Effective Date: February 27, 2008

COMMERCE/PAT-TM-21

SYSTEM NAME:

National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nominations.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATIONS:

Office of the Under Secretary and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Nominees for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Nomination Form, including name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, citizenship, employment history, and other information pertaining to the applicant's activities. Statements containing various kind of information with respect to the contributions of the individual(s) and/or group(s).

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

15 U.S.C. 3711.

PURPOSES:

The information in this system of records is used by the Nomination Evaluation Committee to determine the eligibility and merit of nominees during the annual selection of the recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

See Prefatory Statement of General Routine Uses Nos. 1-5, 9-10, and 12-13, as found at 46 FR 63501-63502 (December 31, 1981).:

1. In the event that a system or records maintained by the Department to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation of law or contract, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute or contract, or rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, or the necessity to protect an interest of the Department, the relevant records in the system of records may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, state, local or foreign, charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute or contract, or rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto, or protecting the interest of the Department.

2. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Federal, state or local agency maintaining civil, criminal or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent information, such as current licenses, if necessary to obtain information relevant to a Department decision concerning the assignment, hiring or retention of an individual, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other benefit.

3. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Federal, state, local, or international agency, in response to its request, in connection with the assignment, hiring or retention of an individual, the issuance of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an individual, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the matter.

4. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, in the course of presenting evidence to a court, magistrate or administrative tribunal, including disclosures to opposing counsel in the course of settlement negotiations.

5. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Member of Congress submitting a request involving an individual when the individual has requested assistance from the Member with respect to the subject matter of the record.

9. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to the Department of Justice in connection with determining whether disclosure thereof is required by the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

10. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a contractor of the Department having need for the information in the performance of the contract, but not operating a system of records within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552a(m).

12. A record in this system may be transferred, as a routine use, to the Office of Personnel Management: for personnel research purposes; as a data source for management information; for the production of summary descriptive statistics and analytical studies in support of the function for which the records are collected and maintained; or for related manpower studies.

13. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to the Administrator, General Services Administration (GSA), or his designee, during an inspection of records conducted by GSA as part of that agency's responsibility to recommend improvements in records management practices and programs, under authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906. Such disclosure shall be made in accordance with the GSA regulations governing inspection of records for this purpose, and any other relevant (i.e. GSA or Commerce) directive. Such disclosure shall not be used to make determinations about individuals.

The USPTO may use the information contained in this system of records in support of the work of the nomination committee. The USPTO, the Department of Commerce, the National Medal of Technology Nomination Evaluation Committee, and White House staff may use the information contained in this system of records in support of the nomination and award process. The Committee will discuss the achievements and biographical information submitted (contact information will not be disclosed) at meetings that are open to the public in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:

Not applicable.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Paper records in file folders and electronic media.

RETRIEVABILITY:

By individual's name.

SAFEGUARDS:

Maintained in areas accessible only to authorized personnel in a building protected by security guards during nonbusiness hours. Systems are password protected.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Records retention and disposal is in accordance with the series record schedules.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Under Secretary and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Information may be obtained from the Manager, National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Office of the Under Secretary and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. Requesters should provide their names in accordance with the inquiry provisions appearing in 37 CFR part 102 subpart B.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

Requests from individuals should be addressed to the same address as stated in the notification section above.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

The rules for access, contesting contents, and appealing initial determinations by the individual concerned appear in 37 CFR part 102 subpart B. Requests from individuals should be addressed to the same address as stated in the notification section above.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Subject individuals and those authorized by the individual to furnish information, as well as nominating entities and self-nominees.

SYSTEM EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:

None.

FEDERAL REGISTER HISTORY:
73 FR 4850	January 28, 2008	Notice of Proposed New Privacy Act System of Records

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