Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/Office of Personnel Management (OPM))-Match Numbers 1005, 1019, 1020, and 1021, 60946-60947 [2015-25601]

Agencies

• Social Security Administration

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 195 (Thursday, October 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60946-60947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25601]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA 2015-0031]


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/
Office of Personnel Management (OPM))--Match Numbers 1005, 1019, 1020, 
and 1021

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of a renewal of existing computer matching programs that 
will expire on October 12, 2015.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a renewal of existing computer matching 
programs that we are currently conducting with OPM.

DATES: We will file a report of the subject matching programs with the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives; and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The matching programs will be 
effective as indicated below.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either 
telefaxing to (410) 966-0869 or writing to the Executive Director, 
Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, Social 
Security Administration, 617 Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. All comments received will be 
available for public inspection at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Executive Director, Office of 
Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, as shown above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. General

    The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 
100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) by describing the 
conditions under which computer matching involving the Federal 
government could be performed and adding certain protections for 
persons applying for, and receiving, Federal benefits. Section 7201 of 
the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-508) further 
amended the Privacy Act regarding protections for such persons.
    The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching 
by Federal agencies when records in a system of records are matched 
with other Federal, State, or local government records. It requires 
Federal agencies involved in computer matching programs to:
    (1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies 
participating in the matching programs;
    (2) Obtain approval of the matching agreement by the Data Integrity 
Boards of the participating Federal agencies;
    (3) Publish notice of the computer matching program in the Federal 
Register;
    (4) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress 
and OMB;
    (5) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are 
subject to matching; and
    (6) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, 
or denying a person's benefits or payments.

B. SSA Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act

    We have taken action to ensure that all of our computer matching 
programs comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended.

Mary Ann Zimmerman,
Acting Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of 
the General Counsel.

Notice of Computer Matching Program, SSA With the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM)

A. Participating Agencies

    SSA and OPM.

B. Purpose of the Matching Program

    The purpose of this matching program is to set forth the terms, 
conditions, and safeguards under which OPM will disclose civil service 
benefit and payment data to us. We are legally required to offset 
specific benefits by a percentage of civil service benefits received 
(Spousal and Survivors benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
benefits, and Disability Insurance Benefits are offset by a percentage 
of the recipients own Federal Government pension benefits). We 
administer the Old Age, Survivors, Disability Insurance (OASDI), SSI, 
and Special Veterans' Benefits (SVB) programs. We will use the match 
results under this agreement to meet our civil service benefit offset 
obligations. Appendices A, B, C, and D of this agreement contain 
specific information on the matching programs that we will conduct 
under this agreement. Our Office of the Chief Actuary (OCA) will also 
use OPM's data for statistical and research purposes in tracking the 
size of, and impact on, subpopulations of government annuitants 
affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO), the Windfall 
Elimination Provision (WEP), and in cost estimates of proposals to 
change the two provisions.

C. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    The legal authority for us to conduct this matching activity for 
SSI purposes is section 1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the Social Security 
Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)), and for SVB purposes, is 
section 806 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1006). Section 224 of the Act (42 
U.S.C. 424a) provides for the reduction

[[Page 60947]]

of Social Security disability benefits when the disabled worker is also 
entitled to a Public Disability Benefit (PBD).
    Section 1631(f) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1383 (f)) requires Federal 
agencies to furnish us with information necessary to verify 
eligibility. Section 224(h)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 424a(h)(1)) 
requires any Federal agency to provide us with information in its 
possession that we may require for the purposes of making a timely 
determination of the amount of reduction under section 224 of the Act 
(42 U.S.C. 424a).
    This agreement is executed in compliance with the Privacy Act of 
1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy 
Protection Act of 1988, and the regulations and guidance promulgated 
thereunder.

D. Categories of Records and Persons Covered by the Matching Program

    OPM will provide us with monthly electronic files from the OPM 
system of record (SOR) published as OPM/Central-1 (Civil Service 
Retirement and Insurance Records). The files will contain civil service 
benefit and payment data, including: name; Social Security number 
(SSN); date of birth; civil service claim number; first potential month 
and year of eligibility; first month, day, and year of entitlement; and 
amount of current gross civil service benefits. OPM will also disclose 
date of death to us for the purposes captured in Appendices C and D.
    We will conduct the match using the individual's SSN, name, and 
date of birth on both the OPM file and our databases covered under our 
following SORs: The Master Files of SSN Holders and SSN Applications 
(Numident), 60-0058; the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), 60-0090; and 
the SSI Record and Special Veterans Benefits Record (SSR/SVB), 60-0103.
    We will use the information to: (1) Identify SSI and SVB recipients 
with unreported income from civil service pensions (Match 1005, 
Appendix A); (2) identify beneficiaries receiving Title II disability 
insurance benefits who are also receiving a Federal civil service 
disability benefit (Match 1019, Appendix B); (3) identify Title II 
beneficiaries receiving retirement or disability insurance benefits who 
are also receiving a Federal Government pension benefit (Match 1020, 
Appendix C); and (4) identify Title II beneficiaries receiving 
auxiliary or survivor Social Security benefits, who are also receiving 
Federal Government pension benefits as retired civil service employees 
(Match 1021, Appendix D). See Appendices A-D.
    Our OCA will use OPM's monthly extract files for statistical and 
research purposes in tracking the size of, and impact on, 
subpopulations of government annuitants affected by the GPO, WEP, and 
in cost estimates of proposals to change the two provisions.

E. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program

    The effective date of this matching program is October 13, 2015, 
provided that the following notice periods have lapsed: 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register and 40 days after 
notice of the matching program is sent to Congress and OMB. The 
matching program will continue for 18 months from the effective date 
and, if both agencies meet certain conditions, it may extend for an 
additional 12 months thereafter.

[FR Doc. 2015-25601 Filed 10-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4191-02-P