[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32778-32779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15078]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Logistics Agency
Privacy Act of 1974: Computer Matching Program Between the
Department of Defense and the Social Security Administration
AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency,
Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the Social
Security Administration and the Department of Defense.
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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, requires
agencies to publish advance notice 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, is (1) hereby giving indirect or constructive notice in lieu of
direct notice to the record subjects of this computer matching program
between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and DoD that their
records are being matched to validate an applicant's initial
eligibility for, or recipients receiving, Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) benefits from the SSA; and (2) announcing to the public the
opportunity to comment on the proposed computer matching program.
DATES: This proposed action is effective on July 25, 1996, when the
computer matching agreement will become effective and matching will
proceed accordingly without further notice, unless comments are
received which would result in a contrary determination or if the
Office of Management and Budget or Congress objects thereto. Any public
comments must be received before the effective date.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments to the Director, Defense
Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Room 920, Arlington, VA
22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943 or DSN 327-2943.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the DoD and the SSA has
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between
the agencies. The purpose of the computer match is to verify the
information furnished to the SSA by applicants and recipients of
Supplemental Security Income benefits who are retired military members
or their survivors. By law, the SSA must independently verify the
information submitted by applicants and recipients. Computer matching
appeared to be the most efficient and economical manner in which this
verification process could be accomplished while preserving the due
process of the individual concerned. Therefore, it was concluded and
agreed upon that computer matching would be the best and least
obtrusive manner and choice for accomplishing this requirement.
A copy of the computer matching agreement between the SSA and the
DoD is available upon request to the public. Requests should be
submitted to the address above or to Mr. Steve Hawk, Matching Staff,
Social Security Administration, 3-J-3 Annex Building, 6401 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235.
Set forth below is a 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 in the Federal
Register at 54 FR 25818 on June 19, 1989.
The matching agreement as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the
Privacy Act, was submitted on June 4, 1996, to the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, 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 (61 FR 6428,
February 20, 1996). The matching program is subject to review by OMB
and Congress and shall not become effective until that review period
has elapsed.
Dated: June 10, 1996.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Defense and the
Social Security Administration for Verification of Eligibiltiy for
Supplemental Security Income
A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching
are the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Defense Manpower
Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The SSA is the
source agency, i.e., the agency disclosing the records for the purpose
of the match. The DMDC is the specific recipient agency or matching
agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs the computer matching.
B. Purpose of the match: The Social Security Act requires SSA to
verify, with independent or collateral sources, information provided to
SSA by applicants for and recipients of SSI payments. The SSI applicant
or recipient provides information about eligibility factors and other
relevant information. SSA obtains additional information as necessary
before making any determinations of eligibility or payment amounts or
adjustments thereto. With respect to military
[[Page 32779]]
retirement payments to SSI recipients who are former members of the
Uniformed Services or their survivors, SSA proposes to accomplish this
task by computer matching with the DOD. The component responsible for
the disclosure on behalf of DOD is the Defense Manpower Data Center.
The responsible component for SSA is the Office of Program Benefits
Policy.
C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for the
matching program is contained in section 1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)).
D. Records to be matched: The systems of records maintained by the
respective agencies under the Privacy Act, from which records will be
disclosed for the proposed computer match are as follows:
The Social Security Administration, will use records from a system
identified as 09-60-0103, entitled `Supplemental Security Income
Record, (SSR), HHS/SSA/OSR', last published in the Federal Register at
60 FR 2150 on January 6, 1995.
The category of records to be used from this system is the SSI
eligibility file. DMDC (DoD) will use a record system from the Defense
Logistics Agency identified as S322.10 DMDC entitled `Defense Manpower
Data Center Data Base', published in the Federal Register at 61 FR 6355
on February 20, 1996. The categories of records utilized are military
retirees and/or their survivors. The specific data elements to be used
in the match are set forth below under the description of the computer
matching program. Both systems of records respectively contain an
appropriate routine use disclosure provision permitting the interchange
of the affected personal information between SSA and DMDC. These
routine uses are compatible with the purpose for collecting the
information and establishing and maintaining the record system.
E. Description of computer matching program: A electronic query
file, provided by SSA as the source, will contain approximately 5.5
million records extracted form the Supplemental Security Income Record
system of records which is made up of individual record subjects
containing the name, social security number and type of beneficiary.
The query file will be matched by DMDC, as the recipient matching
agency, and matched against the data base category of individuals who
are retired members of the Uniformed Services of the United States:
Army, Navy, Air Force Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or the commissioned
corps of either the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or
the Public Health Service. DMDC will match on the social security
number and provide the SSA in a electronic reply file with information
on each match (hit), including the following data elements: name, date
of birth, address, payments status, monthly pension amount, date of
entitlement, the date of any payments stopped and reason. The
electronic reply file will contain approximately 4,000 records. SSA
will be responsible for verifying and determining if the data on the
DMDC reply file are consistent with the data of the SSA query file and
to resolving any discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual
basis. SSA will also be responsible for making final determinations as
to eligibility for, or thereto or any recovery of overpayments as a
result of the match.
G. Inclusive dates of the matching program: This computer matching
program is subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget and
Congress. If no objections are raised by either, and the mandatory 30
day public notice period for comment has expired for this Federal
Register notice with no significant adverse public comments in receipt
resulting in a contrary determination, then this computer matching
program becomes effective and the respective agencies may begin the
exchange of data 30 days after the date of this published notice at a
mutually agreeable time and will be repeated on an annual basis. Under
no circumstances shall the matching program be implemented before the
30 day public notice period for comment has elapsed as this time period
cannot be waived. By agreement between SSA and DMDC, the matching
program will be in effect and continue for 18 months with an option to
extend it for 12 additional months.
H. Address for receipt of public comments or inquiries: Director,
Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Room 920,
Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.
[FR Doc. 96-15078 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
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