[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46092-46093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23137]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Privacy Act of 1974; As Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/
Internal Revenue Service (IRS))--SSA Match 1016
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as
amended, this notice announces a computer matching program that SSA
plans to conduct.
DATES: SSA will file a report of the subject matching program with the
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives and the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). The matching program will be effective as indicated
below.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either
telefax to (410) 965-1722 or writing to the Associate Commissioner for
Program Support, 4400 West High Rise Building, 6401 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21235. All comments received will be available for public
inspection at this address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Associate Commissioner for Program
Support at the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. General
The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Public
Law (P.L.) 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) by
establishing the conditions under which computer matching involving the
Federal Government could be performed and adding certain protections
for individuals applying for and receiving Federal benefits. Section
7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508)
further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections for such
individuals.
The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching
by Federal agencies when records in a system of records are matched
with other Federal, State, or local government records. Among other
things, it requires Federal agencies involved in computer matching
programs to:
(1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies
participating in the matching programs;
(2) Obtain the approval of the matching agreement by the Data
Integrity Boards (DIB) of the participating Federal Agencies;
(3) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress
and OMB;
(4) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are
subject to matching; and
(5) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating
or denying an individual's benefits or payments.
B. SSA Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act
We have taken action to ensure that all of SSA's computer matching
programs comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended.
Dated: August 21, 1998.
Kenneth S. Apfel,
Commissioner of Social Security.
Notice of Computer Matching Program, Social Security Administration
(SSA) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
A. Participating Agencies
SSA and IRS.
B. Purpose of the Matching Program
The purpose of this matching program is to establish conditions
under which IRS agrees to the disclosure to SSA of certain tax return
information relating to unearned income. SSA will use the match results
to verify the eligibility for, and the correct amount of benefits
payable to, individuals under the supplemental security income (SSI)
program, which provides payments under title XVI of the Social Security
Act (the Act) to aged, blind and disabled recipients with income below
levels established by law and regulations, and federally-administered
supplementary payments under section 1616 of the Act including payments
under section 212 of Public Law 93-66, 87 Stat. 152.
C. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program
Section 1631(e)(1)(B) of the Act and section 6103(l)(7)(D)(iii) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
[[Page 46093]]
D. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match
IRS will provide SSA with an electronic file extracted from the
Wage and Information Returns Processing File after SSA provides IRS
with identifying information from SSA's Supplemental Security Income
Record (SSR). The extracted file will contain certain tax return
information about unearned income. Each record on the IRS file will be
matched to the SSR, SSA/OSR 90-60-0103, to identify individuals
potentially subject to benefit reductions or termination of payment
eligibility under the statutory provisions cited above.
E. Inclusive Dates of the Match
The matching program shall become effective upon the signing of the
agreement by both parties to the agreement and approval of the
agreement by the Data Integrity Boards of the respective agencies, but
no sooner than 40 days after notice of this matching program is sent to
Congress and the Office of Management and Budget or 30 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever is later.
The matching program will continue for 18 months from the effective
date and may be extended for an additional 12 months thereafter, if
certain conditions are met.
[FR Doc. 98-23137 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4190-29-P
