§ 71.9 Request for correction or amendment of records.

(a) How made. An individual may submit a request for correction or amendment of a record pertaining to him. The request must be in writing and must be addressed to the component that maintains the record. (Appendix A of this part lists the components of the Department and their addresses.) The request must identify the particular record in question, state the correction or amendment sought, and set forth the justification for the change. Both the envelope and the request itself must be clearly marked: “Privacy Act Amendment Request.”

(b) Initial determination. Within 30 working days of receiving a request for correction or amendment, a component shall notify the requester whether his request will be granted or denied, in whole or in part. If the component grants the request in whole or in part, it shall send the requester a copy of the amended record, in releasable form, as proof of the change. If the component denies the request in whole or in part, it shall notify the requester in writing of the denial. The notice of denial shall state the reason or reasons for the denial and advise the requester of his right to appeal.