Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records, 23543-23546 [2012-9421]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23543-23546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9421]



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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of Amendment of System of Records Notice ``Veterans 
Tracking Application (VTA).''(163VA 005Q3).

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SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), 
(11)), notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA) is amending the system of records entitled ``Veterans Tracking 
Application (VTA).'' VA is amending the system of records by revising 
the System Name to ``Veterans Tracking Application (VTA)/Federal Case 
Management Tool (FCMT)'' and System Location to include the ``Federal 
Case Management Tool (FCMT).'' The VTA data will also be accessed using 
the FCMT. Further, the Routine Uses have been updated in conjunction 
with VA's Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER), to reflect the 
nature of electronic coordination that will fully support the users of 
this application. VA is republishing the system notice in its entirety.

DATES: Comments on this amended system of records must be received no 
later than May 21, 2012. If no public comment is received during the 
period allowed for comment or unless otherwise published in the Federal 
Register by VA, the amended system will become effective May 21, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the proposed amended system of 
records may be submitted through www.Regulations.gov; by mail or hand-
delivery to Director, Regulations Management (02REG), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Room 1068, Washington, DC 
20420; by fax to (202) 273-9026. All comments received will be 
available for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and 
Management, Room 1063B, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 273-9515 for 
an appointment. In addition, during the comment period, comments may be 
viewed online through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at 
www.Regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dick Rickard, Program Manager VTA/
FCMT, Office of Information & Technology, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20420, (352) 686-3227.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The VTA/FCMT and associated databases 
support VA enterprise wide. The VTA/FCMT provides the VA tracking 
information on members of the armed forces who are receiving care from 
a Department of Defense (DoD) Military Treatment Facility (MTF), a VA 
health care facility, or who already have Veteran status. The VTA/FCMT 
provides tracking of the Veteran/Servicemember's arrival at the initial 
VA health care facility and provides date and location information for 
subsequent transfers to other health facilities. In addition, VTA/FCMT 
obtains data about patient history from the imported DoD Theater 
Medical Data Store (TMDS). In addition to the Veteran patient 
population, VTA/FCMT records benefit tracking information for all 
severely injured Veterans requesting benefits. This history includes 
all benefit award details to include application dates, award 
decisions, dates and amounts. VTA/FCMT also tracks Servicemembers and 
Veterans disability claims through the Integrated Disability 
Eligibility System (IDES) module. The purpose of the VTA/FCMT is to 
track the initial arrival of a Servicemember into the VA health system 
and their subsequent movement among VA health facilities, as well as 
monitor benefits application and administration details.
    In this system of records the System Name is amended to reflect the 
integration of VTA and FCMT. The Purpose in this system of records is 
being amended to reflect the additional System Location of the FCMT 
primary and secondary database locations. The routine uses added with 
this amendment to the system of records notice are: Routine use (5): VA 
may disclose identifying information, including Social Security number, 
concerning Veterans, spouses of Veterans, and the beneficiaries of 
Veterans to other Federal agencies for the purpose of conducting 
computer matches to obtain information to determine or verify 
eligibility of Veterans receiving VA medical care under Title 38, 
United States Code (U.S.C.), (6) VA may disclose relevant health care 
information regarding individuals treated under 38 U.S.C. 8111A to the 
DoD, or its components, for the purpose deemed necessary by appropriate 
military command authorities to assure proper execution of the military 
mission, and (7) VA may disclose health care information as deemed 
necessary and proper to Federal, state, and local government agencies 
and national health organizations in order to assist in the development 
of programs that will be beneficial to claimants, to protect their 
rights under law, and assure that they are receiving all benefits to 
which they are entitled.
    The notice of amendment and an advance copy of the system notice 
have been sent to the appropriate Congressional committees and to the 
Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required by 5 
U.S.C. 552a(r) (Privacy Act) and guidelines issued by OMB (65 FR 
77677), December 12, 2000.

    Approved: March 26, 2012.
John R. Gingrich,
Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.
(163VA005Q3)

SYSTEM NAME:
    ``Veterans Tracking Application (VTA)/Federal Case Management Tool 
(FCMT).''

