LUCA Forms, Letters, User Guides, and other Items

Confidentiality and Security Guidelines
Section 214 of the Code and the
Uniform Sentencing Act of 1984 set the
penalty for the wrongful disclosure or
release of information protected by Title
13 at a fine of not more than $250,000
or imprisonment for not more than 5
years, or both.

The law requires the U.S. Census
Bureau to maintain the confidentiality
for all of the information that it collects.
The Census Bureau takes its
responsibility to protect the
confidentiality of the information it
collects very seriously. Respondents
place their trust in the Census Bureau
each time they complete a survey or an
interview. This trust in confidentiality is
critical to the success of the Census
Bureau’s mission to collect and report
the most accurate data possible. To
uphold the law, the Census Bureau
requires that all individuals who work
with the Census Bureau’s confidential
materials read, understand, and agree to
abide by the confidentiality and security
guidelines outlined below.

To implement this law, all Census
Bureau employees (both temporary and
permanent) take an oath to maintain the
confidentiality of the census information
they encounter in their work. Census
information includes:

Why Address Information Is Protected

Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.),
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…

Everything on a completed or
partially completed questionnaire or
obtained in a personal or telephone
interview.

•

Individual addresses maintained by
the Census Bureau that Local
Update of Census Addresses
(LUCA) Program liaisons review.

•

Maps that identify the location of
individual housing units and/or
group quarters (“structure points”).

Title 13 of the U.S.C. does not protect
generalized address information, such as
the address range data available in the
Census Bureau’s digital shapefile
products.

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

In 1994, the U.S. Congress amended
Chapter 1 of Title 13 to allow local
government designated census 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 and updating an accurate,
comprehensive census address list. In
amending this chapter, the Congress
reaffirmed the confidential nature of
address information.

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.”

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•

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The Confidentiality Agreement

information protected by Title 13,
U.S.C.

Each participating government must
designate a primary liaison. The
primary liaison, all reviewers, and
anyone with access to Title 13, U.S.C.
materials must understand and sign the
Confidentiality Agreement. The Census
Bureau considers all individuals who
have access to the Census Bureau’s
address information and maps showing
the location of housing units and group
quarters, liaisons. Therefore, all Option
1 and Option 2 2010 Decennial Census
LUCA Program liaisons, reviewers, and
anyone with access to Title 13 materials
must sign the Confidentiality
Agreement.

The primary liaison accepts the
responsibility for protecting and
safeguarding the LUCA program
materials covered by Title 13, U.S.C.
This includes any list that shows
individual Census Bureau addresses
and any Census Bureau map or digital
file that shows individual housing units
and/or group quarters location
(“structure points”). The primary
liaison must restrict access to the Census
Bureau’s address information to those
individuals who have signed the
Confidentiality Agreement. The liaison,
reviewers, and anyone with access to
Title 13 materials must sign the
Confidentiality Agreement.

Signatures on this form constitute an
agreement by each individual to abide
by the security guidelines outlined
below. While access to Title 13
protected information is temporary, the
commitment to keep the information
confidential is permanent.
•

The Census Bureau will not
deliver the address list materials
to Option 1 and Option 2
participants until we have
received a completed and signed
Confidentiality Agreement and
Self-Assessment Form.

•

Although you may have prior
confidentiality agreements on file
at the Census Bureau, these will
not fulfill the requirements of the
2010 Decennial Census LUCA
Program.

As you read the Census Bureau’s
security requirements, keep in mind the
important role security plays in the
overall responsibilities of each LUCA
program liaison, reviewers, and anyone
with access to Title 13 materials. The
Census Bureau must have your full
cooperation and commitment to
following these guidelines. Together,
we will maintain the confidential
information entrusted to the Census
Bureau by the Congress and the
American public.
Protecting Census Bureau Address
Information

The Census Bureau will conduct
training workshops covering all aspects
of the LUCA program. In addition, the
workshops will provide the participating
governments with an opportunity to
review the security guidelines and
safeguards to protect against illegal use
of Census Bureau address information.
Census Bureau staff conducting the
workshops will provide information to
help you decide who in your
organization needs to have access to the
Census Bureau’s Address List and will

Security Guidelines

The Census Bureau recognizes the fact
that the implementation of these
guidelines may vary slightly from one
participant to another. Regardless, the
result must be the same for each
participant – nondisclosure of

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stored. Lock the room whenever
you leave.

review the civil and criminal penalties
for improper or illegal use of the data.
Onsite Visits

To ensure that participating entities or
organizations are maintaining adequate
security safeguards, the Census Bureau
may make on-site visits to review your
government or organization’s security
procedures. The Census Bureau will
strive not to disrupt your office
operations. A typical visit would
include a review of:
•

Storage and handling of Census
Bureau address information.

