GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators Guide to Sources of Information

In addition, USDA has information--including certain financial data--concerning the ownership, management, and operation of farms and ranches that participate in various USDA programs.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

The Department of Commerce has information on international trade, social and economic statistics, patents, trademarks, ocean studies, domestic economic development, and minority businesses.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)

To obtain information concerning military pay, dependents, allotments, deposits, and other financial information, contact Defense Joint Military Pay System; Director, Military Pay Directorate, Room 404; Defense Finance and Accounting Service - Headquarters; Crystal Mall #3; 1931 Jefferson Davis Highway; Arlington, VA 22202 or at (703) 607-1373.

Records--that survived a July 1973 fire--concerning the personnel and medical histories of former military personnel are located at the Military Personnel Records Center; General Services Administration; 9700 Page Boulevard; St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. To obtain such information, contact the Army at (314) 538-4122; the Air Force at (314) 538-4218; and the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard at (314) 538-4200. Records destroyed in the fire may be reconstructed. If you wish to have a record reconstructed, call (314) 538-4144.

For information on DOD investigations, see the discussion on the Defense Central and Investigations Index in chapter 4.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC)

Electric utility and natural gas companies are required to file annual reports with FERC. The reports provide excellent financial pictures of the companies as well as other information, e.g., names of officers, directors, and stockholders who own more than 10 percent of the company. FERC also maintains license and permit information concerning companies within its regulatory control.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)

FDA is an enforcement agency of HHS. FDA investigators in the field conduct investigations of drug firms under the jurisdiction of the FDA.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ)

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA)

DEA maintains information on individuals and businesses licensed to handle narcotics obtained under the Controlled Substances Act and persons in violation of federal drug laws and regulations.

DEA administers the El Paso Intelligence Center and the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System, both of which are discussed in chapter 4.

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)

FBI can provide information on criminal records and fingerprints, as well as nonrestricted information pertaining to criminal offenses and subversive activities. It also can provide information about foreign fugitives and wanted, missing, and unidentified persons.

FBI administers the National Crime Information Center which maintains information on a variety of subjects, such as stolen vehicles, license plates, and guns. See chapter 4 for more information on the Center.

FBI also maintains the following indexes:

State Criminal History Records,

Criminal History Records of Federal Offenders,

National Stolen Property Index (stolen government property), and

National Fraudulent Check Index.

See also the entries on the Fingerprint Identification Records System and the Interstate Identification Index in chapter 4.

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE (INS)

INS retains the following information: alien registration records in effect since August 27, 1940 (from July 1, 1920, to August 27, 1940, immigrants were given identification cards); lists of passengers and crew on vessels from foreign ports; passenger manifests and declarations (ship, date, and point of entry); naturalization records (names of witnesses to naturalization proceedings and acquaintances of the individual); records of deportation proceedings; and financial statements of aliens and persons sponsoring their entry.

See chapter 4 for information on INS' Central Index System, Law Enforcement Support Center, National Alien Information Lookout System, and Nonimmigrant Information System.

U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE (USMS)

USMS maintains (1) information on individuals wanted as fugitives by the federal government and (2) records on the seizing, managing, and selling of assets forfeited by drug traffickers and other criminals.

U.S. NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAU FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION (USNCB-INTERPOL)

USNCB represents the United States in INTERPOL, operating continuously to provide international support for U.S. law enforcement. USNCB provides an essential communications link between the U.S. police community and its counterparts in over 176 foreign member countries. USNCB, therefore, can request information regarding ownership, previous investigations, vessels possibly involved in narcotics trafficking, cultural property and art work that might have been stolen, and any other information legally releasable from any of the INTERPOL member countries around the world. The degree of information available is determined by the laws of the countries from which the information is requested. USNCB can place an INTERPOL international lookout for persons who have committed an extraditable offense in the United States and are believed to have fled to another country.

Seventeen federal and state law enforcement agencies are part of USNCB, and all 50 states have established INTERPOL liaison offices. The following agencies are part of USNCB: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Criminal Division, DOJ; Environmental Protection Agency; Office of the Inspector General, USDA; Diplomatic Security Service, Department of State; DEA; FBI; Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; Massachusetts State Police; INS; Internal Revenue Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; U.S. Customs Service; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and U.S. Secret Service. For information about the liaison offices, contact USNCB at (202) 616-1051 or 1-800-743-5630.

See chapter 4 for information on the INTERPOL Case Tracking System.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Department of Labor has information about the Federal Employees Compensation Act, Job Partnership Training Act, Occupational Safety Health Act, and Mine Safety Health Act. The Department conducts programs under these acts and retains substantial data on businesses that participate in special work programs with the agency.

Labor organizations must submit to the Department annual financial reports, which include statements of assets and liabilities and statements of receipts and disbursements. They must also complete supporting schedules: loans receivable; other investments; other assets; other liabilities; fixed assets; loans payable; sales of investment and fixed assets; disbursement to officers; disbursement to employees; purchases of investment and fixed assets; benefits; and contributions, gifts, and grants.

The Department's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration conducts inquiries into irregularities and complaints on transgressions of pension law.

The Department's Employment Standards Administration, Wage Hour Division (WHD) works to achieve compliance with labor standards through enforcement, administrative, and educational programs to protect U.S. workers. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. It also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, "whistleblower" provisions of several environmental impact laws, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act, and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services.

The Division of Labor Racketeering (DLR) is a component of the Department's Office of Inspector General. DLR maintains information about labor unions, benefit plans, and related investigations. DLR's mission is to aggressively identify and reduce labor racketeering and corruption in employee benefit plans, labor-management relations, and internal union affairs. Major emphasis is placed on investigations involving benefit plans.

Primary violations investigated by DLR include

payoffs from management to labor officials (Taft-Hartley Act violations);

embezzlement or misapplication of a union's general funds or assets;

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute violations;

false reports on Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) required documents (ERISA is a comprehensive codification of federal law pertaining to employee benefit plans);

use of violence to deprive union members of their rights--including the right to nominate and vote for candidates, attend membership meetings, participate in benefit plans, and examine books and records;

embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, including the participation of ineligible people and payment of charges for services not provided;

illegal payment (kickbacks) to influence the operations of an employee benefit plan by, for example, providing the administrator of the plan payment in exchange for fund business; and

extortion--obstruction of interstate commerce by threat or violence.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The Department of State maintains information on passport records and import and export licenses. The Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security has information on previous investigations conducted by that office.