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    The VTA system containing its associated records is maintained at 
the Austin Information Technology Center (AITC) at 1615 East Woodward 
Street, Austin, Texas 78772. The FCMT system containing its associated 
records is maintained at the Terremark Worldwide computing facility 
located at 18155 Technology Blvd., Culpeper, VA 22701-3805. A second 
VTA database with an identical set of records is being established at a 
disaster recovery site at the Hines Information Technology Center 
(Hines ITC) at Hines, Illinois. All records are maintained 
electronically. A second FCMT application and database is being 
established at a disaster recovery site at Terremark's backup site in 
Miami, Florida.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    The category of the individuals covered by the VTA/FCMT database 
encompasses Veterans, Servicemembers, civilians working in combat zones 
and their dependents. This would include current Servicemembers, 
separated Servicemembers, and their dependents; as well as Veterans 
whose Veterans Affairs (VA) military service benefits have been sought 
by others (e.g., burial benefits).

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    The record, or information contained in the record, may include 
identifying information (e.g., name, contact information, Social 
Security number), association to dependents, cross reference to other 
names used, military service participation and status information 
(branch of service, rank, enter on duty date, release from active duty 
date, military occupations, type of

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duty), reason and nature of active duty separation (completion of 
commitment, disability, hardship, etc.), combat/environmental exposures 
(combat pay, combat awards, theater location), combat deployments 
(period of deployment, location/country), Guard/Reserve activations 
(type of activation), military casualty/disabilities (line of duty 
death, physical examination board status, serious/very serious injury 
status, recovery plans, DoD rated disabilities), benefit participation, 
eligibility and usage, and VA compensation (rating, award amount).

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    The authority for maintaining this system is Title 38 U.S.C., 5106.

