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This is a nonsubstantive final rule that will make technical amendments to our existing regulations.Our regulation at 20 CFR 401.70 states that the Executive Director for the Office of Privacy and Disclosure (OPD) is the appeal authority on Privacy Act requests.  Under the agency organizational changes, OPD is now titled, Privacy and Disclosure Policy; furthermore, the Executive Director title is now referred to as the Head.  Our regulations must be updated to accurately identify the appropriate personnel serving as the Privacy Act request appeal authority.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulation states that Only the Deputy Executive Director for OPD or their designee is authorized to make determinations about” FOIA requests (20 CFR 402.50) and that The Chief FOIA Officer delegated to the Executive Director for OPD the authority to make decisions on appeals of the FOIA Officer’s determinations” (20 CFR 402.105).  Given agency organizational changes, the OPD is now known as Privacy and Disclosure Policy; furthermore, the Executive Director is now the referred to as the Head and the Deputy Executive Director position is also renamed.  To accurately reflect who at SSA is designated as the FOIA Officer and who has appeal authority, our regulations must be updated.