Aviation Consumer Complaint Application Privacy Act Exemption Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Transportation proposes to add a system of records relating to aviation consumer protection to the list of Department of Transportation Privacy Act Systems of Records that are exempt from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act. The Department is proposing to exempt this system of records, titled Aviation Consumer Complaint Application Online System, to protect records compiled for investigations and inquiries into alleged Federal civil rights and consumer protection misconduct by airlines and air travel companies. This exemption was initially proposed on February 28, 2005 and the Department did not receive any comments on the proposed rule. Nonetheless, given the time that has passed since the original Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Department is issuing this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for comment. The current system of records notice indicates that an exemption applies to this system; however, the Department is updating the system of records notice to specify the basis of the exemption. This rulemaking conforms the Department of Transportation’s regulations on Maintenance and Access to Records Pertaining to Individuals to the applicable System of Records Notices (SORNs) to current Department of Transportation practice.