See chapter 4 for information on the Consular Lookout and Support System.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)

FAA maintains records reflecting the chain of ownership of all civil aircraft in the United States. These records include documents relative to the manufacture, sale, transfer, inspection, and modification of an aircraft, e.g., bill of sale, sales contract, mortgage, and liens.

FAA also maintains records on pilots, aircraft mechanics, flight engineers, and other individuals that it certifies for flight safety positions. These records include information on certificates held by airmen and the medical and law enforcement histories of airmen.

The FAA Compliance Enforcement Program will provide a microfiche listing of registrants and their aircraft tail numbers (N number). This Office can provide the registration history of a given aircraft using the aircraft tail number, serial number, or registrant's name. It can also provide airworthiness information and lien and previous owner data.

U.S. COAST GUARD

The Coast Guard is the primary federal agency with maritime authority for the United States. It is a complex organization of people, ships, aircraft, boats, and shore stations that responds to tasks in several mission and program areas, including interdiction of drug smugglers and illegal immigrants.

The U.S. Coast Guard maintains the following information:

records on documented U.S. vessels,

names of merchant mariners on U.S. vessels and investigative records pertaining to them,

records relating to maritime drug smuggling, and

records on criminal investigations.

See chapter 4 for information on the Joint Maritime Information Element, which the Coast Guard manages.

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (FHWA)

FHWA, Office of Motor Carriers, licenses, regulates, inspects, and registers all motor carriers operating in interstate commerce. It keeps records of its inspections of motor carriers and a history of violations of each carrier.

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS (ATF)

ATF retains (1) data on distilleries, wineries, breweries, manufacturers of tobacco products, wholesale and retail dealers of alcoholic beverages, and certain other manufacturers, dealers, and users of alcohol; (2) investigative reports on alleged violations under its jurisdiction; (3) data on federally licensed firearms manufacturers, importers, and dealers; and (4) data on federally licensed explosive manufacturers, importers, and dealers.

ATF can trace firearms that have a serial number and that were manufactured or imported--from the manufacturer or importer--to the retailer after 1968. It can trace explosives materials from the manufacturer to the distributor and/or user. ATF also maintains records on federal firearms and explosive license holders, including manufacturers, importers, and dealers.

See chapter 4 for information on ATF's National Tracing Center.

BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing can assist law enforcement with tracking currency from its printing offices to federal reserve banks. The Bureau maintains computer files on all currency research that is done at the request of law enforcement agencies. If a match is made, e.g., by serial numbers, the Bureau will notify the law enforcement agency of the match. Currency search requests should be sent to the Office of Security, Investigative Branch; Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Room 510-A; 301 14th Street, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20228.

BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC DEBT

The Bureau of the Public Debt maintains information on purchased and redeemed U.S. savings bonds (registered bonds), marketable securities, and special securities. Information maintained includes the series of bonds involved and the surname, given name, middle name or initial, and address of each person in whose name bonds were purchased. The following table shows the period during which various series of bonds were sold.

**Table 2.1: Sale Dates of U.S. Savings Bond Series**
Government Bond Series	Period Bond Offered
A	March 1935 through December 1935
B	January 1936 through December 1936
C	January 1937 through December 1938
D	January 1939 through April 1941
E	May 1941 through June 1980
EE	January 1980 to present (ongoing)
F	May 1941 through April 1952
G	May 1941 through April 1952
H	June 1952 through December 1979
HH	January 1980 to present (ongoing)
J	May 1952 through April 1957
K	May 1952 through April 1957

FINANCIAL CRIMES ENFORCEMENT NETWORK (FINCEN)

FinCEN--an organization established by the Department of the Treasury--collects, analyzes, and disseminates intelligence on financial crimes. Its mission is to provide a governmentwide, multisource intelligence and analytical network to support law enforcement agencies in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of financial crimes. The participating agencies are the ATF, DEA, FBI, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs Service, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Secret Service.

FinCEN uses the majority of its resources to assist agencies in their investigations of financial aspects of the illegal narcotics trade. FinCEN then prioritizes investigations of such nonnarcotic crimes as money laundering offenses, Bank Secrecy Act violations, and other offenses of a financial nature, e.g., tax and tariff violations; corruption; treason; and bankruptcy, financial institution, and government contract fraud. In both the narcotic and nonnarcotic areas, FinCEN concentrates on investigations of national or international criminal organizations.

FinCEN produces two types of products--tactical support and strategic analysis. Its tactical support reports either (1) provide information and leads on criminal organizations and activities that are under investigation by law enforcement organizations or (2) proactively identify previously undetected criminal organizations and activities so that investigations can be initiated. These FinCEN reports will assist agencies in identifying assets for seizure and forfeiture purposes and in supporting ongoing investigations. During its strategic analyses, FinCEN collects, processes, analyzes, and develops intelligence on the merging trends, patterns, and issues related to activities such as financial crimes and money laundering.

FinCEN's financial database has information from reports that are required to be filed under the Bank Secrecy Act, including the Currency Transaction Report, Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments, Currency Transaction Report by Casinos, and Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Furthermore, FinCEN has access to data from Internal Revenue Service Form 8300 (Reports of Cash Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business).

FinCEN can be contacted at (800) SOS-BUCK (767-2825) or (703) 905-3520.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE (FMS)

FMS reconciles all government checks paid by the U.S. Treasury and processes all subsequent claims of forgery and non-receipt. It maintains photocopies of canceled U.S. government checks. However, original checks that have been determined to be forgeries are maintained by the U.S. Secret Service, also a Treasury bureau. When information must be obtained for the issuing disbursing office, the investigation may be expedited by asking that office to obtain the photocopy of the original check. In lieu of the original check, FMS' Check Claims Branch can provide a certified microfilm copy of the check which is recognized and accepted in most courts of law. FMS charges a nominal fee for providing check copies.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)

There are two distinct law enforcement functions within the IRS: the Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Security.

