Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program, 14008-14009 [2014-05340]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14008-14009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05340]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2014-OS-0030]


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), DoD.

ACTION: Notice of a Computer Matching Program.

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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 
requires agencies to publish advanced notices of any proposed or 
revised computer matching program by the matching agency for public 
comment. The Department of Defense (DoD), as the matching agency under 
the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, is hereby giving notice to the 
record subjects of a computer matching program between the DoD and the 
Social Security Administration (SSA). The purpose of the computer 
matching program is to exchange personal data to verify eligibility and 
payment amounts for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
and Special Veterans Benefits (SVB) recipients.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective April 11, 2014 and 
matching may commence unless changes to the matching program are 
required due to public comments or by Congressional or by Office of 
Management and Budget objections. Any public comment must be received 
before the effective date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    * Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    * Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, East Tower, 2nd Floor, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this Federal Register document. The general 
policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is 
to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet 
at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, 
including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Samuel P. Jenkins, Acting Director for 
Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, 241 18th Street South, Suite 101, 
Arlington, VA 22202-3405. Telephone: (703) 571-0070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), the SSA and DMDC have 
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between 
agencies. The purpose of the computer matching program is to exchange 
personal data for the purposes of verifying eligibility and payment 
amounts for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and 
Special Veterans Benefits (SVB). The parties to this agreement have 
determined that a computer matching program is the most efficient, 
expeditious, and effective means of obtaining and processing the 
information needed by the SSA to verify information provided to SSA by 
recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments and 
beneficiaries of Special Veterans Benefits (SVB). The principal 
alternative to using a computer matching program for identifying such 
individuals would be to conduct a manual comparison of all Federal 
personnel records with SSA records of those individuals currently 
receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments and Special 
Veterans Benefits (SVB) under Federal benefit programs being 
administered by the SSA. Conducting a manual match, however, would 
clearly impose a considerable administrative burden, constitute a 
greater intrusion of the individual's privacy, and would result in 
additional delay in determining eligibility and, if applicable, the 
eventual recovery of any outstanding debts.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between SSA and DoD is 
available upon request. Requests should be submitted to the address in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Set forth is the notice of the establishment of a computer matching 
program required by paragraph 6.c. of the Office of Management and 
Budget Guidelines on computer matching published on June 19, 1989, at 
54 FR 25818.
    The matching agreement, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the 
Privacy Act of 1974, and an advance copy of this notice was submitted 
on March 6, 2014, to the House Committee on Government Reform, the 
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the 
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget pursuant to paragraph 4d of Appendix I 
to OMB Circular No. A-130, ``Federal Agency Responsibilities for 
Maintaining Records about Individuals'', dated February 8, 1996 
(February 20, 1996, 61 FR 6427).

    Dated: March 7, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

NOTICE OF A COMPUTER MATCHING PROGRAM AMONG THE DEFENSE MANPOWER DATA 
CENTER, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY 
ADMINISTRATION FOR VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS FOR SSI 
PAYMENTS AND THE ENTITLEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS TO SVB.

    A. PARTICIPATING AGENCIES: Participants in this computer matching 
program are the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department 
of Defense (DoD). The SSA is the source agency, and DoD is the matching 
agency, the agency that actually performs the match.
    B. PURPOSE OF THE MATCH: The Social Security Act requires SSA to 
verify, with independent or collateral sources, information provided to 
SSA by recipients of SSI payments and beneficiaries of SVB. The SSI and 
SVB recipients/beneficiaries provide information about eligibility/
entitlement factors and other relevant information. SSA obtains 
additional information as necessary before making any determinations of 
eligibility/payment or entitlement/benefit amounts or adjustments 
thereto. With respect to military retirement payments to SSI recipients 
and SVB beneficiaries who are retired members of the Uniformed Services 
or their survivors, SSA proposes to accomplish this task by computer 
matching with the DoD.
    This agreement sets forth the responsibility of the SSA with 
respect to information obtained pursuant to this agreement. Each SSA 
match is expected to comply with pertinent requirements of the Privacy 
Act, including its implementing regulations and guidance.
    C. AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCH: The legal authority for 
conducting the matching program is contained in sections 806(b) and 
1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1006(b) and 
1383(e)(1)(B) and (f) and 1320b-7).
    D. RECORDS TO BE MATCHED: The systems of records maintained by the 
respective agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 
552a, from which records will be disclosed for the purpose of this 
computer match are as follows:
    1. Federal, but not State, agencies must publish system notices for 
``systems of records'' pursuant to subsection (e)(4) of the Privacy Act 
and must identify ``routine uses'' pursuant

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to subsection (b)(3) of the Privacy Act for those systems of records 
from which they intend to disclose this information. The DoD system of 
records described in this notice contains an appropriate routine use 
proviso, which permits disclosure of information by DMDC to the SSA.
    2. DoD will use personal data from the record system identified as 
DMDC 01, entitled ``Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base'', November 
23, 2011, 76 FR 72391. Disclosure of DMDC data will be pursuant to 
Routine Use (RU) number 5b.
    3. SSA will use records from a system of records identified as 60-
0103, entitled ``Supplemental Security Income Record and Special 
Veterans Benefits, SSA/ODSSIS'', last published in the Federal Register 
at 71 FR 1830, January 11, 2006. Disclosure of data will be pursuant to 
RU number 3 and 19.
    E. DESCRIPTION OF COMPUTER MATCHING PROGRAM: SSA, as the source 
agency, will provide DMDC with an electronic file which contains the 
data elements. Upon receipt of the electronic file, DMDC, as the 
recipient agency, will perform a computer match using all nine digits 
of the SSN of the SSI/SVB file against a DMDC database which contains 
the data elements. The DMDC database consists of extracts of personnel 
and pay records of retired members of the uniformed services or their 
survivors. The ``hits'' or matches will be furnished to SSA. SSA is 
responsible for verifying and determining that the data on the DMDC 
electronic reply file are consistent with the SSA source file and 
resolving any discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual basis. 
SSA will also be responsible for making final determinations as to 
eligibility for/entitlement to, or amount of payments/benefits, their 
continuation or needed adjustments, or any recovery of overpayments as 
a result of the match.
    1. The electronic file provided by SSA will contain approximately 
9.5 million records extracted from the SSR/SVB.
    2. The electronic DMDC database contains records on approximately 
2.5 million retired uniformed service members or their survivors.
    3. DMDC will match the SSN on the SSA file by computer against the 
DMDC database. Matching records, ``hits'' based on SSNs, will produce 
data elements of the individual's name; SSN; active or retired; if 
active, military service or employing agency, and current work or home 
address, and such other data as considered necessary.
    F. INCLUSIVE DATES OF THE MATCHING PROGRAM: The effective date of 
the matching agreement and date when matching may actually begin shall 
be at the expiration of the 40-day review period for OMB and Congress, 
or 30 days after publication of the matching notice in the Federal 
Register, whichever date is later. The parties to this agreement may 
assume OMB and Congressional concurrence if no comments are received 
within 40 days of the date of the transmittal letter. The 40-day OMB 
and Congressional review period and the mandatory 30-day public comment 
period for the Federal Register publication of the notice will run 
concurrently. By agreement between SSA and DoD, the matching program 
will be in effect for 18 months with an option to renew for 12 
additional months unless one of the parties to the agreement advises 
the other by written request to terminate or modify the agreement.
    G. ADDRESS FOR RECEIPT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS OR INQUIRIES: Acting 
Director, Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, 241 18th Street 
South, Suite 101, Arlington, VA 22202-3405. Telephone (703) 571-0070.

[FR Doc. 2014-05340 Filed 3-11-14; 8:45 am]
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