AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE PRIVACY PROTECTION STUDY COMMISSION Committee on lite, Stites. Cherness. House. HEARING 74- JUL 19 BEFORE A Co SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON 7070 GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H.R. 13681 TO AMEND THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 H.R. 13682 TO AMEND THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 AND S. 3435 TO INCREASE AN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS JUNE 9, 1976 Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations 73-314 O U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1976 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS JACK BROOKS, Texas, Chairman L. H. FOUNTAIN, North Carolina DANTE B. FASCELL, Florida BENJAMIN S. ROSENTHAL, New York JIM WRIGHT, Texas FERNAND J. ST GERMAIN, Rhode Island FLOYD V. HICKS, Washington DON FUQUA, Florida JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan BELLA S. ABZUG, New York JAMES V. STANTON, Ohio LEO J. RYAN, California CARDISS COLLINS, Illinois JOHN L. BURTON, California RICHARDSON PREYER, North Carolina ROBERT F. DRINAN, Massachusetts EDWARD MEZVINSKY, Iowa BARBARA JORDAN, Texas GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma DAVID W. EVANS, Indiana ANTHONY MOFFETT, Connecticut FRANK HORTON, New York GARRY BROWN, Michigan Texts of H.R. 13681, H.R. 13682, and S. 3435.. Statement of David F. Linowes, Chairman of the Privacy Protection Study Commission; accompanied by Willis Ware, Commissioner; Carole Parsons, Executive Director; Louis Higgs, Deputy Executive Director; Letters, statements, et cetera, submitted for the record by- Abzug, Bella S., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, and chairwoman, Government Information and Individual Rights Subcommittee: Public Law 93-579............. Linowes, David F., Chairman of the Privacy Protection Study June 11, 1976, letter to Chairwoman Abzug re number and com- pensation of Commission staff, and a list of temporary Federal commissions that have published transcripts of hearings... June 21, 1976, letter to Chairwoman Abzug re names of other 42-44 27-28 46-62 175 AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE PRIVACY PROTECTION STUDY COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1976 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:15 a.m., in room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Bella S. Abzug (chairwoman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Bella S. Abzug and Clarence J. Brown. Also present: Eric L. Hirschhorn, counsel; Anita W. Wiesman, clerk; and Thomas H. Sullivan, minority professional staff, Committee on Government Operations. Ms. ABZUG. The Government Information and Individual Rights Subcommittee will be in order. We meet this morning to hear testimony on three bills-H.R. 13681, H.R. 13682, and S. 3135-relating to the authorization of appropriations for the Privacy Protection Study Commission created under the Privacy Act of 1974. Without objection, the text of these measures will be included in the record at the conclusion of my opening remarks, along with the text of the Privacy Act. The Privacy Act of 1974 was born in this subcommittee. Its substantive provisions sought to accomplish three basic reforms with respect to records maintained by Federal agencies: first, to require that all systems of records be publicly announced; second, to permit every American to have access to records about him maintained by Federal agencies and to secure correction or expungement of any inaccuracies in such records; and third, to limit the disclosure of such records without the consent of the subject. The Privacy Act was signed into law on December 31, 1974, and took effect on September 27, 1975. Since its enactment this subcommittee has been very active in overseeing the promulgation of implementing regulations and the general administration of the act. Problems have begun to appear here and there, and we hope in the not too distant future to deal with some of them legislatively if they cannot be cleared up administratively. The Privacy Act also established the Privacy Protection Study Commission and gave it two basic responsibilities: first, to study public and private information systems in order to determine the standards and procedures in force for the protection of personal (1) |
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