The Criminal Investigation Division investigates allegations of violations of the Internal Revenue Code as it relates to income tax, the Bank Secrecy Act, and money laundering statutes. The division's special agents possess financial investigative abilities that enable them to solve crimes by following the money trail. Armed with these financial investigative skills and clearly defined statutory jurisdiction, this IRS division works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations to solve crimes such as public corruption, telemarketing fraud, health care fraud, income tax evasion, and those that are narcotics-related.

IRS Internal Security inspectors work for the Chief Inspector. Their mission is to protect the integrity of the IRS, its system, and its employees. They do this by investigating allegations of attempts to bribe IRS employees and allegations of employee misconduct.

OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regulates national banks and maintains information concerning them. National bank examinations are made to determine banks' financial positions and to evaluate bank assets. Bank examiners' reports contain information about bank records, loans, and operations.

In view of their purpose and the basis on which they are obtained, reports of national bank examinations and related correspondence and papers are considered confidential. Requests for these documents should include the subject's name and address, the information desired, the reason it is needed, and the intended use.

U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE

Customs retains the following data:

names of businesses that are involved in imports and exports,

lists/records of importers and exporters,

lists of suspects,

records of seized smuggled property, and

declaration forms.

Customs' Office of Investigations investigates alleged violations of import and export practices. The office's special agents participate in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

See chapter 4 for information on the Treasury Enforcement Communications System, which is managed by Customs.

U.S. SECRET SERVICE

The Secret Service is responsible for investigating the counterfeiting of currency and securities; forgery and altering of government checks and bonds; thefts and fraud relating to Treasury electronic funds transfers; financial access, telecommunications, computer, and telemarketing fraud; fraud concerning federally insured financial institutions; and other criminal and noncriminal cases.

The Secret Service investigates financial systems crimes, including bank fraud; access device fraud; telemarketing and telecommunications fraud (cellular and hard wire); computer fraud; crimes involving automated payment systems, teller machines, and direct deposits; forgery; alteration, false personation, or false claims involving U.S. Treasury checks, U.S. savings bonds, U.S. Treasury notes, bonds, and bills. The Secret Service also investigates electronic funds transfers, including Treasury disbursements and fraud within Treasury payment systems; fraud involving U.S. Department of Agriculture food coupons and Authority to Participate cards; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigations; Farm Credit Administration violations; and fraud and related activity in connection with identification and seizure. Further, the Secret Service coordinates the activities of the U.S. Secret Service Organized Crimes Program and oversees money laundering investigations.

The Secret Service has concurrent jurisdiction with DOJ to investigate fraud against any federally insured financial institution. Agents of the Secret Service review thousands of criminal referrals submitted by Department of the Treasury regulators.

The Secret Service maintains records pertaining to counterfeit, forgery, and U.S. security violation cases. The Secret Service's central files in Washington, D.C. contain about 100,000 handwriting specimens from known forgers. An electronic information retrieval system facilitates the comparison of questioned handwriting with the examples on file, for identification purposes.

As part of the 1995 Crime Bill, Congress mandated the Secret Service to provide forensic/technical assistance--to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Morgan P. Hardiman Task Force, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children--in matters involving missing and sexually exploited children. Much of the forensic assistance is used in the United States by the Secret Service's Forensic Services Division. The forensic technology allows the document examiner to scan and digitize text and writings, and later search that material against previously recorded writings. As a result, Secret Service created a national handwriting repository for comparison purposes for handwritten letters in these types of cases.

The Forensic Services Division also operates a hybrid Automated Fingerprint Identification System, the largest of its kind, which is composed of remote latent fingerprint terminals providing connection to fingerprint databases with access to more than 25 million fingerprints. Division staff can search latent fingerprints, developed in cases involving missing and sexually exploited children, through this system for identification purposes.

Other services offered by this program are polygraph consultation or assistance; photographic, graphic, age progression/regression; and voice and image enhancement technology.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)

VA retains records of loans, tuition payments, insurance payments, and nonrestricted medical data related to disability pensions. These records are available at regional offices in several specific large metropolitan areas throughout the country. The data, including photocopies, may be obtained by writing or visiting the appropriate regional office.

All requests should include a statement covering the need and intended use of the information. The statement should clearly identify the veteran and, if available, include the veteran's VA claim number, date of birth, branch of service, and enlistment and discharge dates.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND RELATED FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS AND CORPORATIONS

BANKS

The relationship between banks and their customers is confidential and privileged. Generally, information from banks may be obtained only by subpoena. The release of information may be subject to the Right to Financial Privacy Act (12 U.S.C. 3401-3422).

The following types of records and information are available from banks.

Central master files of customers (depositors, debtors, and safe-deposit box holders) are maintained by the bank. The bank usually requires the customer's consent, a search warrant, or a court order before an authorized bank official can open a safe-deposit box. A record of entry to a safe-deposit box can be obtained by subpoena.

Bank account applications can provide handwriting samples and certain personal information about the customer, depending on the type of account. Bank account records reflect date of deposit, amounts of currency and checks, and dates and amounts of withdrawals.

When currency in excess of $10,000 is deposited in a bank account, the customer is required to complete a Department of the Treasury Form 4789, Currency Transaction Report (CTR). The CTR specifies the depositor's name, address, social security number, and birthdate, and records the total amount of the transaction and various other information. The bank is to retain CTRs and forward copies to the Department of the Treasury.

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES (EX-IM BANK)

Ex-Im Bank is an independent U.S. government agency that helps finance the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services. Its mission is to create jobs through exports. It provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters and it guarantees the repayment of loans or makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. Ex-Im Bank maintains information about U.S exporters and foreign buyers who are in good standing or who have defaulted on payments.

FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION

The Farm Credit Administration is the independent federal regulator responsible for examining and ensuring the safety and soundness of all Farm Credit System institutions. The agency is funded by the lending institutions it regulates. The Farm Credit System is a nationwide financial cooperative that lends to agriculture and rural America, providing more than $60 billion in loans to some 500,000 borrowers, including farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agricultural cooperatives, rural utility systems, and agribusinesses.

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC)

FDIC is a federally chartered corporation with two major functions: (1) to determine the safety and soundness of financial institutions and (2) to solve the problems created by insolvent institutions and recover funds through the management and ultimate sale of the institutions' assets. FDIC maintains information on FDIC-regulated banks and failed FDIC-insured banks, including their ownership and officers, the identities of loan borrowers, and previous investigations. In addition, FDIC is the successor organization and custodian of records for the former Resolution Trust Corporation, a similarly chartered corporation that liquidated the assets of failed savings institutions from August 1989 until December 31, 1995.

