A New System of Records Notice (SORN)
A “new” system of records is one for which no public notice is currently published in the Federal Register. A SORN must be published when any one of the following criteria is met:
- A program, authorized by a new or existing statute or Executive order (EO), maintains information on an individual and retrieves that information by personal identifier.
- There is a new organization of records resulting in the consolidation of two or more existing systems into one new umbrella system, whenever the consolidation cannot be classified under a current SORN.
- It is discovered that records about individuals are being created and used, and that this activity is not covered by a currently published SORN. In this case, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires the temporary suspension of data collection and disclosure.
- A new organization (configuration) of existing records about individuals that was not previously subject to the Privacy Act (i.e., was not a system of records) results in the creation of a system of records.