, it will distribute the forms to disaster victims who need them, and it will collect from the victims and turn over to the Postal Service any completed forms received.

(2) The Postal Service will provide the Red Cross the blank forms needed. (3) During each disaster and subsequent disaster relief efforts, the Postal Service will establish a separate file of change of address forms completed by disaster victims, and will make available to the Red Cross information in the file. This information will be used by the Red Cross only to locate individuals and families, to answer inquiries from relatives and friends concerning the whereabouts and welfare of the disaster victims, or to make contact with disaster victims who have applied for assistance from the Red Cross but who cannot be located because of a change of address.

(4) The Postal Service and the Red Cross will encourage appropriate local postal officials and Red Cross chapters to maintain contact with each other and to participate in local and community planning for disasters.

(5) When appropriate, the Postal Service and the Red Cross will meet and exchange information at the national headquarters level concerning the effectiveness of their joint efforts for disaster relief.

(6) Regional Postmasters General and Postal Inspectors in Charge are responsible for seeing that post offices implement these cooperative arrangements in disaster situations.

(7) The instructions in § 259.2 serve as a broad framework within which field officials of both agencies may coordinate their facilities and resources. However, postal officials shall cooperate with Red Cross officials to the maximum feasible degree during times of natural disasters.

(39 U.S.C. 401, 411)

[36 FR 4773, Mar. 12, 1971, as amended at 40 FR 26511, June 24, 1975]

[blocks in formation]

§ 261.1 Purpose and scope.

As a result of the Postal Reorganization Act, 39 U.S.C. 410, the U.S. Postal Service is no longer subject to the provisions of the Federal Records Act of 1950, or any of its supporting regulations which provide for the conduct of records management in Federal agencies. The objective of Parts 261 through 268 is to provide the basis for a Postal Service-wide records and information management program affecting all organizational components having the custody of any form of information and records.

[40 FR 45721, Oct. 2, 1975; 40 FR 48511, Oct. 16, 1975]

§ 261.2 Authority.

(a) 39 U.S.C. 401(5) states that the Postal Service has the power to acquire property it deems necessary or convenient in the transaction of its business and to hold, maintain, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of such property.

(b) 39 CFR 224.3(b) assigns to the Postal Service Records Officer, located under the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Finance Group, responsibility for the retention security and privacy of Postal Service records and the power to authorize the disclosure of such records and to order their disposal by destruction or transfer. Included is the authority to issue records management policy and to delegate or take appropriate action if that policy is not adhered to or if questions of interpretation of procedure arise.

[40 FR 45721, Oct. 2, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 51223, Aug. 31, 1979]

8261.3 Policy.

It is the policy of the Postal Service: (a) To, as appropriate, create, preserve, protect and disclose records which contain adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, operations, procedures, activities and transactions of the Postal Service,

(b) To reduce to an absolute minimum the records holdings of the Postal Service by strict adherence to established records retention schedules.

[40 FR 45721, Oct. 2, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 51223, Aug. 31, 1979]

§ 261.4 Responsibility.

(a) The Records Officer administers the Postal Service Records and Information Management Program through a Headquarters organizational component, Regional Records Control Officers, representatives assigned by each Headquarters department, and contacts in each district, data processing center and other major Postal Service installation.

(b) Postal Service managers are responsible for administering records and information management policies and for complying with all handbooks, directives, and instructions in support of this policy.

[40 FR 45721, Oct. 2, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 51223, Aug. 31, 1979]

[blocks in formation]

ment of Headquarters, who maintains USPS records. Senior medical personnel are the custodians of medical records maintained within medical facilities.

[44 FR 51223, Aug. 31, 1979]

8 262.2 Records.

Any medium, regardless of form or characteristics (paper, film, magnetic surfaces, etc.), that contains information developed or received by the U.S. Postal Service in connection with the transaction of its business and retained in its custody.

(a) Types of Records-(1) Official Record. Primary copy of any record created or the original received by any Postal Service organizational component in the line of its duties or function.

(2) Duplicate Records. Additional copies of the official record.

(3) Permanent Records. Those records determined by the USPS Records Officer or the National Archives and Records Service of the General Services Administration as having sufficient historical or other value to warrant continued preservation by the Government. (All other records are considered temporary and must be scheduled for disposal.)

(4) Vital Records. Records which must be available in order to ensure the continuity of Postal Service operations and the preservation of the rights and interests of the Postal Service, its employees, contractors and customers.

(i) Emergency Operating Records. Copies of records necessary to support the essential functions of the Postal Service during and immediately following a national emergency.

(ii) Rights and Interests Records. Records maintained to ensure the preservation of the rights and interests of the Postal Service, its employees, contractors and customers.

(b) Categories of Records-(1) Records (Active)-records for which the retention period has not yet expired and which are in regular use.

(2) Records (Inactive). Records for which the retention period has not yet expired and which are not in regular use.

[40 FR 45722, Oct. 2, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 51223, Aug. 31, 1979]

§ 262.3 Non-record material.

Includes blank forms and surplus publications, handbooks, circulars, bulletins, announcements, and other directives, as well as any material not directly associated with the transactions of Postal Service business.

[40 FR 45722, Oct. 2, 1975]

§ 262.4 Information.

A combination of data which has the potential to serve a useful purpose.

(a) Sensitive Information (does not include National Security Information)

(1) Critical Information. That information which must be available in order that the Postal Service effectively perform its mission and meet legally assigned responsibilities; and, for which special precautions are taken to insure its accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and completeness. (This information, if lost, would cause significant financial loss, inconvenience, or delay in performance of the USPS mission.)

