[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 8527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4226]
[[Page 8527]]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Matching Program
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) intends to conduct a recurring computer matching program matching
Department of Justice, Bureau of Prison (BOP), inmate records with VA
pension, compensation, and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC)
records. The goal of this match is to identify incarcerated veterans
and beneficiaries who are receiving VA benefits, and to reduce or
terminate benefits, if appropriate. The match will include records of
current VA beneficiaries.
DATES: The match is estimated to start April 1, 1998, but will start no
sooner than 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, or 40 days after copies of this Notice and the agreement of
the parties is submitted to Congress and the Office of Management and
Budget, whichever is later, and end not more than 18 months after the
agreement is properly implemented by the parties. The involved
agencies' Data Integrity Boards (DIB) may extend this match for 12
months provided the agencies certify to their BIDs, within three months
of the ending date of the original match, that the matching program
will be conducted without change and that the matching program has been
conducted in compliance with the original matching program.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments,
suggestions, or objections regarding the proposal to conduct the
matching program to the Director, Office of Regulations Management
02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room
1154, Washington, DC 20420. All written comments received will be
available for public inspection in the Office of Regulations
Management, Room 1158, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420,
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Fridays except holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Trowbridge (213B), (202) 273-7218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA will use this information to verify
incarceration and adjust VA benefit payments as prescribed by law. The
proposed matching program will enable VA to accurately identify
beneficiaries who are incarcerated for a felony or a misdemeanor in a
Federal penal facility.
The legal authority to conduct this match is 38 U.S.C. 1505, 5105,
and 5313. Section 5106 requires any Federal department or agency to
provide VA such information as VA requests for the purposes of
determining eligibility for, or the amount of VA benefits, or verifying
other information with respect thereto. Section 1505 provides that no
VA pension benefits shall be paid to or for any person eligible for
such benefits, during the period of that person's incarceration as the
result of conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, beginning on the
sixty-first day of incarceration. Section 5313 provides that VA
compensation or dependency and indemnity compensation above a specified
amount shall not be paid to any person eligible for such benefits,
during the period of that persons' incarceration as the result of
conviction of a felony, beginning on the sixty-first day of
incarceration.
The VA records involved in the match are the VA system of records,
Compensation, Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA (58 VA
21/22) first published at 41 FR 9294 (March 3, 1976) and last amended
at 60 FR 20156 (April 24, 1995). The BOP records consist of information
from the system of records identified as Inmate Records System, BOP
#005 published on June 7, 1984 (48 FR 23711). In accordance with Title
5 U.S.C. subsection 552a(o)(2) and (r), copies of the agreement are
being sent to both Houses of Congress and to the Office of Management
and Budget. This notice is provided in accordance with the provisions
of Privacy Act of 1974 as amended by Public Law 100-503.
Approved: February 9, 1998.
Togo D. West, Jr.,
Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-4226 Filed 2-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M