•

Employee access to Census Bureau
address information.

•

The physical safeguard of the
computers, rooms, and buildings
where the Census Bureau address
information is stored.

•

Instructions to employees about
security.

•

Data processing operations
(including use of passwords).

•

Employee awareness of their
responsibilities to protect the
confidentiality of Census Bureau
addresses.

•

Do not leave Census Bureau address
information unattended at your
desk. Return any Title 13 data to
secure storage when you are not
using it.

•

Only make copies of the
information necessary to complete
your task. Do not leave the copying
machine unattended while making
copies. All copied material
containing Title 13 information
must bear the statement:
“This document contains
information, the release of which
is prohibited by Title 13, U.S.C.,
and is for U.S. Census Bureau
official use only. Wrongful
disclosure or release of
information can be punished by
fine or imprisonment (Public
Law 99-474).”

•

To FAX a document containing
Census Bureau address information
to a Census Bureau location, make
sure the document is properly
labeled with the disclosure
statement: “DISCLOSURE
PROHIBITED BY Title 13,
U.S.C.”, verify the FAX number
before sending, and arrange for a
Census Bureau employee to be at
the FAX machine to receive it and
acknowledge receipt.

•

Do not disclose precise or even
anecdotal information about Census
Bureau addresses or locations to
anyone who has not signed the
Confidentiality Agreement Form or
is not a Census Bureau employee.

Protecting Paper Copies of Census
Bureau Address Information and Maps

•

Keep all Census Bureau address
information in a locked room during
non-work hours. If possible, store
the Census address materials and
maps showing structure points in
locked desks or cabinets.

•

During work hours, do not leave a
room unattended where Census
Bureau address information is

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3

Protecting Computer-Readable Census
Bureau Address Information and Maps

unique password the first time they
log on.

Operating systems, programs,
applications, and data related to the
review of Census Bureau addresses must
be accessible only to LUCA program
liaisons and reviewers. The automated
data processing (ADP) system should
restrict the read, write, delete, and
execute functions applicable to the
Census Bureau’s addresses.

The ADP system must display a
warning log-on feature. Computer
screens must display a warning that
states:
**WARNING*WARNING*WARNING**
YOU HAVE ACCESSED A COMPUTER
SYSTEM CONTAINING UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION. USE OF
THIS COMPUTER WITHOUT
AUTHORIZATION OR FOR PURPOSES
FOR WHICH AUTHORIZATION HAS NOT
BEEN EXTENDED IS A VIOLATION OF
FEDERAL LAW AND CAN BE PUNISHED
BY FINE OR IMPRISONMENT (Public Law
99-474). ALL USE MAY BE
INTERCEPTED, MONITORED,
RECORDED, COPIED, AUDITED,
INSPECTED, AND DISCLOSED TO
AUTHORIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS. REPORT SUSPECTED
VIOLATIONS TO YOUR AGENCY
SECURITY OFFICER. USE OF THIS
SYSTEM INDICATES YOU CONSENT TO
THIS WARNING. LOG OFF
IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DO NOT AGREE
TO THE CONDITIONS OF THIS
WARNING.
**WARNING*WARNING*WARNING**

The ADP system must use log-on
routines that require a user-ID and
password that conform to the following
guidelines:
•

Assign a unique user-ID and
password for liaisons, reviewers,
and anyone with access to Title 13
materials.

•

Passwords must consist of at least 8,
nonblank characters consisting of at
least one alphabet letter and either
one number or one special character
($,*, &). No more than six
consecutive characters (AAAAAA)
may appear in the password, and
then only once.

•

Reject passwords that are the same
as the user-ID or that have been
used within the last 6 months.

•

Encrypt passwords.

•

Disable passwords after three bad
attempts.

•

ZIP and password protect Title 13
Census Bureau address information.

Do not display passwords on
terminals or printers.

•

Change passwords every 90 days
(more frequent change is optional)
or immediately, if compromised.

•

On new accounts, the user must
change the assigned password to a

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If Census Bureau address information is
placed on a shared computer system,
construct electronic security profiles to
allow only LUCA program liaisons,
reviewers, and anyone with access to the
Census Bureau’s address information.
Test your security to ensure that only
LUCA liaisons and reviewers are
permitted access to the Census Bureau’s
address information.

