[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50352-50353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24566]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Office
of Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the OPM and the
Social Security Administration (SSA) for public comment.
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SUMMARY: OPM is publishing notice of its computer matching program with
SSA to meet the reporting and publication requirements of Public Law
100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988. In
this match, SSA records are used in redetermining and recomputing
certain annuitants' benefits where computations are based, in part, on
military service performed after December 1956 under the Civil Service
Retirement System (CSRS) and for annuitants under the Federal
Employees' Retirement System (FERS) who have a CSRS component in their
FERS annuity computation. The purpose of this match is to identify
these beneficiaries.
DATES: This proposed action will become effective 40 days after the
agreements by the parties participating in the match have been
submitted to
[[Page 50353]]
Congress and the Office of Management and Budget unless either the
Congress or the Office of Management and Budget objects thereto. Any
public comment on this matching program must be submitted within the
30-day public notice period, which begins on the publication date of
this notice.
ADDRESS: Any interested party may submit written comments to Kathleen
M. McGettigan, Assistant Director for Financial Control and Management,
Retirement and Insurance Service, Office of Personnel Management, 1900
E Street, NW, Room 4312, Washington, DC 20415.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marc Flaster, (202) 606-2115.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM and SSA have concluded an agreement to
conduct a computer matching program between the two agencies. The
purpose of the agreement is to establish the conditions under which SSA
agrees to the disclosure of Social Security benefit and/or tax return
information to the OPM. OPM, as specified in 5 U.S.C. 8332(j)(1), has
an obligation to use post 1956 earnings data in redetermining and
recomputing annuities for certain CSRS and FERS annuitants. Section
1106 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.) requires that SSA disclose
the needed data to OPM.
Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
Report of Computer Matching Agreement Between the Office of
Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration
A. Participating Agencies
OPM and SSA.
B. Purpose of the Matching Program
Chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), provide
the basis for computing annuities under the Civil Service Retirement
System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System respectively, and
require release of information by SSA in order to administer post 1956
data exchanges. In this match, SSA records are used in redetermining
and recomputing certain annuitants' benefits where computations are
based, in part, on military service performed after December 1956 under
the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and for annuitants under the
Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) who have a CSRS component
in their FERS annuity computation. The purpose of this match is to
identify these beneficiaries.
C. Authority for Conducting the Match Program
Chapters 83 and 84, title 5, United States Code, section 1106 of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306), and the Internal Revenue Code
(26 U.S.C. 6103).
D. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match
SSA will disclose data from its Master Beneficiary Record and
Master Earnings Files, and manually extracted post 1956 military wage
information from SSA's ``1086'' microfilm file when required. SSA has
published routine uses for these systems of records, published at 59 FR
62407, December 5, 1994 and 60 FR 2144, January 6, 1995, last revised
at 60 FR 52948, on October 1, 1995.
OPM's records consist of annuity data from its system of records
entitled OPM/Central-1--Civil Service Retirement and Insurance Records,
last published in the Federal Register at 60 FR 63075, December 8,
1995.
E. Description of Matching Program
OPM provides a monthly magnetic tape to SSA containing data on
those individuals for whom OPM requests post 1956 military service
benefit information. These elements will be matched against SSA
records. SSA furnishes OPM by magnetic tape benefit information on
these individuals, including the amount of the SSA benefit attributable
to the post 1956 military service (which constitutes the CSRS or FERS
annuity reduction amount).
F. Privacy Safeguards and Security
The personal privacy of the individuals whose names are included in
the tapes are protected by strict adherence to the provisions of the
Privacy Act of 1974 and OMB's ``Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of
Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of
1988''. Access to the records used in the data exchange is restricted
to only those authorized employees and officials who need it to perform
their official duties. Records matched or created will be stored in an
area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized personnel
during duty hours as well as nonduty hours or when not in use. Records
used in this exchange and any records created by this exchange will be
processed under the immediate supervision and control of authorized
personnel in a manner which will protect the confidentiality of the
records.
Both SSA and OPM have the right to make onsite inspections or make
other provisions to ensure that adequate safeguards are being
maintained by the other agency.
G. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program
This computer matching program is subject to review by the Congress
and the Office of Management and Budget. OPM's report to these parties
must be received at least 40 days prior to the initiation of any
matching activity. If no objections are raised by either Congress or
OMB, and the mandatory 30 day public notice period for comment for this
Federal Register notice expires, with no significant receipt of adverse
public comments resulting in a contrary determination, then this
computer matching program becomes effective. By agreement between OPM
and SSA, the matching program will be in effect and continue for 18
months with an option to renew for 12 additional months under the terms
set forth in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D),
[FR Doc. 96-24566 Filed 9-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M
