[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 134 (Thursday, July 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36144-36145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17134]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Privacy Act of 1974: Computer Matching Agreement
AGENCY: General Services Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between GSA and the
United States Postal Service (USPS).
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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act, as amended by the
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-503)
requires agencies to publish advance notice of computer matching
programs as a means of informing benefit recipients and employees of
plans to conduct computer matches. This publishes notice that the GSA
proposes to conduct a computer matching
[[Page 36145]]
program with the USPS. Under the program, the USPS will compare its
payroll records with the GSA's debtor records to identify postal
employees delinquent in paying their debts to the GSA. The GSA will
contact the affected employees and take steps to collect the debts,
using the salary offset provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982
(Pub. L. 97-365) when the individuals do not pay their debts
voluntarily.
DATES: The GSA must receive any comments no later than August 14, 1995.
Unless GSA receives comments that result in a contrary decision, the
matching program covered by this notice begins no sooner than 30 days
after the published notice has been sent to the Congress and to the
Office of Management and Budget, and a copy of the matching agreement
has been sent to the Congress.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to the Records Officer, General
Services Administration, 18th and F Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20405
or delivered to room 7102 at the above address between 8 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. on weekdays. Comments received may be examined in room 7102 during
the above hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary L. Cunningham, Records Officer (202) 501-1659).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through the matching program, the GSA
expects to obtain the home and work addresses of 3,077 delinquent
debtors. Under this program and a similar one being conducted with the
Defense Manpower Data Center, the Government should recover an
estimated $225,000 per year.
Report of a Computer Matching Program--United States Postal Service and
the General Services Administration (Comparing USPS Payroll and GSA
Debtor Records)
A. Participating agencies. The USPS is the recipient agency and
will perform the computer match against debtor records provided by the
GSA, the source agency in the matching program.
B. Purpose of the program. The matching program will compare the
USPS payroll and the GSA delinquent debtor files to identify postal
employees who may owe delinquent debts to the Federal Government. The
pay of an employee identified and verified as a delinquent debtor may
be offset under the Debt Collection Act of 1982, when the employee does
not pay the debt voluntarily.
C. Legal authorities authorizing operation of the match. The
matching program is operated under the authority of the Debt Collection
Act of 1982, which authorizes Federal agencies to offset a Federal
employee's salary as a means of satisfying delinquent debts owed to the
United States.
D. Categories of individuals matched and identification of records
used. The systems of records maintained by the participating agencies
under the Privacy Act of 1974, from which records are to be disclosed
under the matching program are:
1. The USPS will use records from its system ``Finance Records--
Payroll System, USPS 050.020,'' containing records of about 700,000
employees. Routine use 24 of USPS 050.020, which appeared at 57 FR
57515 on December 4, 1992, covers the disclosure.
2. The GSA will use records from its system ``GSA/PPFM-7, Credit
Data on Individual Debtors.'' It contains records of about 3,077
debtors. Routine use ``i'' of that system, which was last published at
58 FR 64588 on December 8, 1993, covers the disclosure.
E. Description of the matching program. With the USPS acting as
recipient, the GSA provides a data extract to the USPS, sorted by
Social Security Number (SSN) that contains the name and SSN of each
employee. The USPS compares the data extract against its data base of
employee records, establishing ``hits'' (names common to both files)
based on matching SSN's. For each matched employee, the USPS provides
to the GSA the name, SSN, home address, and place of work. The GSA
screens the initial data to verify that the matched individual is a
delinquent debtor not in a repay status. The agency conducts
independent inquiries as needed to clarify questionable identities and
reviews records of the suspected debtor's account to confirm that the
debt is still unpaid and unresolved.
The Debt Collection Act requires the GSA to provide the suspected
debtor advance notice and an opportunity to contest the alleged debt.
The procedures include providing the debtor employee the following:
1. A 30-day written notice of the GSA's determination of the debt
and the employee's rights under the Debt Collection Act;
2. An opportunity to examine and receive a copy of the GSA's
documentation of the debt;
3. An opportunity for the employee to enter into a written
agreement to repay the GSA;
4. An opportunity for the employee to have a hearing before someone
who is not under the control of the GSA.
After independently verifying the debt and providing notice under
subsection (p) of the Privacy Act, the GSA makes the final decision on
the amount of the debt owed and establishes procedures for applying the
offset from the disposable pay of the USPS employees to recover debts
owed the United States through the GSA. Before asking the USPS to
offset the salary of a debtor employee, the GSA is to certify, over the
signature of a authorized GSA official, that it has followed the due
process procedures required by the Debt Collection Act.
E. Beginning and ending dates of the matching program. The matching
program is expected to begin no sooner than 30 days after the GSA sends
this published notice to the Congress and to the Office of Management
and Budget and sends a copy of the matching agreement to the Congress.
The program is to continue in effect for 18 months. The agreement may
be extended for 1 year beyond that period, if within 90 days before the
matching agreement expires, the Data Integrity Boards of the USPS and
the GSA find that the computer matching program will be conducted
without change, and each party certifies that the matching program has
been conducted within the terms of the matching agreement.
Dated: July 6, 1995.
Kenneth S. Stacey,
Acting Director, Information Management Division.
[FR Doc. 95-17134 Filed 7-12-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-34-M
