[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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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