INTERIOR/WBR-12

64 FR 40894
(7/28/99)


System name:

Inventions and Patents

System location:

(1) Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: W-6700, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. (2) Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: D-6700, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:

Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) employees who have been granted patents or who are seeking patents.

Categories of records in the system:

Contains name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social security number, and organizational segment of the inventor. Contains a thorough description and/or drawings of invention in original application for patent.

Authority for maintenance of the system:

5 U.S.C. 3101, 43 U.S.C. 373, 373a, 1457, 44 U.S.C. 3101.

Purpose(s):

The purpose of maintaining this system of records for the Bureau of Reclamation is to have a retrievable system of information for pending patents and patents that have been secured (granted). When the patents are submitted to the U.S. Patent Office, the first monetary award is granted to the inventor. Once the patent is granted, the second monetary award is granted along with the patent certificate. The patent is awarded for a certain amount of years and must be renewed before it expires, if deemed necessary, by the inventor/Reclamation. The records must be maintained on a continual basis for these purposes.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:

The primary uses of the records are to administer internal program for determining rights of employee to invention and status of securing patent for invention.

Disclosures outside the Department of the Interior (Department) may be made to: (1) Another Federal agency to enable that agency to respond to an inquiry by the individual to whom the record pertains; (2) The Department of Justice, or to a court, adjudicative, or other administrative body, or to a party in litigation before a court or adjudicative or administrative body, when: (a) One of the following is a party to the proceeding or has an interest in the proceeding: (i) The Department or any component of the Department; (ii) Any Departmental employee acting in his or her official capacity; (iii) Any Departmental employee acting in his or her individual capacity where the Department or the Department of Justice has agreed to represent the employee; or (iv) The United States, when the Department determines that the Department is likely to be affected by the proceeding; and (b) The Department deems the disclosure to be: (i) Relevant and necessary to the proceedings; and (ii) Compatible with the purpose for which we compiled the information; (3) The appropriate Federal, State, tribal, local, or foreign governmental agency that is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, rule, regulation, order, or license, when we become aware of an indication of a violation or potential violation of the statute, rule, regulation, order, or license; (4) A congressional office in response to an inquiry to that office by the individual to whom the records pertain.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage:

Files maintained in manual form in file folders.

Retrievability:

By name.

Safeguards:

Maintained with safeguards meeting the requirements of 43 CFR 2.51.

Retention and disposal:

In accordance with approved retention and disposal schedules.

System manager(s) and address:

(1) Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: W-6700, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. (2) Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: D-6700, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007.

Notification procedure:

Inquiries regarding the existence of records should be addressed to the System Manager. The request must be in writing, signed by the requester, and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.60.

Record access procedures:

A request for access may be addressed to the System Manager. The request must be in writing, signed by the requester, and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.63.

Contesting record procedures:

A petition for amendment should be addressed to the System Manager. The request must be in writing, signed by the requester, and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.71.

Record source categories:

Individual on whom the records are maintained.