Use and Disclosure of Federal Employees' Compensation Act Claims File Material

The Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), is revising the rules regulating the release, use, and disclosure of documents covered by the Privacy Act system of records entitled ``DOL/GOVT-1 (Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Federal Employees' Compensation Act File).'' This system covers all documents relating to claims filed under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), including copies retained by employing agencies. Because records covered by DOL/GOVT-1 are used by the OWCP in making decisions with regard to FECA entitlement, the Department is revising its regulation to reserve to the OWCP the exclusive authority for ruling on requests submitted by the subject of the FECA file for the correction or amendment of any record contained in such file.