(2) Restricted Information. Any information which has limitations placed upon its internal or external disclosure: exists as one of two categories:

[blocks in formation]

§ 262.5 Information system (system of records).

A methodology which receives, accesses and processes groups of records in an efficient manner for the purpose of producing useable output records. [40 FR 45722, Oct. 2, 1975]

§ 262.6 Privacy Act System of Records.

A system which contains information about individuals, including mailing lists, from which information is retrieved by the name of an individual or by some identifying number or symbol assigned to the individual, such as a social security number. ("Individual" in this context does not include proprietorships, businesses, or corporations, which are not covered by the Privacy Act.)

[44 FR 51224, Aug. 31, 1979]

§ 262.7 Information System Executive.

The Postal Service official who prescribes the existence of and the policies for an information system. [44 FR 51224, Aug. 31, 1979]

PART 263-RECORDS RETENTION AND DISPOSITION

Sec.

263.1 Purpose and scope.

263.2 Policy.

263.3 Responsibility.

263.4 Records retention schedules. 263.5 Records disposal.

AUTHORITY: 39 U.S.C. 401.

SOURCE: 40 FR 45722, Oct. 2, 1975, unless otherwise noted.

§ 263.1 Purpose and scope.

This part contains the policy and general regulations pertaining to the retention and disposition of records and information throughout all organizational levels and components.

§ 263.2 Policy.

It is the policy of the U.S. Postal Service to establish and maintain schedules specifying the retention periods required for all official and duplicate record copies. Furthermore, it is the policy that all duplicate record copies and non-record material will be

[blocks in formation]

To ensure that these records are available when needed, specific controls are required which affect all organizational components having the custody of records defined as being "vital."

§ 264.2 Policy.

It is the policy of the U.S. Postal Service to ensure the availability of all records considered critical to the continuity of its operations and the preservation of the rights and interests of the Postal Service, its employees, contractors, and customers. Vital records shall be routinely maintained at predesignated off-site locations to ensure their availability when needed by management and operating personnel. § 264.3 Responsibility.

(a) Records Officer. The Records Officer is responsible for categorizing records as vital. The Records Officer shall establish and maintain the vital records program, insofar as rights and interests records are concerned, and shall ensure compliance with supportive procedures.

(b) Chief Postal Inspector. As the Postal Service's Emergency Coordinator, the Chief Postal Inspector (with the assistance of Headquarters and Regional Emergency Coordinating Committees and the advice of the USPS Records Officer) shall establish and maintain a program to ensure that emergency operating records are available at predesignated off-site locations for use during a national emergency.

(c) Custodians. Custodians are responsible for following vital records program procedures including the forwarding of vital records to predesignated off-site locations.

§ 264.4 Vital Records Program.

Complete procedures concerning the identification, categorization, processing, protection, and transfer of vital records are provided by the USPS Records Officer or the USP Emergency Coordinator, as appropriate.

[blocks in formation]

§ 265.1 Purpose and scope.

(a) This part contains the regulations of the Postal Service relating to the availability to the public of Postal Service records. Included in this part are the regulations which implement section 552 of title 5, U.S.C., the "Freedom of Information Act," insofar as it applies to the Postal Service.

(b) Official records of the Postal Service made available pursuant to the requirements of the Act shall be furnished to members of the public as prescribed by this part.

[40 FR 7331, Feb. 19, 1975]

§ 265.2 Policy.

(a) It is the policy of the Postal Service to make its official records available to the public to the maximum extent consistent with the public interest. This policy requires a practice of full disclosure subject only to the specific exemptions required or authorized by law.

(b) The exemptions from mandatory disclosure provided by section 552(b) of title 5, and section 410(c) of title 39, U.S.C., for various types of records, reflect the fact that under some circumstances the public interest may be better served by leaving the disclosure of particular records to the discretion of the Postal Service than by requiring their disclosure. As to those records the disclosure of which is not prohibited by statute, Executive Order, or reg

ulation, the discretion vested in the Postal Service is exercised after giving consideration to the following: The effect of non-disclosure on the public's right to know about a particular matter; the effect of disclosure on the right of privacy of any affected individuals; the effect of disclosure on the public interest in the economical, efficient, and orderly operation of the nation's mail system; and any other factors that may be relevant under the circumstances.

[40 FR 7331, Feb. 19, 1975, as amended at 45 FR 44270, July 1, 1980]

§ 265.3 Responsibility.

(a) Custodian. Official records are in the custody of the postmaster or other head of the facility, such as a postal data center, mail bag depository, sectional center facility, district office or regional headquarters, or of a group or department or headquarters, at which they are maintained. These custodians are responsible for responding in the first instance to requests from members of the public for Postal Service records.

(b) Records officer. The USPS Records Officer is reponsible for the overall administration of this part, including the issuance of detailed instructions to custodians.

(c) General Counsel. The General Counsel decides timely appeals authorized by this part.

[40 FR 7331, Feb. 19, 1975, as amended at 45 FR 44270, July 1, 1980]

§ 265.4 Inquiries.

Inquiries regarding the availability of Postal Service records should be directed to the appropriate records custodian. If the appropriate custodian is not known, inquiries should be directed to the USPS Records Officer, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC 20260, telephone number (202) 245-4142.

[45 FR 44270, July 1, 1980]

§ 265.5 Public reading room.

The Library of the Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza West, SW., Washington, D.C. 20260, serves as public reading room for the materials which are listed in para

« ÎnapoiContinuă »