FDIC-insured banks and FDIC savings associations are examined periodically by FDIC examiners. Each examination includes an appraisal of management, directors, officers, and staff. The reports of examination contain an alphabetical list of all directors, officers, and principal employees. The examiner also comments on the capabilities of each individual, gives his/her approximate age, and cites other business affiliations. Additionally, the examiner completes a form on each individual, setting forth his/her estimated net worth, par value of stock owned, and salary.

Inquiries regarding types of records available to the public (including records available under the Freedom of Information Act) should be directed to the appropriate FDIC regional office or to the Office of the Executive Secretary, which can be contacted at (202) 898-3687.

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

The Federal Reserve System is a valuable source of information on banks and bank holding companies. The Federal Reserve has supervisory responsibility over domestic and international operations of all member banks, Edge Act and agreement corporations, U.S.-bank holding companies, and over many of the U.S. activities of foreign banking organizations. The Federal Reserve conducts joint examinations with state agencies or alternates annual examinations with those agencies and cooperates with the states in other areas to reduce duplication and overlap in the examination and supervision of state-chartered banks.

The examination of a depository institution generally entails (1) an appraisal of the soundness of the institution's assets; (2) an evaluation of internal operations, policies, and management; (3) an analysis of key financial factors such as capital, earnings, liquidity, and interest rate sensitivity; (4) a review for compliance with all banking laws and regulations; and (5) an overall determination of the institution's solvency. In addition to these examinations for the general safety and soundness of state member banks and bank holding companies, the Federal Reserve conducts special examinations of state member banks in certain areas such as consumer affairs; activities of trust departments, stock transfer agents, and municipal securities dealers; and electronic data processing. The Federal Reserve also is the primary supervisor for bank holding companies.

In addition to quarterly reports on condition (which are available to the public), banks and bank holding companies examination reports may be requested for official agency use under the Federal Reserve Board of Governor's rules regarding availability of information.

NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION (NCUA)

NCUA regulates, insures, and supervises all federal credit unions, as well as state-chartered credit unions that apply for its insurance. NCUA has two reporting requirements: federally insured credit unions with more than $50 million in assets must file quarterly reports and those with assets totalling less than $50 million must file semiannually.

INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION (CFTC)

CFTC maintains the following information:

registration information concerning firms and individuals,

administrative and injunctive actions filed by CFTC against firms and individuals,

financial reports filed by CFTC registrants, and

consumer complaints filed against CFTC registrants.

The National Futures Association, a self-regulatory organization authorized by the Commodity Exchange Act, operates under the supervision of the CFTC and is a one-stop information source for registration and disciplinary information regarding firms and individuals in the futures industry. This information includes registration status and employment history; disciplinary actions filed by the association, the CFTC, and the commodity exchanges; and customer complaints filed under the CFTC's reparations program. The association's information center can be contacted at (800) 621-3570 or, in Illinois, at (312) 781-1410.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)

FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It investigates and studies all phases of communication problems and the best methods of obtaining the cooperation and coordination of radio and wire communication systems, including those relative to police, fire, and forestry.

The FCC staff is organized, by function, into six operating bureaus: Mass Media, Cable Services, Common Carrier, Compliance and Information, Wireless Telecommunications, and International. The various bureaus maintain data on licensees and users of communication frequencies that include the licensing of radio/telephone circuits and their assigned frequencies for operations.

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

The Federal Maritime Commission investigates applicants for licenses to engage in oceangoing freight-forwarding activities. Applicants provide information to the Commission covering many aspects of their history, including the names and residences of all corporate officers and directors, names of partnership members or individual proprietors, names of direct holders of five percent or more of company stock, names of stockholders with beneficial interest in shipments moving in U.S. foreign export commerce, and employment history of license applicants.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA)

GSA has considerable information on architects, engineers, personal property auctioneers, real estate appraisers, construction contractors, sales brokers, and businesses that contract with GSA. GSA also maintains a computerized List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs.

See chapter 4 for discussions on the List and the Federal Procurement Data Center.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

Over 85 percent of NASA's multibillion dollar budget goes to NASA's contractors. Procurement files maintained by its procurement office contain information about individual firms and their employees.

NASA requires that contractors submit with the proposals their qualifications and resumes of the personnel who will be directly assigned to the project. The resumes should include each person's educational background, work experience, length of service with the firm, and work projects.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

The National Archives and Records Administration operates federal records centers throughout the country, including the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Office of the Federal Register in Washington, D.C. It also operates regional archives and the presidential libraries.

The Federal Register is the medium for notifying the public of official agency actions; all federal regulations must be published in it. The Office of the Federal Register provides a periodic workshop on the use of the Federal Register as an information source. A handbook on the uses of the Federal Register is also available. For information, call (202) 523-5240.

NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION (AMTRAK)

Amtrak maintains information on passengers' reservation histories, method of payment, and dates of travel; the railroad industry; railroad contractors, subcontractors, and vendors; and train routes and schedules.

Amtrak police have access to records of all Amtrak employees. To contact Amtrak police regarding the Amtrak National Communications Center or investigation and police report records, call 1-800-331-0008.

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC)

NRC regulates commercial nuclear power reactors; nonpower research reactors; fuel-cycle facilities; medical, academic, and industrial uses of nuclear materials; and the transport, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste. NRC also maintains applications and licenses of persons and companies that export nuclear material and equipment from the United States.

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC)

SEC maintains public records of corporations with stock and securities sold to the public. These records include the following:

financial statements,

identification of officers and directors,

identification of owners of more than 10 percent of a corporation's stock,

a description of the registrant's properties and businesses,

a description of the significant provisions of the security to be offered for sale and its relationship to the registrant's other capital securities,

identification of events of interest to investors,

identification of accountants and attorneys, and

a history of the business.

SEC maintains files on individuals and firms that have been reported to it as having violated federal or state securities laws. The information contained in these files pertains to official actions taken against such persons and firms, including denials, refusals, suspensions, and revocations of registrations; injunctions, fraud orders, stop orders, and cease and desist orders; and arrests, indictments, convictions, sentences, and other official actions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission Summary lists the changes in beneficial ownership by officers, directors, and principal stockholders of securities listed and registered on a national securities exchange or those relating to public utility companies and certain closed-end investment companies.

