[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 59 (Friday, March 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14983-14984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8080]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 Notice of 
RRB and SSA Records Used in Computer Matching

AGENCY: Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

ACTION: Notice of records used in computer matching programs; 
notification to individuals who are railroad employees, or applicants 
and beneficiaries under the Railroad Retirement Act or who are 
applicants or beneficiaries under the Social Security Act.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988, RRB is issuing public notice of its use and intent to use, 
in ongoing computer matching programs, information obtained from the 
Social Security Administration (SSA) of the amount of wages reported to 
SSA and the amount of benefits paid by that agency. The RRB is also 
issuing public notice, on behalf of the Social Security Administration, 
of SSA's use and intent to use, in ongoing computer matching programs, 
information obtained from the RRB of the amount of railroad earnings 
reported to the RRB.
    The purposes of this notice are (1) to advise individuals applying 
for or receiving benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act of the use 
made by RRB of this information obtained from SSA by means of a 
computer match and (2) to advise individuals applying for or receiving 
benefits under the Social Security Act of the use made by SSA of this 
information obtained from RRB by means of a computer match.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this publication by 
writing to Ms. Beatrice Ezerski, Secretary to the Board, Railroad 
Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. LeRoy Blommaert, Privacy Act Officer, Railroad Retirement Board, 
844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092, telephone number 
(312) 751-4548.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988, Pub.L. 100-503, requires a Federal agency participating in 
a computer matching program to publish a notice regarding the 
establishment of a matching program. This notice relates to a 
consolidation of two existing matching programs. Under one of these 
programs (referenced by RRB for convenience as RRB/SSA 1-2-3), SSA 
furnishes to RRB information needed by RRB to administer the Railroad 
Retirement Act. Under the other program (referenced by RRB for 
convenience as RRB/SSA-4), RRB furnishes to SSA information needed by 
SSA to administer the Social Security Act. For RRB/SSA 1-2-3, the 
required notice covering the current and fourth cycle of the program 
which began July 6, 1997, was published at 62 FR 25679 (May 9, 1997); 
for RRB/SSA-4, the required notice covering the current and fourth 
cycle of the program which began August 28, 1997, was published at 62 
FR 40563 (July 29, 1997).

Name of Participating Agencies

    Social Security Administration and Railroad Retirement Board.

Purpose of the Match

    The RRB will, on a daily basis, obtain from SSA a record of the 
wages reported to SSA for persons who have applied for benefits under 
the Railroad Retirement Act and a record of the amount of benefits paid 
by that agency to persons who are receiving or have applied for 
benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act. The wage information is 
needed to compute the amount of the tier I annuity component provided 
by sections 3(a), 4(a) and 4(f) of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 
U.S.C. 231b(a), 45 U.S.C. 231c(a) and 45 U.S.C. 231c(f). The benefit 
information is needed to adjust the tier I annuity component for the 
receipt of the Social Security benefit. This information is available 
from no other source.
    In addition, the RRB will receive from SSA the amount of certain 
social security benefits which the RRB pays on behalf of SSA. Section 
7(b)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(2)) provides 
that the RRB shall make the payment of certain social security 
benefits. The RRB also requires this information in order to adjust the 
amount of any annuity due to the receipt of a social security benefit. 
Section 10(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231i(a)) 
permits the RRB to recover any overpayment from the accrual of social 
security benefits. This information is not available from any other 
source.
    Thirdly, the RRB will receive from SSA once a year a copy of SSA's 
Master Benefit Record for earmarked RRB annuitants. Section 7(b)(7)) of 
the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. (b)(7) requires that SSA provide 
the requested information. The RRB needs this information to make the 
necessary cost-of-living computation quickly and accurately for those 
RRB annuitants who are also SSA beneficiaries.
    SSA will receive from RRB weekly RRB earnings information for all 
railroad employees. SSA will match the identifying information of the 
records furnished by the RRB against the identifying information 
contained in its Master Benefit Record and its Master Earnings File. If 
there is a match, SSA will use the RRB earnings to adjust the amount of 
Social Security benefits in its Annual Earnings Reappraisal Operation 
(AERO). This information is available from no other source.
    SSA will also receive from RRB on a daily basis RRB earnings 
information on selected individuals. The transfer of information may be 
initiated either by RRB or by SSA. SSA needs this information to 
determine eligibility to Social Security benefits and, if eligibility 
is met, to determine the benefit amount payable. Section 18 of the 
Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231(q)(2)) requires that earnings 
considered as compensation under the Railroad Retirement Act be 
considered as wages under the Social Security Act for the purposes of 
determining entitlement under the Social Security

[[Page 14984]]

Act if the person has less than 10 years of railroad service or has 10 
or more years of service but does not have a current connection with 
the railroad industry at the time of his/her death.

Authority for Conducting the Match

    Section 7(b)(7) of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 
231f(h)(7)) provides that the Social Security Administration shall 
supply information necessary to administer the Railroad Retirement Act.
    Sections 202, 205(o) and 215(f) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 402, 405(o) and 415(f) relate to benefit provisions, inclusion 
of railroad compensation together with wages for payment of benefits 
under certain circumstances, and the recomputation of benefits.

Categories of Records and Individuals Covered

    All applicants for benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act and 
current beneficiaries will have a record of any social security wages 
and the amount of any social security benefits furnished to the RRB by 
SSA. In addition, all persons who ever worked in the railroad industry 
after 1936 will have a record of their service and compensation 
furnished to SSA by RRB. The applicable Privacy Act Systems of Records 
used in the matching program are as follows: RRB-5, Master File of 
Railroad Employees' Creditable Compensation; RRB-22, Railroad 
Retirement, Survivor, Pensioner Benefit System; SSA/OSR, 09-60-0090, 
Master Beneficiary Record (MBR); and SSA/OSR, 09-60-0059, Master 
Earnings File (MEF).

Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program

    The consolidated matching program shall become effective no sooner 
than 40 days after notice of the matching program is sent to Congress 
and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever date is 
later. The matching program will continue for 18 months from the 
effective date and may be extended for an additional 12 months 
thereafter, if certain conditions are met.
    The notice we are giving here is in addition to any individual 
notice.
    A copy of this notice will be or has been furnished to the Office 
of Management and Budget and the designated committees of both houses 
of Congress.

    Dated: March 20, 1998.

    By authority of the Board.
Beatrice Ezerski,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 98-8080 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M