PURPOSE:
    With our Nation's Veterans returning from long wartime engagements, 
it is of utmost importance that VA implements a streamlined care 
management solution. VTA/FCMT will work to replace manual processes 
that result in delays in coordinating or managing care for our 
Veterans. VTA/FCMT and the associated database support programs 
throughout the VA. The VTA/FCMT provides the VA tracking information on 
members of the armed forces who are receiving care from a DoD MTF, a VA 
health care facility, or who already have Veteran status. The VTA/FCMT 
provides tracking of the Veteran/Service member's arrival at the 
initial VA health care facility and provides date and location 
information for subsequent transfers to other health facilities. In 
addition, VTA/FCMT obtains data about patient history from the imported 
DoD Theater Medical Data Store (TMDS). In addition to the Veteran 
patient population, VTA/FCMT records benefit tracking information for 
all severely injured Veterans requesting benefits. This history 
includes all benefit award details to include application dates, award 
decisions, dates and amounts. VTA/FCMT also tracks Servicemembers and 
Veterans disability claims through the Integrated Disability 
Eligibility System (IDES) module. The purpose of the VTA/FCMT is to 
track the initial arrival of a Servicemember into the VA and DoD health 
care systems and their subsequent movement among VA health facilities, 
as well as monitor benefits application and administration details.
    The records and information may be used for analysis to produce 
various management, workload tracking, and follow-up reports for our 
Veterans; to track and evaluate the ordering and delivery of services 
and patient care; for the planning, distribution and utilization of 
resources; and to allocate clinical and administrative support to 
patient medical care.
    In addition, the data may be used to assist in workload allocation 
for patient treatment services including provider panel management, 
nursing care, clinic appointments, surgery, prescription processing, 
diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; to plan and schedule training 
activities for employees; for audits, reviews and investigations 
conducted by the network directors office and VA Central Office; for 
quality assurance audits, reviews and investigations; for law 
enforcement investigations; and for personnel management, evaluation 
and employee ratings, and performance evaluations.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    The record of an individual included in this system may be provided 
to DoD systems or offices for use in connection with matters relating 
to one of DoD's programs to enable delivery of healthcare or other DoD 
benefits to eligible beneficiaries.
    The name, address, VA file number, effective date of compensation 
or pension, current and historical benefit pay amounts for compensation 
or pension, service information, date of birth, competency payment 
status, incarceration status, and Social Security number of Veterans 
and their surviving spouses or dependents may be disclosed to the 
approved VA and DoD office/systems to reconcile the disability claims, 
benefits awards, and patient data.
    The name(s) and address(es) of a Veteran may be disclosed to 
another Federal agency or to a contractor of that agency, at the 
written request of the head of that agency or designee of the head of 
that agency for the purpose of conducting government research necessary 
to accomplish a statutory purpose of that agency.
    VA may disclose on its own initiative any information in this 
system, except the names and addresses of Veterans and their 
dependents, that is relevant to a suspected or reasonably imminent 
violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or regulatory in nature and 
whether arising by general or program statute or by regulation, rule, 
or order issued pursuant thereto, a Federal, state, local, tribal, or 
foreign agency charged with the responsibility of investigating or 
prosecuting such violation, or charged with enforcing or implementing 
the statute, regulation, rule, or order. VA may also disclose on its 
own initiative the names and addresses of Veterans and their dependents 
to a Federal agency charged with the responsibility of investigating or 
prosecuting civil, criminal, or regulatory violations of law, or 
charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, regulation, rule, 
or order issued pursuant thereto.
    VA may disclose identifying information, including Social Security 
number, concerning Veterans, spouses of Veterans, and the beneficiaries 
of Veterans to other Federal agencies for the purpose of conducting 
computer matches to obtain information to determine or verify 
eligibility of Veterans receiving VA medical care under Title 38, 
U.S.C.
    VA may disclose relevant health care information regarding 
individuals treated under 38 U.S.C. 8111A to DoD, or its components, 
for the purpose deemed necessary by appropriate military command 
authorities to assure proper execution of the military mission.
    VA may disclose health care information as deemed necessary and 
proper to Federal, state, and local government agencies and national 
health organizations in order to assist in the development of programs 
that will be beneficial to claimants, to protect their rights under 
law, and assure that they are receiving all benefits to which they are 
entitled.
    VA may disclose information in the system of records to the 
Department of Justice (DOJ), either on VA's initiative or in response 
to DOJ's request for the information, after either VA or DOJ determines 
that such information is relevant to DOJ's representation of the United 
States or any of its components in legal proceeding before a court or 
adjudicative body, provided that, in each case, the agency also 
determines prior to disclosure that release of records to the DOJ is a 
use of information contained in the records that is compatible with the 
purpose for which VA collected the records. VA, on its own initiative, 
may disclose records in this system of records in legal proceedings 
before a court or administrative body after determining that the 
disclosure of the records to the court or administrative body is a use 
of the information contained in the records that is compatible with the 
purpose for which VA collected the records.
    VA may disclose information to assist a person or entity 
responsible for the licensing, supervision, or professional discipline 
of the person or organization acting as representative. Names and home 
addresses of Veterans and their dependents will be released on VA's 
initiative under this routine use only to Federal entities when VA 
believes that

