Agenda - 11-03-1999 - 8b - Laserfiche WebLink

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D-1554 Department of Commerce (9~21'99~ Bureau of the Census CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES New Construction Program ~~~`~ 17 United States Census 2000 When the Census Bureau collects information from or about an individual, it is required by law to ~ ~ maintain the confidentiality of that information. The Census Bureau takes this responsi#ai~ity-very-- seriously to successfully protect the privacy of the data it collects. Respondents place their trust in the Census Bureau each time a survey is completed or an interview is conducted. This trust is critical to the success of the Census Bureau's mission. For this reason, the Census Bureau requires that each local and tribal official who participates in the New Construction program understand and agree to abide by the confidentiality and security guidelines outlined below and in the New Construction Program Technical Guide. Why Address Information Is Protected It's the law. Title 13, United States Code provides for the confidential treatment of census related information. Chapter 1, Section 9 of the code states: "Neither the Secretary, nor any other officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof, or local government census liaison, may, except as provided in section 8 or 16 or chapter 10 of this title - 1. use the information furnished under the provisions of this title for any purpose other than the statistical purposes for which it is supplied; or 2. make any publication whereby the data furnished by any particular establishment or individual under this title can be identified; or 3. permit anyone other than the sworn officers and employees of the Department or bureau or agency thereof to .examine the individual reports." Section 214 of the code further explains that the penalty for the wrongful disclosure or release of information protected by Title 13 is a fine of not more that 55,000 or imprisonment for not more that 5 years, or both. To implement this law, all employees of the Census Bureau (both temporary and permanent) take an oath to maintain the confidentiality of the census information .they encounter in their work. Census information includes everything on a completed or partially completed questionnaire, or obtained in a personal or telephone interview. In addition, it includes individual addresses, such as those the Census Bureau maintains in its Census 2000 address list that the New Construction program liaisons will be examining as part of the New Construction program. It also includes maps that show individual housing unit locations. Generalized address information, such as the address range data available in the Census Bureau's TIGER/Line products, is not considered protected by Title 13, United States Code. In 1994, the Congress amended Chapter 1 of Title 13, United States Code, to allow locally and tribally appointed liaisons to review the Census Bureau's address list for their area. This amendment recognizes the important role that local knowledge and participation can play in building the Census 2000 address list. The amendment also provides for the continued confidentiality protection of individual address information and therefore limits the use of the Census 2000 address list by liaisons to the improvement of the Census 2000 address list. Significance of the Address Review Confidentiality Agreement Each participating agency should designate a primary liaison for the New Construction program review opportunity. This individual will be the primary contact for New Construction activities. We consider all other individuals who will have access to the Census 2000 address information as liaisons and they must sign the Confidentiality Agreement as well. Signatures on this form constitute an agreement by each individual to abide by the security guidelines outlined below. The Census Bureau will not transmit the Census 2000 address list materials for your area until we have received a completed Confidentiality Agreement. Although you may have prior confidentiality agreements on file at the Census Bureau, these will not fulfill the requirement of the New Construction program.