Copies of the documents maintained by SEC are available at its regional or branch offices in the following cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort Worth, Texas; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; New York, New York; Seattle, Washington; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Corporate filings include the following:

Annual Report of Publicly Traded Company (Form 10-K)--excerpts or complete report via DIALOG or LEXIS databases, both of which are discussed in chapter 4;

Quarterly Report of Publicly Traded Company (Form 10-Q)--same as Form 10-K;

Special Events in Re Publicly Traded Company (Form 8-K)--transactions resulting in change of controlling interest;

Registration of Security (Form 8-A)--prospectus, data relative to the issuer;

Registration of Security by the Successor to (Form 8-B)--name of issuer, relationship to primary registrant/issuer;

Special Events in Re Foreign Security (Form 6-K)--information similar to Forms 10-K and 8-K, except the security is registered under other U.S. law; and

Report of Acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of 5% or More of Capital Stock of Public Company (Form 13-D)--identity of each person or firm acquiring beneficial ownership of 5 percent or more of capital stock or constituting a group that acquires such beneficial ownership; description of security; agreements or other undertakings by reporting entity; whether acquisition results in change of control; background on each person reporting; and sources of funds for acquisition, purpose of acquisition, and relationship of parties.

See chapter 4 for information on SEC's Securities Information Center.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA)

SBA guarantees loans made by commercial lenders to eligible small businesses; makes loans to businesses and individuals following federally-declared disasters; and licenses investment companies to provide venture capital to eligible small businesses. SBA also (1) connects small firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged Americans with contracts set aside by other federal agencies and (2) seeks to increase federal contract opportunities for small businesses in general. SBA-guaranteed loans are made by private-sector lenders, with SBA promising to reimburse a specified percentage of any amount lost by the lender. By law, the amount of SBA's guaranty under its most popular and least restricted lending program is limited to $750,000 and the loan maturity to 25 years.

SBA may be the best source of financial and other information about the small businesses (and their principals) to which it provides assistance; many of them are exempt from public disclosure laws because of their smallness. Records on businesses and individuals that have received SBA assistance are maintained by the division that administers the program involved. The local SBA district office maintains most records. Contact the local office of SBA's Office of Inspector General, Investigations Division, for assistance in obtaining records and other information.

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (SSA)

SSA retains original applications for social security numbers. Applications list an applicant's name (maiden and married names for a female), birthdate, birthplace, sex, race, parents' names, and address at time of application.

The first three digits of a social security number indicate its assigned area of issuance. The following table lists the states and their assigned social security numbers. (Note that some states and Puerto Rico have more than one series of numbers.)

**Table 2.2: Designated Geographic Areas for Social Security Number Issuance**
Number(s)^a	Area^b	Number(s)^a	Area^b
001-003	New Hampshire	425-428, 587, 588^c	Mississippi
004-007	Maine	429-432, 676-679^c	Arkansas
008-009	Vermont	433-439, 659-665^c	Louisiana
010-034	Massachusetts	440-448	Oklahoma
035-039	Rhode Island	449-467, 627-645	Texas
040-049	Connecticut	468-477	Minnesota
050-134	New York	478-485	Iowa
135-158	New Jersey	486-500	Missouri
159-211	Pennsylvania	501-502	North Dakota
212-220	Maryland	503-504	South Dakota
221-222	Delaware	505-508	Nebraska
223-231, 691-699^c	Virginia	509-515	Kansas
232 - 236	West Virginia	516-517	Montana
232, 237-246	North Carolina	518-519	Idaho
247-251, 654-658^c	South Carolina	520	Wyoming
252-260, 667-675^c	Georgia	521-524, 650-653	Colorado
261-267, 589-595	Florida	525, 585, 648-649	New Mexico
268-302	Ohio	526-527	Arizona
303-317	Indiana	525-529, 646-647	Utah
318-361	Illinois	530, 680^c	Nevada
362-386	Michigan	531-539	Washington
387-399	Wisconsin	540-544	Oregon
400-407	Kentucky	545-573, 602-626	California
408-415, 756-763^c	Tennessee	574	Alaska
416-424	Alabama	575-576, 750-751^c	Hawaii
577-579	District of Columbia	586	American Samoa
580	Virgin Islands	586	Northern Mariana Islands
580-584, 596-599	Puerto Rico	586, 617	Philippine Islands
586	Guam	700-728^d	Railroad Board

^a Any number beginning with 000 will never be a valid social security number.

^b When an area is shown more than once, it means that either (1) certain numbers have been transferred from one state to another or (2) an area has been divided for use among certain geographic locations.

^c New areas allocated, but not yet issued.

^d Issuance of these numbers to railroad employees was discontinued July 1, 1963.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND U.S. POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

The U.S. Postal Service maintains the names and addresses of post office box holders and change of address information. It can verify that an individual is receiving mail at a particular address.

Requests for photocopies of postal money orders may be made through the local office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Information concerning the mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers of U.S. Postal Inspection Service offices nationwide is available on the U.S. Postal Inspection Service home page on the World Wide Web.

Information concerning missing U.S. and Canadian money order forms, counterfeit Canadian money order forms, and Invalid Express Mail Accounts can be found on the U.S. Postal Service home page on the World Wide Web.

The Postal Inspection Service, through the Judicial Officer, is empowered under 39 U.S.C. 3005 to issue false presentation orders and cease and desist orders in cases where the mail is being used to obtain money from the public by means of false and fraudulent statements. The orders (1) require mail to be returned to the sender, (2) forbid payment of postal money orders connected to the scheme, (3) require the return of money to those who purchased the money orders, and (4) require that cited schemes cease.

