E9-18896. Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a Computer Matching Program

AGENCY:

Defense Manpower Data Center, DoD.

ACTION:

Notice of a computer matching program.

SUMMARY:

Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, (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; however, this notification will be completed by the DoD, the source agency. The DoD, as the source agency under the Privacy Act is hereby giving notice to the record subjects of a computer matching program between the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose of this agreement is for disclosure of Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Federal employment information to DMDC. This disclosure by OPM will provide the DoD with the FEHB eligibility and Federal employment information necessary to determine continuing eligibility for the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program.

DATES:

This proposed action will become effective September 8, 2009 and matching may commence unless changes to the matching program are required due to public comments or by Congressional or Office of Management and Budget objections. Any public comment must be received before the effective date.

ADDRESSES:

Any interested party may submit written comments to the Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1901 South Bell Street, Suite 920, Arlington, VA 22202-4512.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Samuel P. Jenkins at telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the DMDC and OPM have concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between the agencies. The purpose of this agreement is to verify an individual's continuing eligibility for the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program.

The parties to this agreement have determined that a computer matching program is the most efficient, expeditious, and effective means of obtaining the information needed by the OPM to identify individual's ineligible to continue the TRICARE Reserve Select Program. If this identification is not accomplished by computer matching, but is done manually, the cost would be prohibitive and it is possible that not all individuals would be identified.

A copy of the computer matching agreement between OPM and DMDC is available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to the address caption above or to the Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 5415, Washington, DC 20415.

Set forth below is the 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, and an advance copy of this notice was submitted on July 28, 2009, to the House Committee on Government Reform, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, 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 6435).

Dated: July 28, 2009.

Patricia L. Toppings,

OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Notice of a Computer Matching Agreement Between the Office of Personnel Management and the Defense Manpower Data Center, Department of Defense for Disclosure of Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Eligibility in Determining Eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select

A. Participating Agencies: Participants in this computer matching program are the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) and the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The DMDC is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the records for the purpose of the match. The OPM is the specific recipient activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs the computer matching.

B. Purpose of the Match: The purpose of this agreement is to establish the conditions, safeguards and procedures under which the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will disclose FEHB eligibility and Federal employment information to the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System Office (DEERS), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs). This disclosure by OPM will provide the DoD with the FEHB eligibility and Federal employment information necessary to determine continuing eligibility for the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program.

C. Authority for Conducting the Match: This CMA is executed to comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 552a), as amended, (as amended by Public Law (Pub. L.) 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (CMPPA) of 1988), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, titled “Management of Federal Information Resources” at 61 Federal Register (FR) 6435 (February 20, 1996), and OMB guidelines pertaining to computer matching at 54 FR 25818 (June 19, 1989).

The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 (NDAA of 2007) established the enhanced TRICARE Reserve Select program as of Oct. 1, 2007. Selected Reserve members, who are eligible for FEHB under chapter 89 of title 5, U.S.C. are ineligible for TRICARE Reserve Select. This agreement implements the additional validation processes needed by DoD to insure Selected Reserve members eligible for FEHB are not enrolled in TRS.

D. Records To Be Matched: The systems of records maintained by the respective agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, from which records will be disclosed for the purpose of this computer match are as follows:

OPM will use the system of records identified as OPM/GOVT-1 entitled “General Personnel Records,” at 71 FR 35342 (June 19, 2006).

DoD will use the SOR identified as DMDC 02 DoD, entitled “Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), (April 22, 2009, 74 FR 18356).” SSNs of DoD TRS Sponsors will be released to OPM pursuant to the routine use “22” set forth in the system notice, which provides that data may be released to OPM “for support of the DEERS enrollment process and to identify individuals not entitled to health care under TRS.”

E. Description of Computer Matching Program: Under the terms of this matching agreement, DMDC will provide to OPM a file of social security numbers (SSN) DOB, and Name for Selected Reserve members who are enrolled in TRS. DMDC will update their database with FEHBP eligibility information from the OPM response file. DMDC will be responsible for providing the verified information to the Reserve components for processing of TRS eligibility.

OPM agrees to conduct a semi-annual computer match of the SSNs of Selected Reservists enrolled in TRS provided by DMDC against the information found in OPM's personnel system of record. OPM will validate the identification of the Selected Reserve record that matches against the name, SSN and date of birth provided by DMDC. OPM will provide an FEHB Plan Code, a multiple record indicator and a DOB match indicator. OPM will forward a response file to DMDC within 30 business days following the receipt of the initial finder file and for any subsequent files submitted.

F. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: This computer matching program is subject to public comment and review by Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. If the mandatory 30 day period for comment has expired and no comments are received and if no objections are raised by either Congress or the Office of Management and Budget within 40 days of being notified of the proposed match, the computer matching program becomes effective and the respective agencies may begin the exchange at a mutually agreeable time and thereafter on a quarterly basis. By agreement between OPM and DMDC, the matching program will be in effect for 18 months with an option to renew for 12 additional months unless one of the parties to the agreement advises the other by written request to terminate or modify the agreement.

G. Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquiries: Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1901 South Bell Street, Suite 920, Arlington, VA 22202-4512. Telephone [phone].