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the names and addresses are required by the Federal department or 
agency.
    Disclosure of relevant information may be made to individuals, 
organizations, private or public agencies, or other entities or 
individuals with whom VA has a contract or agreement to perform such 
services as VA may deem practicable for the purposes of laws 
administered by VA, in order for the contractor, subcontractor or 
entity or individual with whom VA has an agreement or contract to 
perform the services of the contract or agreement.
    VA may on its own initiative disclose information or records to 
appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) VA suspects or 
confirmed that the integrity or confidentiality of information in the 
system of records has been compromised; (2) VA has determined that as a 
result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk 
embarrassment or harm to the reputations of the records subjects, harm 
to economic or property interest, identity theft or fraud, or harm to 
the security, confidentiality or integrity of this system or other 
systems or programs (whether maintained by VA or another agency or 
entity) that rely upon the potentially compromised information; and (3) 
the disclosure is made to such agencies, entities, and persons whom VA 
determines are reasonably necessary to assist in or carry out VA's 
efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and 
prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. This routine use permits 
disclosures by VA to respond to a suspected or confirmed data breach, 
including the conduct of any risk analysis or provision of credit 
protection services as provided in 38. U.S.C. 5724, as the terms are 
defined in 38 U.S.C. 5727.
    Disclosure to other Federal agencies may be made to assist such 
agencies in preventing and detecting possible fraud or abuse by 
individuals in their operations and programs.
    The record of an individual who is covered by a system of records 
may be disclosed to a Member of Congress, or a staff person acting for 
the member, when the member or staff person requests the record on 
behalf of and at the written request of the individual.
    Disclosure may be made to the National Archives and Records 
Administration or the General Services Administration in records 
management inspections conducted under authority of Chapter 29 of Title 
44 U.S.C.
    Any information in this system of records may be disclosed, in the 
course of presenting evidence in or to a court, magistrate, 
administrative tribunal, or grand jury, including disclosures to 
opposing counsel in the course of such proceedings or in settlement 
negotiations.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM STORAGE:
STORAGE:
    Records are transmitted between approved VA and DoD office/systems 
and VTA/FCMT over secure telecommunications (i.e. SFTP, secure web 
services) using approved encryption technologies. Records (or 
information contained in records) are maintained in electronic format 
in the VTA/FCMT database. Information from VTA/FCMT is disseminated in 
three ways: (1) Approved VA and DoD systems electronically request and 
receive data from VTA/FCMT over the internal VA and DoD network; (2) 
data is provided over the secure telecommunications between VTA/FCMT 
and approved VA and DoD office/systems for reconciliation of records; 
(3) periodic electronic data extracts of subsets of information 
contained in VTA/FCMT are provided to approved VA and DoD offices/
systems over the internal VA network and DoD network. Backups of VTA/
FCMT data are created regularly and stored in a secure off-site 
facility.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Electronic files are retrieved using various unique identifiers 
belonging to the individual to whom the information pertains to include 
such identifiers as name, claim file number, Social Security number and 
date of birth.

SAFEGUARDS:
    1. Physical Security: The primary VTA system is located in the AITC 
and the backup disaster recovery system is located in the Hines ITC. 
The primary FCMT system is located at Terremark Worldwide facility 
located in Culpeper, Virginia and the backup disaster recovery system 
is located at Terremark's backup site in Miami, Florida. Access to data 
processing centers is generally restricted to center employees, 
custodial personnel, Federal Protective Service and other security 
personnel. Access to computer rooms is restricted to authorized 
operational personnel through electronic passage technology. All other 
persons needing access to computer rooms are escorted.
    2. System Security: Access to the VA network is protected by the 
usage of ``logon'' identifications and passwords. Once on the VA 
network, separate ID and password credentials are required to gain 
access to the VTA/FCMT server and/or database. Access to the server 
and/or database is granted to only a limited number of system 
administrators and database administrators. In addition VTA/FCMT has 
undergone certification and accreditation. Users of VTA access the 
system via the approved Veterans Information Portal (VIP). Users must 
register first through the VIP Portal and obtain a username and 
password. Upon approval of a VIP account, they may request access to 
VTA through an electronic form accessible via VIP. Users of FCMT access 
the system via the approved VA Trusted Internet Connection or through 
the VA's Virtual Private Network. Users must have accounts in the VA's 
Active Directory (AD) system. Upon approval of a VA AD account, they 
may request access to FCMT. Within the VTA/FCMT system, users are 
designated a role which determines their access to specific data. Based 
on a risk assessment that followed National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Vulnerability and Threat Guidelines, the system is 
considered stable and operational. VTA has received a final Authority 
to Operate (ATO) and FCMT currently holds a temporary ATO which is 
currently in process to become permanent. The system was found to be 
operationally secure, with very few exceptions or recommendations for 
change.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    VA retains selected information for purposes of making eligibility 
determinations for VA benefits. The information retained may be 
included in the VA records that are maintained and disposed of in 
accordance with the appropriate record disposition authority approved 
by the Archivist of the United States.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESSES:
    Program Manager, Office of Information & Technology, Department of 
Veterans Affairs (005), 810 Vermont Avenue NW., VA Central Office, 
Washington, DC 20420.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Individuals seeking information on the existence and content of a 
record pertaining to them should contact the system manager, in 
writing, at the above address. Requests should contain the full name, 
address and telephone number of the individual making the inquiry.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURE:
    (See notification procedure above.)

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CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    (See notification procedure above.)

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Information in this system of records is provided by components of 
the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs.

[FR Doc. 2012-9421 Filed 4-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P