Postal regulations require commercial mail-receiving agencies to complete a PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through an Agent. The data from that form, which includes personal identification information and references for a specific individual, can be made available to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers of Postal Inspection Service offices nationwide are available on the World Wide Web.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES

U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (GAO)

GAO's World Wide Web home page provides access to recent GAO audit products and Comptroller General decisions, as well as information on how to order paper copies of both recent and older GAO products. In addition, GAO audit products from fiscal year 1995 forward and recent decisions are available in electronic form at the Government Printing Office's Internet site. GAO products, including those not available on the Internet, may also be ordered by calling (202) 512-6000 or TDD (301) 413-0006.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE (GPO)

GPO produces and procures printed and electronic publications for the Congress and federal departments and establishments. It prepares catalogs and distributes and sells government publications in printed and electronic formats. Electronic databases prepared for printing are premastered for CD-ROM replication and are used to provide on-line access.

GPO sells--through mail orders and government bookstores--approximately 20,000 different printed and electronic publications that originate in various government agencies. Orders and inquiries concerning publications and subscriptions for sale should be mailed to Superintendent of Documents, GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402 or called in to (202) 512-1800. GPO also administers the depository library program through which selected government publications are made available, free of charge, in approximately 1,400 libraries throughout the country.

The GPO Access service provides on-line access to key publications of the federal government, including the Congressional Record and the Federal Register, through the Internet. For information about this service, contact the GPO Access support team at (202) 512-1530.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

FEDERAL COURTS

The federal court system has three basic levels: the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals (by circuits), and the U.S. District Courts.

The U.S. District Court has exclusive jurisdiction in bankruptcy, maritime and admiralty, patents, copyright penalties, fines under federal law, and proceedings against consuls and vice consuls of foreign states. In addition, it has jurisdiction when the United States or a national bank is a party and when the law specifically states that the U.S. District Court has original jurisdiction.

In addition, some special courts, such as the following, handle specific matters.

The U.S. Tax Court adjudicates controversies involving assessment and payment of various taxes.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces is an appellate criminal court that serves as the final tribunal to review court-martial convictions of all the Armed Forces.

In the federal bankruptcy courts, bankruptcy judges preside over all cases under Title 11, United States Code, in addition to other bankruptcy matters referred by the district court.

The table below lists federal courts throughout the United States and their postal addresses.

**Table 2.3: Directory of U.S. Courts**
Location	Postal Address
COURTS OF APPEAL
Federal Circuit (United States)	Washington, D.C. 20439
District of Columbia Circuit (District of Columbia)	Washington, D.C. 20001
First Circuit (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico)	Boston, MA 02109
Second Circuit (Connecticut, New York, and Vermont)	New York, NY 10007
Third Circuit (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Virgin Islands)	Philadelphia, PA 19106
Fourth Circuit (Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia)	Richmond, VA 23219
Fifth Circuit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas)	New Orleans, LA 70130
Sixth Circuit (Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee)	Cincinnati, OH 45202
Seventh Circuit (Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin)	Chicago, IL 60604
Eighth Circuit (Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota)	St. Louis, MO 63101
Ninth Circuit (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands)	San Francisco, CA 94102
Tenth Circuit (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming)	Denver, CO 80294
Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Florida, and Georgia)	Atlanta, GA 30303
DISTRICT COURTS
Alabama Northern District Middle District Southern District	Birmingham, AL 35203 Montgomery, AL 36101 Mobile, AL 36602
Alaska	Anchorage, AK 99513
Arizona	Phoenix, AZ 85025
Arkansas Eastern District Western District	Little Rock, AR 72203 Fort Smith, AR 72902
California Northern District Eastern District Central District Southern District	San Francisco, CA 94102 Sacramento, CA 95814 Los Angeles, CA 90012 San Diego, CA 92101
Colorado	Denver, CO 80294
Connecticut	New Haven, CT 06510
Delaware	Wilmington, DE 19801
District of Columbia	Washington, DC 20001
Florida Northern District Middle District Southern District	Tallahassee, FL 32301 Jacksonville, FL 32201 Miami, FL 33128
Georgia Northern District Middle District Southern District	Atlanta, GA 30303 Macon, GA 31202 Savannah, GA 31412
Guam	Agana, GU 96910
Hawaii	Honolulu, HI 96850
Idaho	Boise, ID 83724
Illinois Northern District Southern District Central District	Chicago, IL 60604 East St. Louis, IL 62202 Springfield, IL 62701
Indiana Northern District Southern District	South Bend, IN 46601 Indianapolis, IN 46204
Iowa Northern District Southern District	Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Des Moines, IA 50309
Kansas	Wichita, KS 67202
Kentucky Eastern District Western District	Lexington, KY 40596 Louisville, KY 40202
Louisiana Eastern District Middle District Western District	New Orleans, LA 70130 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Shreveport, LA 71101
Maine	Portland, ME 04101
Maryland	Baltimore, MD 21201
Massachusetts	Boston, MA 02109
Michigan Eastern District Western District	Detroit, MI 48226 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Minnesota	St. Paul, MN 55101
Mississippi Northern District Southern District	Oxford, MS 38655 Jackson, MS 39201
Missouri Eastern District Western District	St. Louis, MO 63101 Kansas City, MO 64106
Montana	Billings, MT 59101
Nebraska	Omaha, NE 68101
Nevada	Las Vegas, NV 89101
New Hampshire	Concord, NH 03301
New Jersey	Newark, NJ 07102
New Mexico	Albuquerque, NM 87103
New York Northern District Eastern District Southern District Western District	Syracuse, NY 13261 Brooklyn, NY 11201 New York, NY 10007 Buffalo, NY 14202
North Carolina Eastern District Middle District Western District	Raleigh, NC 27611 Greensboro, NC 27402 Asheville, NC 28801
North Dakota	Bismarck, ND 58502
Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan, N. Mar. I. 96950
Ohio Northern District Southern District	Cleveland, OH 44114 Columbus, OH 43215
Oklahoma Northern District Eastern District Western District	Tulsa, OK 74103 Muskogee, OK 74402 Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Oregon	Portland, OR 97205
Pennsylvania Eastern District Middle District Western District	Philadelphia, PA 19106 Scranton, PA 18501 Pittsburgh, PA 15230
Puerto Rico	Hato Rey, PR 00918
Rhode Island	Providence, RI 02903
South Carolina	Columbia, SC 29201
South Dakota	Sioux Falls, SD 57102
Tennessee Eastern District Middle District Western District	Knoxville, TN 37901 Nashville, TN 37203 Memphis, TN 38103
Texas Northern District Southern District Eastern District Western District	Dallas, TX 75242 Houston, TX 77208 Tyler, TX 75702 San Antonio, TX 78206
Utah	Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Vermont	Burlington, VT 05402
Virgin Islands	St. Thomas, VI 00801
Virginia Eastern District Western District	Alexandria, VA 22320 Roanoke, VA 24006
Washington Eastern District Western District	Spokane, WA 99210 Seattle, WA 98104
West Virginia Northern District Southern District	Elkins, WV 26241 Charleston, WV 25329
Wisconsin Eastern District Western District	Milwaukee, WI 53202 Madison, WI 53701
Wyoming	Cheyenne, WY 82001

