(a) A requestor who disagrees with a denial of a request to amend a record may file an administrative appeal of that denial. The requestor should address the appeal to the FEMA Privacy Appeals Officer, Washington, DC 20472. If the requestor is an employee of FEMA and the denial to amend involves a record maintained in the employee's Official Personnel Folder covered by an Office of Personnel Management Government-wide system notice, the appeal should be addressed to the Assistant Director, Information Systems, Agency Compliance and Evaluation Group, Office of Personnel Management, Washington, DC 20415.

(b) Each appeal to the Privacy Act Appeals Officer shall be in writing and must be received by FEMA no later than 30 calendar days from the requestor's receipt of a denial of a request to amend a record. The appeal should bear the legend “Privacy Act—Appeal,” both on the face of the letter and the envelope.

(c) Upon receipt of an appeal, the Privacy Act Appeals Officer shall consult with the system manager, the official who made the denial, the Chief Counsel or a member of that office, and such other officials as may be appropriate. If the Privacy Act Appeals Officer in consultation with these officials, determines that the record should be amended, as requested, the system manager shall be instructed immediately to amend the record in accordance with § 6.52 and shall notify the requestor of that action.

(d) If the Privacy Act Appeals Officer, in consultation with the officials specified in paragraph (c) of this section, determines that the appeal should be rejected, the Privacy Act Appeals Officer shall submit the file on the request and appeal, including findings and recommendations, to the Deputy Administrator for a final administrative determination.

(e) If the Deputy Administrator determines that the record should be amended as requested, he or she immediately shall instruct the system manager in writing to amend the record in accordance with § 6.52. The Deputy Administrator shall send a copy of those instructions to the Privacy Act Appeals Officer, who shall notify the requester of that action.

(f) If the Deputy Administrator determines to reject the appeal, the requestor shall immediately be notified in writing of that determination. This action shall constitute the final administrative determination on the request to amend the record and shall include:

(1) The reasons for the rejection of the appeal.

(2) Proposed alternative amendments, if appropriate, which the requestor subsequently may accept in accordance with § 6.54.

(3) Notice of the requestor's right to file a Statement of Disagreement for distribution in accordance with § 6.56.

(4) Notice of the requestor's right to seek judicial review of the final administrative determination, as provided in § 6.57.

(g) The final agency determination must be made no later than 30 workdays from the date on which the appeal is received by the Privacy Act Appeals Officer.

(h) In extraordinary circumstances, the Administrator may extend this time limit by notifying the requestor in writing before the expiration of the 30 workdays. The Administrator's notification will include a justification for the extension.