[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11225-11226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5761]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program.

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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 the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and DoD that certain 
records are being matched by computer. By verifying Federal payments to 
residents, the AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the 
individual fees as required by law. A computer match will provide 
accurate benefit information on the residents.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This proposed action will become effective April 30, 
1998, unless comments are received which would result in a contrary 
determination. Any public comment must be received before the effective 
date.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Vahan Moushegian, 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 is the most 
efficient and effective manner to accomplish this task with the least 
amount of intrusion of personal privacy of the individuals concerned.
    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 Chief, Management Information 
Systems, U. S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home, 3700 North Capitol Street, 
NW, Washington, DC 20317-0002.
    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 on June 19, 1989 at 54 FR 25818.
    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 
February 25, 1998, to the House Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, 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 February 8, 1996 (61 FR 
6435). The matching program is subject to review by OMB and Congress 
and shall not become effective until that review period has elapsed.
    Dated: March 2, 1998.

L.M. Bynum,
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 recipient activity or 
matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs the computer 
matching.

    B.  Purpose of the match: The purpose of this agreement is to 
establish the conditions under which the DoD,

[[Page 11226]]

Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and Office of Personnel Management 
(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 DVA 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.

    D.  Records to be matched: The systems of records maintained by the 
respective agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, from 
which records will be disclosed for the purpose of this computer match 
are as follows:
    The AFRH will use personal data from the record system identified 
as AFRH-1, entitled `Armed Forces Retirement Home Resident Fee 
Maintenance System' last published in the Federal Register at 58 FR 
68629 on December 28, 1993.
    DoD 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 62 FR 55610 on October 27, 1997.

    E.  Description of Computer Matching Program: The AFRH 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 personnel who served 
on active duty or retired, including individuals receiving any Federal 
compensation, pension or annuity from the DVA or OPM. Matching records 
(hits) based on the SSN, will produce the resident's military retired 
or retainer pay, civil service annuity and DVA 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 an electronic file in a format defined by 
DMDC on a semiannual basis. This file will contain the name and SSN of 
approximately 2,000 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 DVA compensation and pension records on military 
retirees; and the OPM compensation and annuity records on military 
retirees.
    DMDC will match the SSN on the AFRH file by computer against the 
DMDC database. Matching records, hits based on the SSN, will produce 
data elements of the individual's name, date of birth, gross 
entitlement amount, payment status, benefit eligibility effective date, 
termination cause, waiver amount, waiver effective date, disability or 
non-disability retirement status, VA and OPM claim/file numbers, and 
Former Spouse Protection Act deductions.

    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; then this computer 
matching program becomes effective and the respective agencies may 
begin the exchange of data 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 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: Acting 
Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 
920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.

[FR Doc. 98-5761 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F