INSPECTORS GENERAL

The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, created offices of Inspector General at federal agencies. Also, some legislative branch agencies, such as GAO, have established offices of inspector general. Their mission is to increase the economy and efficiency of agency programs and decrease fraud, waste, and abuse in federal departments, agencies, and designated entities. Offices of inspector general are sources of information about businesses and related individuals they have investigated or audited. Most offices of inspector general maintain centralized index and case file systems. IGnet, hosted by SBA, provides centralized Internet access to information about the federal inspectors general and links to related Internet sites. The following table lists inspectors general and

**Table 2.4: Federal Inspectors General**
Federal Entity/Mailing Address^a	Telephone Number	Fax Number	Hotline Number(s)
Agency for International Development 320 21st Street, N.W., Room 5756NS Washington, D.C. 20523	(202) 647-7844	(202) 647-5948	(800) 230-6539 (703) 875-4999
Agriculture, Department of 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 117-W Washington, D.C. 20250-2301	(202) 720-8001	(202) 690-1278	(800) 424-9121 (202) 690-1622 Hearing Impaired (202) 690-1202
Amtrak 400 North Capitol Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001-1511	(202) 906-4600	(202) 906-4564	(800) 468-5469
Appalachian Regional Commission 1666 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Room 215 Washington, D.C. 20235	(202) 884-7675	(202) 884-7691	(800) 532-4611 (202) 884-7667
Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505	(703) 874-2553	(703) 734-9649	None
Commerce, Department of Room 7898C 14th & Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230-0002	(202) 482-4661	(202) 482-0567	(800) 424-5197 (202) 482-2497 Hearing Impaired (800) 854-8407
Commodity Futures Trading Commission 3 Lafayette Centre 1155 21st St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20581	(202) 418-5110	(202) 418-5522	(202) 418-5510
Consumer Product Safety Commission 4330 East West Highway Bethesda, MD 20814-4408	(301) 504-0573	(301) 504-0107	(301) 504-0573
Corporation for National Service 1201 New York Avenue, N.W. Suite 8100 Washington, D.C. 20525	(202) 606-5000 ext. 445	(202) 565-2795	(800) 452-8210
Corporation for Public Broadcasting 901 E Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004-2037	(202) 879-9669	(202) 737-2902	(800) 599-2170 (202) 783-5408
Defense, Department of 400 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202-2884	(703) 604-8300	(703) 604-8310	(800) 424-9098
Education, Department of 600 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20202-1510	(202) 205-5439	(202) 260-3821	(800) 647-8733 (202) 205-5770
Energy, Department of 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20585	(202) 586-4393	(202) 586-0948	(800) 541-1625 (202) 586-4073
Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20460	(202) 260-3137	(202) 260-0711	(202) 260-4977
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1801 L Street, N.W., Room 3001 Washington, D.C. 20507	(202) 663-4379	(202) 663-7204	(800) 849-4230 (202) 663-7020
Farm Credit Administration 1501 Farm Credit Drive McLean, VA 22102-5090	(703) 883-4030	(703) 883-4059	(800) 437-7322 (703) 883-4316
Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20554	(202) 418-0470	(202) 418-2811	(888) 863-2244 (202) 418-0473
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 801 17th Street, N.W., Room 1096 Washington, D.C. 20434-0001	(202) 416-2026	(202) 416-2906	(800) 964-3342
Federal Election Commission 999 E Street, N.W., Room 940 Washington, D.C. 20463-0001	(202) 219-4267	(202) 501-8134	(202) 219-4267
Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street, S.W., Room 825 Washington, D.C. 20472-0001	(202) 646-3910	(202) 646-3298	(800) 323-8603
Federal Housing Finance Board 1777 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006-5210	(202) 408-2544	(202) 408-2972	(800) 276-8329 (202) 408-2900
Federal Labor Relations Authority 607 14th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20424-0001	(202) 482-6570	(202) 482-6573	(800) 331-3572 (202) 482-6570
Federal Maritime Commission 800 North Capitol Street, N.W. Room 1072 Washington, D.C. 20573-0001	(202) 523-5863	(202) 566-0043	(202) 523-5865
Federal Reserve Board 20th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Mail Stop 300 Washington, D.C. 20551-0001	(202) 973-5001	(202) 973-5044	(800) 827-3340 (202) 452-6400
Federal Trade Commission 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room H-494 Washington, D.C. 20580	(202) 326-2800	(202) 326-2034	(202) 326-2800
General Accounting Office 441 G Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20548	(202) 512-5748	(202) 512-2539	(202) 512-7470 (800) 424-5454
General Services Administration 18th and F Streets, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20405	(202) 501-0450	(202) 208-7607	(800) 424-5210 (202) 501-1780
Government Printing Office Building 3, Room C551 732 North Capitol Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20401	(202) 512-0039	(202) 512-1352	(800) 743-7574
Health and Human Services, Department of 330 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 5250 Washington, D.C. 20201	(202) 619-3148	(202) 619-0521	(800) HHS-TIPS
Housing and Urban Development, Department of 451 7th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20410-4500	(202) 708-0430	(202) 401-2505	(800) 347-3735 (202) 708-4200
Interior, Department of the 1849 C Street, N.W. Mail Stop 5341 Washington, D.C. 20240	(202) 208-5745	(202) 219-3856	(800) 424-5081 TDD (800) 354-0996 (202) 208-5300
International Trade Commission, U.S. 500 E Street, S.W., Room 515 Washington, D.C. 20436	(202) 205-2210	(202) 205-1859	(202) 205-2217
Justice, Department of 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 4706 Washington, D.C. 20530	(202) 514-3435	(202) 514-4001	(800) 869-4499
Labor, Department of 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210	(202) 219-7296	(202) 219-5130	(800) 347-3756 (202) 219-5227
Legal Services Corporation 750 First Street, N.E., 10th Floor Washington, D.C. 20002-4250	(202) 336-8830	(202) 336-8955	(800) 678-8868 (202) 336-8936
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 300 E Street, S.W., Room 8V69 Washington, D.C. 20546	(202) 358-1220	(202) 358-2767	(800) 424-9183
National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 1300 College Park, MD 20740-6001	(301) 713-7300	(301) 713-7320	(800) 786-2551 (301) 713-6667
National Credit Union Administration 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3428	(703) 518-6350	(703) 518-6349	(703) 518-6357 (800) 778-4806
National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 528 Washington, D.C. 20506	(202) 682-5402	(202) 682-5649	None
National Endowment for the Humanities 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 419 Washington, D.C. 20506	(202) 606-8350	(202) 606-8329	(202) 606-8423
National Labor Relations Board 1099 14th Street, N.W., Room 9820 Washington, D.C. 20570	(202) 273-1960	(202) 273-2344	(800) 736-2983
National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1135 Arlington, VA 22230-0002	(703) 306-2100	(703) 306-0649	(703) 306-2004
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop T5D28 Washington, D.C. 20555-0002	(301) 415-5930	(301) 415-5091	(800) 233-3497
Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street, N.W., Room 6400 Washington, D.C. 20415-0001	(202) 606-1200	(202) 606-2153	(202) 606-2423 Health insurance fraud - (202) 418-3300
Panama Canal Commission (in Panama) Unit 2300 APO AA 34011-2300	(800) 622-2625 ext. 272-3142	None	(800) 622-2625 ext. 272-7801 Pan. 272-7801
Peace Corps 1990 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20526	(202) 606-3320	(202) 606-2459	(800) 233-5874
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 1200 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005	(202) 326-4030	(202) 326-4033	(800) 303-9737
Postal Service, U.S. 475 L'Enfant Plaza, Room 2016 Washington, D.C. 20260-0020	(202) 268-5600	(202) 268-5623	(202) 268-6686
Railroad Retirement Board 844 North Rush Street, Room 450 Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092	(312) 751-4690	(312) 751-4342	(800) 772-4258 (312) 751-4336
Securities and Exchange Commission 450 5th Street, N.W. (11-7) Washington, D.C. 20549	(202) 942-4460	(202) 942-9653	None
Small Business Administration 409 3rd Street, S.W., Room 7150 Washington, D.C. 20416-0005	(202) 205-6586	(202) 205-7382	(800) 767-0385 (202) 205-7151
Smithsonian Institution 955 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Room 7600 Mail Stop 905 Washington, D.C. 20560-0001	(202) 287-3326	(202) 287-3017	(202) 287-3676
Social Security Administration 6401 Security Boulevard, Suite 300 Altmeyer Building Baltimore, MD 21235	(410) 966-8337	(410) 966-9201	(800) 269-0271 SSA employee (800) 772-1213 SSA program
State, Department of Room 6817 2201 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20520-0001	(202) 647-9450	(202) 647-7660	(202) 647-3320
Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902-1499	(423) 632-4120	(423) 632-4130	(800) 323-3835
Transportation, Department of 400 7th Street, S.W., Room 9210 Washington, D.C. 20590	(202) 366-1959	(202) 366-3912	(800) 424-9071 (202) 366-1461
Treasury, Department of the 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Main Treasury Building Room 2418 Washington, D.C. 20220-0002	(202) 622-1090	(202) 622-2073	(800) 359-3898
Veterans Affairs, Department of 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20420-0001	(202) 565-7702	(202) 565-7630	(800) 488-8244 (202) 565-8644

