Title 1

SECTION 304.25

304.25 Requests for amendment or correction of records.

§ 304.25 Requests for amendment or correction of records.

(a) How made and addressed. Unless the record is not subject to amendment or correction as stated in paragraph (f) of this section, you may make a request for amendment or correction of an ACUS record about yourself by following same procedures as in § 304.21. Your request should identify each particular record in question, state the amendment or correction that you want, and state why you believe that the record is not accurate, relevant, timely, or complete. You may submit any documentation that you think would be helpful. If you believe that the same record is maintained in more than one system of records, you should state that.

(b) Agency responses. Within ten business days of receiving your request for amendment or correction of records, the agency will send you a written acknowledgment of its receipt of your request. The agency will promptly notify you whether your request is granted or denied. If the agency grants your request in whole or in part, it will describe the amendment or correction made and will advise you of your right to obtain a copy of the corrected or amended record, in disclosable form. If the agency denies your request in whole or in part, it will send you a letter that will state:

(1) The reason(s) for the denial; and

(2) The procedure for appeal of the denial under paragraph (c) of this section, including the name and business address of the official who will act on your appeal.

(c) Appeals. You may appeal a denial of a request for amendment or correction in the same manner as a denial of a request for access to records (see § 304.24(a)) and the same procedures will be followed. The agency will ordinarily act on the appeal within 30 business days of receipt of the appeal, except that the Chairman of the agency may extend the time for response for good cause shown. If your appeal is denied, you will be advised of your right to file a Statement of Disagreement as described in paragraph (d) of this section and of your right under the Privacy Act for court review of the decision.

(d) Statements of Disagreement. If your appeal under this section is denied in whole or in part, you have the right to file a Statement of Disagreement that states your reason(s) for disagreeing with the agency's denial of your request for amendment or correction. Statements of Disagreement must be concise, must clearly identify each part of any record that is disputed, and should be no longer than one typed page for each fact disputed. The agency will place your Statement of Disagreement in the system of records in which the disputed record is maintained and will mark the disputed record to indicate that a Statement of Disagreement has been filed and exactly where in the system of records it may be found.

(e) Notification of amendment/correction or disagreement. Within 30 business days of the amendment or correction of a record, the agency will notify all persons, organizations, or agencies to which it previously disclosed the record, if an accounting of that disclosure was made, that the record has been amended or corrected. If an individual has filed a Statement of Disagreement, the agency will append a copy of it to the disputed record whenever the record is disclosed and may also append a concise statement of its reason(s) for denying the request to amend or correct the record.

(f) Records not subject to amendment or correction. The following records are not subject to amendment or correction:

(1) Transcripts of testimony given under oath or written statements made under oath;

(2) Transcripts of grand jury proceedings, judicial proceedings, or quasi-judicial proceedings, which are the official record of those proceedings; and

(3) Any other record that originated with the courts.