[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57000-57001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28325]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Amended Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
intends to conduct a recurring computer matching program matching 
Social Security Administration (SSA) income tax with VA pension, 
compensation and parents' dependency and indemnity compensation 
records.
    The goal of this match is to compare income and employment status 
as reported to VA with income tax records maintained by SSA and adjust 
or terminate benefits, if appropriate. The match will include records 
of current VA beneficiaries as well as records of former beneficiaries.
    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to match records of 
veterans and surviving spouses and children who receive pension and 
parents who receive dependency and indemnity compensation from VA with 
income tax information maintained by SSA. VA also plans to match 
records of veterans who are receiving disability compensation at the 
100 percent rate because the veteran's disabilities keep him or her 
from engaging in gainful employment.
    VA will use this information to verify income and employment 
information in its master records and adjust VA benefit payments as 
prescribed by law. Otherwise information about a VA beneficiary's 
receipt of wages as well as employment status is obtained by reporting 
by the beneficiary. The proposed matching program will enable VA to 
ensure accurate reporting of income and employment status.

RECORDS TO BE MATCHED: The VA records involved in the match are the

[[Page 57001]]

VA system of records, Compensation, Pension, Education and 
Rehabilitation Records--VA (58 VA 21/22) first published at 41 FR 9294, 
March 3, 1976 and last amended at 60 FR 20156, April 24, 1995. The SSA 
records consist of information from the system of records identified as 
Earnings Recording and Self Employment Income System, HHS/SSA/OSR, 09-
60-0059 published at 60 FR 52948, October 15, 1995.
    In accordance with Title 5 U.S.C. subsection 552a(o)(2) and (r), 
copies of the agreement are being sent to both Houses of Congress and 
to the Office of Management and Budget.
    This notice is provided in accordance with the provisions of the 
Privacy Act of 1974 as amended by Public Law 100-503.
    The match is estimated to start December 3, 1996, but will start no 
sooner than 40 days after publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register, or 40 days after copies of this Notice and the agreement of 
the parties is submitted to Congress and the Office of Management and 
Budget, whichever is later, and end not more than 18 months after the 
agreement is properly implemented by the parties. The involved 
agencies' Data Integrity Boards (DIB) may extend this match for 12 
months provided the agencies certify to their DIBs, within three months 
of the ending date of the original match, that the matching program 
will be conducted without change and that the matching program has been 
conducted in compliance with the original matching program.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals may submit written comments to the 
Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1154, Washington, DC 
20420. Comments will be available for public inspection at the above 
address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between 8 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David G. Spivey (213B), (202) 273-
7258.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information is required by Title 5 
U.S.C. subsection 552a(e)(12), the Privacy Act of 1974. A copy of this 
notice has been provided to both House of Congress and the Office of 
Management and Budget.

    Approved: October 29, 1996.
Jesse Brown,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-28325 Filed 11-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M