[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15543-15544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7223]



[[Page 15543]]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Armed 
Forces Retirement Home and the Defense Manpower Data Center of the 
Department of Defense

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, 
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home (AFRH) and the Department of Defense (DoD) for public 
comment.

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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. The DoD, as the matching agency under the Privacy 
Act is hereby giving public notice of a computer matching program 
between AFRH and DoD that certain records are being matched by 
computer. The record subjects are AFRH resident whose average age is 70 
years, and many have physical or mental impairments; thus, it has been 
found that requested income information submitted by residents are not 
reliable, or is difficult or impossible to acquire. A computer match 
will provide accurate benefit information on the residents. This is a 
pilot project and no figures are available at this time. No cost-
benefit analysis has been accomplished for this match and a waiver of 
the analysis was granted by the respective agency Data Integrity 
Boards. By actually conducting a verification of Federal payments to 
residents, the AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the 
individual fees from time to time as required by law.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective April 24, 1995, and 
the computer 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 comment must be received before the 
effective date.

ADDRESSES: Any interested party may submit written comments to the 
Director, Defense Privacy Office, Crystal Mall 4, Room 920, 1941 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-4502.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Aurelio Nepa, Jr. at telephone 
(703) 607-2943.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the DMDC and AFRH have 
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between 
the agencies. The purpose of the match is to exchange personal data 
between the agencies for verification of Federal payments to residents. 
The match will yield the benefit information on the residents so that 
AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the individual fees 
from time to time as required by law. Computer matching appeared to be 
the most efficient and effective manner to accomplish this task with 
the least amount of intrusion of personal privacy of the individuals 
concerned. It was therefore 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 AFRH and DMDC is 
available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to 
the address caption above or to the Budget Officer, Management 
Information Systems, Armed Forces Retirement Home, 3700 North Capitol 
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20317-0002. Telephone (202) 722-3216.

    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 March 
10, 1995, to the Committee on Government Operations 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 July 15, 1994 (59 FR 
37906, July 25, 1994). The matching program is subject to review by OMB 
and Congress and shall not become effective until that review period 
has elapsed.
    Dated: March 17, 1995.

Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Notice of a Computer Matching Program Between the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home and the Department of Defense for Verification of 
Federal Payments to Residents

    A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching 
program are the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and the Defense 
Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The 
AFRH is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the records 
for the purpose of the match. The DMDC is the specific recipient 
activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs 
the computer matching.

    B. Purpose of the match: Upon the execution of this agreement, the 
conditions will be established under which the DoD, VA and OPM agree to 
a computer matching program for the disclosure of military retired or 
retainer pay, civil service annuity, and compensation or pension from 
the VA for the residents of the AFRH, which includes the United States 
Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (USSAH) and the United States Naval Home 
(USNH). This disclosure will provide the AFRH with information 
necessary to verify the payment information currently provided by 
residents for the computation of their monthly fee, and identify any 
unreported benefit payments received by residents.

    C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for 
conducting the matching program is contained in the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home Act of 1991, Pub. L. 101-510, 24 U.S.C. 401-441. The 
law also incorporated the U.S. Naval Home and the U.S. Soldiers' and 
Airmen's Home into a single independent establishment in the Executive 
branch of the Federal government as the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

    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:
    The AFRH will use personal data from the Privacy Act record system 
identified as AFRH-1, entitled `Armed Forces Retirement Home Resident 
Fee Maintenance System' last published in [[Page 15544]] the Federal 
Register at 58 FR 68629 on December 28, 1993.
    DMDC will use personal data from the record system identified as 
S322.10 DMDC, entitled `Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base,' last 
published in the Federal Register at 59 FR 55462 on November 7, 1994.
    Agencies must publish routine uses pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of 
the Privacy Act for those systems of records from which they intend to 
disclose this information. Otherwise they must obtain the written 
consent of the record subjects to disclose outside the agency. 
Moreover, the routine use, with respect to the disclosure of a record, 
must be compatible with the purpose for which it was collected.

    E. Description of computer matching program: The AFRH, as the 
source agency, will provide DMDC with a magnetic computer tape which 
contains the name, SSN and date of birth of each resident. Upon receipt 
of the computer tape file of residents, DMDC will perform a computer 
match using all nine digits of the SSN of the AFRH file against a DMDC 
computer database of personnel/employment/pay records of all uniformed 
services officers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty or 
retired, including individuals receiving any Federal compensation, 
pension or annuity from the VA or OPM. Matching records (hits) based on 
the SSN, will produce the member's military retired or retainer pay, 
civil service annuity and VA compensation and pension. The match 
results will be furnished to AFRH. AFRH is responsible for verifying 
and determining that the data on the DMDC reply tape file are 
consistent with AFRH's source file and for resolving any discrepancies 
or inconsistencies on an individual basis. AFRH will also be 
responsible for making final determinations as to positive 
identification and the amount of Federal payment received by the 
resident as a result of the match.
    The AFRH will provide a magnetic computer tape in a format defined 
by DMDC on a semiannual basis. This file will contain the name and SSN 
of approximately 2,700 residents whose records DMDC will verify.
    The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 10 million 
records of active duty and retired military members, including the 
Reserve and Guard; the VA compensation and pension records on military 
retirees; and the OPM compensation and annuity records on military 
retirees.

    F. 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 annually. 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 AFRH and DMDC, the matching 
program will be in effect and continue 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, Crystal Mall 4, Room 920, 1941 Jefferson Davis 
Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.

[FR Doc. 95-7223 Filed 3-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F