Lock all rooms containing computers
with Title 13 Census Bureau address
information and all associated media
during non-work hours.
Do not leave computers with Census
Bureau address information unattended
during work hours. Log-off the

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computer/system or lock the room
whenever you leave.

with updates to the Census Bureau’s
Regional Office responsible for your
jurisdiction. Make a copy of all updated
pages to keep for your records. Retain
all non-annotated Title 13 materials until
you receive your feedback materials.
Keep all retained address lists and
copies in a secure location.

Label any computer diskettes, CDROMs, DVDs, tapes, cartridges or other
computer storage media containing
Census Bureau address information with
the following:

Use the following guidelines to ship the
updated materials:

“This document contains information,
the release of which is prohibited by
Title 13, U.S.C., and is for U.S. Census
Bureau official use only. Wrongful
disclosure or release of information
can be punished by fine or
imprisonment (Public Law 99-474).”
If backup is necessary, do not send the
tapes, cartridges, or disks off-site. Store
them in a secured area. Do not mix,
store, or back-up LUCA data with
other data.
Clear magnetic media (tapes, disks, hard
drives) containing Census Bureau
address information before reuse. To
clear magnetic media, overwrite all Title
13 data three times at a minimum using
a commercial disk utility program or
degauss using a commercial degausser.

•

Ship all Census Bureau confidential
material in two opaque sealed
envelopes that are durable enough to
prevent someone from viewing or
tampering with the enclosed
materials.

•

Label both sides of the inner
envelope or wrapping with the
disclosure notice:
“DISCLOSURE PROHIBITED
BY Title 13, U.S.C.”

•

DO NOT label the outer envelope
with the “DISCLOSURE
PROHIBITED BY Title 13,
U.S.C.” notice.

Program any software you develop for
displaying the Census Bureau addresses
to label each affected page of a printout
containing Census Bureau address
information with the following:

•

Address the outer envelope to:

“This document contains information,
the release of which is prohibited by
Title 13, U.S.C., and is for U.S. Census
Bureau official use only. Wrongful
disclosure or release of information
can be punished by fine or
imprisonment (Public Law 99-474).”

•

ATTN: Geography
Director, Census Bureau Regional
Office for your jurisdiction.

Return or Destruction of Census Bureau
Confidential Materials

Returning Census Bureau Title 13
Materials

After the appeals process has concluded,
all Title 13, U.S.C., Census Bureau
address lists and maps containing
structure points must be returned or
destroyed according to the Census

Once you have completed your initial
review and update of the LUCA
materials, return only those materials

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Use shipping contractors that
provide tracking services, such as
U.S. Postal Service certified or
registered mail, FedEx, United
Parcel Service, or similar service.

5

Bureau’s specific guidelines for
returning or destroying confidential
material.
The liaison is required to verify the
return or destruction of any remaining
Title 13 materials, both paper and
computer-readable including all paper
copies, backup files, etc. The liaison
must sign and return to the Census
Bureau the “Return or Destruction of
Title 13, U.S.C. Materials” form. In
addition, all LUCA program reviewers
and anyone with access to Title 13
materials who signed the Confidentiality
Agreement are required to sign this form
once their participation in the LUCA
program has ended. Should any liaison,
reviewer, or anyone leave before the end
of the LUCA program, they are required
to “sign-out” of the program by signing
and dating this form.

c

Burning (only in a facility
approved by the Environmental
Protection Agency)

c

Clear magnetic media (tapes,
disks, hard drives) containing
Census Bureau address
information before reuse. To
clear, overwrite all Title 13 data
a minimum of three times, using
a commercial disk utility
program or degauss using a
commercial degausser.

c

Clear diskettes by running a
magnetic strip of sufficient
length to reach all areas of the
disk over and under each
surface a minimum of three
times. If the information cannot
be destroyed as suggested,
damage the disk in an obvious
manner to prevent use in any
disk drive unit and discard.

Only those individuals who signed the
Confidentiality Agreement are permitted
to destroy Title 13, U.S.C. materials.
•

Never deposit Census Bureau
confidential materials in a trash or
recycle container before destruction.

•

Store the materials in a secure area
in a container labeled “document
destruction container” until they are
destroyed.

•

The destruction process must
prevent recognition or
reconstruction of the paper or
computer-readable information.
Use one of the following methods to
destroy census confidential
materials:

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Note: Hand tearing or burying
information in a landfill are
unacceptable methods of
disposal before destruction.

c

Shredding

c

Chemical decomposition

c

Pulverizing (such as, hammer
mills, choppers, etc.)

c

6

Destroy CD-ROMs and DVDs
using a commercial grade
shredder, suitable for rendering
them un-usable, or cut them up
with scissors in an obvious
manner to prevent use in a drive
unit.