^a Federal Inspectors General may also be reached via the Internet on IGnet
( http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/ignet/internal/iglist.html ).

The following table provides web addresses for federal agencies, most of which are discussed in this chapter.

**Table 2.5: Federal Agency Internet Addresses**
Federal Agency	Internet Address
Cabinet-Level Departments and Associated Agencies	--
Department of Agriculture	http://www.usda.gov
Department of Commerce	http://www.doc.gov
Department of Defense	http://www.dtic.dla.mil/defenselink
Department of Education	http://www.ed.gov
Department of Energy Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	http://www.fedworld.gov/ferc/ferc.html
Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration	http://www.os.dhhs.gov http://www.fda.gov
Department of Housing and Urban Development	http://www.hud.gov
Department of the Interior	http://www.doi.gov
Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation Immigration Naturalization Service United States Marshals Service	http://justice2.usdoj.gov http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ http://www.fbi.gov http://www.ins.usdoj.gov http://www.gopher.usdoj.gov/bureaus/usm.html
Department of Labor	http://www.dol.gov
Department of State	http://www.state.gov
Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration U.S. Coast Guard	http://www.dot.gov http://www.faa.gov http://www.dot.gov/dotinfo/uscg
Department of the Treasury Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau of Engraving and Printing Bureau of Public Debt Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Financial Management Service Internal Revenue Service Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Office of Thrift Supervision U.S. Customs Service U.S. Mint Treasurer of the United States U.S. Secret Service	http://www.ustreas.gov http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus
Veterans Affairs	http://www.va.gov
Banks and Related Federal Administrations and Corporations	--
Export-Import Bank	http://www.exim.gov
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	http://www.fdic.gov
Federal Reserve System	http://www.bog.frb.fed.us
National Credit Union Administration	http://www.ncua.gov
Independent Establishments and Government Corporations	--
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	http://www.cftc.gov/cftc
Federal Communications Commission	http://www.fcc.gov
General Services Administration	http://www.gsa.gov
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	http://www.nasa.gov
National Archives and Records Administration	http://www.nara.gov
Amtrak	http://www.amtrak.com
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	http://www.nrc.gov
Securities and Exchange Commission	http://www.sec.gov
Small Business Administration	http://www.sba.gov
Social Security Administration	http://www.ssa.gov
U.S. Postal Service U.S. Postal Inspection Service	http://www.usps.gov http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/ jurisdic.htm
Legislative Branch Agencies	--
General Accounting Office	http://www.gao.gov
Government Printing Office	http://www.gpo.gov

This document was last updated April 23, 1997