[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 222 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57699-57700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28375]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a Computer Matching Program 
Between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Defense 
Manpower Data Center of the Department of Defense

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, 
Defense.
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 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 constructive notice in lieu of direct notice to 
the record subjects of a computer matching program between FEMA and DoD 
that their records are being matched by computer. The record subjects 
are FEMA delinquent debtors who may be current or former Federal 
employees receiving Federal salary or benefit payments and who are 
delinquent in their repayment of debts owed to the United States 
Government under programs administered by FEMA so as to permit FEMA to 
pursue and collect the debt by voluntary repayment or by administrative 
or salary offset procedures under the provisions of the Debt Collection 
Act of 1982.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective December 18, 1995, 
and the computer matching may 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 FEMA 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 debt collection. The match will yield the 
identity and location of the debtors within the Federal government so 
that FEMA can pursue recoupment of the debt by voluntary payment or by 
administrative or salary offset procedures. 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 FEMA and DMDC is 
available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to 
the address caption above or to the Debt Collection Officer, Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, Office of the Secretary, Office of 
Financial Management MS 7258 MIB, Washington, DC 20240. Telephone (202) 
208-4703.
    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 a copy of this notice will be submitted for review to 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight 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. A130, `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: November 13, 1995.

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

NOTICE OF A COMPUTER MATCHING PROGRAM BETWEEN THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR DEBT COLLECTION

    A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching 
program are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the 
Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). 
FEMA is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the records 
for the purpose of the match. 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 an agreement, the 
FEMA will provide and disclose debtor records to DMDC to identify and 
locate any matched Federal personnel, employed or retired, who may owe 
delinquent debts to the Federal Government under certain programs 
administered by the DOD. FEMA will use this information to initiate 
independent collection of those debts under the provisions of the Debt 
Collection Act of 1982 when voluntary payment is not forthcoming. These 
collection efforts will include requests by the FEMA of any employing 
Federal agency to apply administrative and/or salary offset procedures 
until such time as the obligation is paid in full.

    C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for 
conducting the matching program is contained in the Debt Collection Act 
of 1982 (Public Law 97-365), 31 U.S.C. Chapter 37, Subchapter I 
(General) and Subchapter II (Claims of the United States Government), 
31 U.S.C. 3711 Collection and Compromise, 31 U.S.C. 3716 Administrative 
Offset, 5 U.S.C. 5514 Installment Deduction for Indebtedness (Salary 
Offset); 10 U.S.C. 136, as amended, Under Secretary of Defense for 
Personnel and Readiness; 10 U.S.C. 138, as amended, Assistant 
Secretaries of Defense; section 101(1) of Executive Order 12731; 4 CFR 
Ch. II, Federal Claims Collection Standards (General Accounting Office 
-Department 

[[Page 57700]]
of Justice); 5 CFR 550.1101 - 550.1108 Collection by Offset from 
Indebted Government Employees (OPM); 44 CFR 11.43 Salary Offset and 44 
CFR 11.45 Administrative Offset (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

    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:
    FEMA will use personal data from the record system identified as 
FEMA/OC-2, entitled 'Debt Collection Files' last published in the 
Federal Register at 58 FR 63986 on December 3, 1993.
    DMDC will use personal data from the record system identified as 
S322.11 DMDC, entitled `Federal Creditor Agency Debt Collection Data 
Base,' last published in the Federal Register on February 22, 1993, at 
58 FR 10875.
    Sections 5 and 10 of the Debt Collection Act authorize agencies to 
disclose information about debtors in order to effect salary or 
administrative offsets. 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. Sections 5 and 10 of 
the Debt Collection Act will comprise the necessary authority to meet 
the Privacy Act's `compatibility' condition. The systems of records 
described above contain an appropriate routine use disclosure between 
the agencies of the information proposed in the match. The routine use 
provisions are compatible with the purpose for which the information 
was collected.

    E. Description of computer matching program: FEMA, as the source 
agency, will provide DMDC with an electronic file which contains the 
names of delinquent debtors in programs the FEMA administers. Upon 
receipt of the electronic file of debtor accounts, DMDC will perform a 
computer match using all nine digits of the SSN of the FEMA file 
against a DMDC computer database. The DMDC database, established under 
an interagency agreement between DOD, OPM, OMB, and the Department of 
the Treasury, consists of employment records of Federal employees and 
military members, active, and retired. Matching records (`hits'), based 
on the SSN, will produce the member's name, service or agency, category 
of employee, and current work or home address. The hits or matches will 
be furnished to the FEMA. FEMA is responsible for verifying and 
determining that the data on the DMDC reply tape file are consistent 
with the FEMA source file and for resolving any discrepancies or 
inconsistencies on an individual basis. FEMA will also be responsible 
for making final determinations as to positive identification, amount 
of indebtedness and recovery efforts as a result of the match.
    The electronic file provided by FEMA will contain data elements of 
the debtor's name, Social Security Number, debtor status and debt 
balance, internal account numbers and the total amount owed on 
approximately 5,600 delinquent debtors.
    The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 10 million 
records of active duty and retired military members, including the 
Reserve and Guard, and the OPM government wide Federal civilian records 
of current and retired Federal employees.
    DMDC will match the SSN on the FEMA electronic file by computer 
against the DMDC database. Matching records, hits based on SSN, will 
produce data elements of the member's name, SSN, service or agency, and 
current work or home address.

    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 semiannually. 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 FEMA 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. 95-28375 Filed 11-16-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F