Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program, 82678-82679 [2024-23570]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82678-82679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23570]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides notice that 
it intends to conduct a recurring computer-matching program matching 
Social Security Administration (SSA) Master Beneficiary Records (MBRs) 
and the Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN 
Applications (Enumeration System) with VA pension, compensation, and 
dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) records. The goal of this 
match is to identify beneficiaries, who are receiving VA benefits and 
SSA benefits or earned income, and to reduce or terminate VA benefits, 
if appropriate. The match will include records of current VA 
beneficiaries.

DATES: Comments on this matching program must be received no later than 
30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. If no public 
comment is received during the period allowed for comment or unless 
otherwise published in the Federal Register by VA, the new agreement 
will become effective a minimum of 30 days after date of publication in 
the Federal Register. If VA receives public comments, VA shall review 
the comments to determine whether any changes to the notice are 
necessary. This matching program will be valid for 18 months from the 
effective date of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through www.Regulations.gov or 
mailed to VA Privacy Service, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, (005X6F), 
Washington, DC 20420. Comments should indicate that they are submitted 
in response to SSA's benefit data, CMA 1030. Comments received will be 
available at regulations.gov for public viewing, inspection or copies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Feuer, 
[email protected], Pension and Fiduciary Service, Front Office, 
Pension and Fiduciary Service (21P), Department of Veterans Affairs, 
810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20420, (202) 632-8863.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA will use this information to verify the 
income information submitted by beneficiaries in VA's income-based 
benefit programs and adjust VA benefit payments as prescribed by law. 
The legal authority to conduct this match is 38 U.S.C. 5106, which 
requires any Federal department or agency to provide VA such 
information as VA requests for the purposes of determining eligibility 
for benefits or verifying other information with respect to payment of 
benefits.
    Participating Agencies: The Social Security Administration (SSA) 
and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: Federal law at 38 
U.S.C. 5106 requires Federal agencies to furnish VA with information 
the VA Secretary may request for determining eligibility for or the 
amount of VA benefits.
    Purpose(s): To update VA master records of VA beneficiaries and 
their dependents receiving income-dependent benefits and to adjust VA 
income-dependent benefits based on benefit information received from 
SSA regarding amount of SSA benefits.
    Categories of Individuals: Veterans and beneficiaries who apply for 
VA income benefits.
    Categories of Records: VA will provide SSA with an electronic file 
in a format defined by SSA that contains the Social Security number 
(SSN) for all beneficiaries in receipt of income-based VA benefits. SSA 
will provide an SSN verification for each record that VA submits based 
on a review of the Master Files of SSN Holders and SSN Applications 
(Enumeration System). SSA will provide Title II benefit data from the 
Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) for only those SSNs that verify against 
the Enumeration System.
    System(s) of Records: SSA will disclose the necessary benefit 
information electronically from the MBR, system of records (SOR) number 
60-0090, last fully published at 71 FR 1826 (January 11, 2006), amended 
at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), 83 FR 
31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018), and 89 FR 
825 (January 5, 2024). SSA will disclose SSN verification information 
from the Enumeration System, SOR number 60-0058, last fully published 
at 87 FR 263 (January 4, 2022).
    VA records involved in this match are in ``VA Compensation, 
Pension,

[[Page 82679]]

Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Records--VA'' 
(58 VA 21/22/28), a system of records that was first published at 41 FR 
9294 (March 3, 1976), amended at 77 FR 42594 (July 19, 2012), and last 
amended and republished in its entirety at 84 FR 4138 (February 14, 
2019), and amended at 86 FR 61858 (November 8, 2021).

Signing Authority

    The Senior Agency Official for Privacy, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. John 
Oswalt, Chief Privacy Officer and Chair of the Data Integrity Board, 
Department of Veterans Affairs approved this document on August 28, 
2024 for publication.

    Dated: October 8, 2024.
Amy L. Rose,
Government Information Specialist, VA Privacy Service, Office of 
Compliance, Risk and Remediation, Office of Information and Technology, 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-23570 Filed 10-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE