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- - Contents
Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management
February 2019
Summary of Changes
Transmittal Letter
1 Introduction
1-1 Purpose of This Handbook
1-2 Customer Trust and Privacy Protection
1-3 Handbook Application
1-4 Roles and Responsibilities
1-5 Definitions
2 Laws, Guidelines, and Policies
2-1 The Best of Public and Private Practices
2-2 Mail Protections
2-3 Federal Laws
2-4 Federal Agency Guidelines
2-5 Postal Service Policies
3 Protecting Individual Privacy
3-1 Overview
3-2 Maintaining a System of Records
3-3 Collecting Personal Information
3-4 Providing a Privacy Notice to Individuals
3-5 Respecting Communication Preferences
3-6 Requests for Amendment
3-7 Legal Agreements Involving Personal Information
3-8 Special Privacy Requirements
3-9 Business Information
4 Records Notification, Access, and Disclosure Procedures Under the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act
4-1 General
4-2 Public Records and Information Under FOIA
4-3 Responding to Notification, Access, and Disclosure Requests Under the Privacy Act
4-4 Responding to Requests Under the Freedom of Information Act
5 Requests for Special Categories of Records
5-1 General
5-2 Requests for Employee or Customer Information
5-3 Congressional Requests
5-4 Records Subject to Litigation
5-5 Records Requested by Postal Service Unions
5-6 Records Requested by the News Media
5-7 Requests to Conduct Research or to Survey Postal Service Employees
6 Records Management
6-1 Records Management Policy
6-2 Records Creation and Designation Guidelines
6-3 Retention
6-4 Storage and Retrieval
6-5 Disposal
6-6 Separation Procedure (Employee or Non-Employee Available)
6-7 Records Subject to Litigation and Legal Holds
Addendum: Guide for Requesters
Part I. Privacy Act Requests
Part II. FOIA Requests
Appendix
Section A. Explanation
Section B. Privacy Act Protections
Section C. Index of Systems of Records
Section D. Authorized Disclosures and Routine Uses
Section E. Complete Text of Systems of Records
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