Privacy Act of 1974; Implementation

In the Notice section of today's Federal Register, the Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON), a component within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ or Department), has published a notice of a new system of records, Firearms Rights Restoration Electronic Records Database (FRRERD), JUSTICE/OPA-002. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, PARDON proposes to exempt this system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act in order to safeguard confidential information compiled at various stages of the criminal law enforcement process; and compiled for the purpose of ensuring the integrity of the adjudicatory process involving eligibility and suitability determinations concerning the restoration of an applicant's federal firearms rights pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 925(c) and 28 CFR 107.1 et seq. For the reasons provided below, the Department proposes to amend its Privacy Act regulations by establishing an exemption for records in this system from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. Public comment is invited.