[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46092-46093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23137]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Privacy Act of 1974; As Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/
Internal Revenue Service (IRS))--SSA Match 1016

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a computer matching program that SSA 
plans to conduct.

DATES: SSA will file a report of the subject matching program with the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives and the 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). The matching program will be effective as indicated 
below.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either 
telefax to (410) 965-1722 or writing to the Associate Commissioner for 
Program Support, 4400 West High Rise Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, MD 21235. All comments received will be available for public 
inspection at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Associate Commissioner for Program 
Support at the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. General

    The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Public 
Law (P.L.) 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) by 
establishing the conditions under which computer matching involving the 
Federal Government could be performed and adding certain protections 
for individuals applying for and receiving Federal benefits. Section 
7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508) 
further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections for such 
individuals.
    The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching 
by Federal agencies when records in a system of records are matched 
with other Federal, State, or local government records. Among other 
things, it requires Federal agencies involved in computer matching 
programs to:
    (1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies 
participating in the matching programs;
    (2) Obtain the approval of the matching agreement by the Data 
Integrity Boards (DIB) of the participating Federal Agencies;
    (3) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress 
and OMB;
    (4) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are 
subject to matching; and
    (5) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating 
or denying an individual's benefits or payments.

B. SSA Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act

    We have taken action to ensure that all of SSA's computer matching 
programs comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended.

    Dated: August 21, 1998.
Kenneth S. Apfel,
Commissioner of Social Security.

Notice of Computer Matching Program, Social Security Administration 
(SSA) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

A. Participating Agencies

    SSA and IRS.

B. Purpose of the Matching Program

    The purpose of this matching program is to establish conditions 
under which IRS agrees to the disclosure to SSA of certain tax return 
information relating to unearned income. SSA will use the match results 
to verify the eligibility for, and the correct amount of benefits 
payable to, individuals under the supplemental security income (SSI) 
program, which provides payments under title XVI of the Social Security 
Act (the Act) to aged, blind and disabled recipients with income below 
levels established by law and regulations, and federally-administered 
supplementary payments under section 1616 of the Act including payments 
under section 212 of Public Law 93-66, 87 Stat. 152.

C. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Section 1631(e)(1)(B) of the Act and section 6103(l)(7)(D)(iii) of 
the Internal Revenue Code.

[[Page 46093]]

D. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match

    IRS will provide SSA with an electronic file extracted from the 
Wage and Information Returns Processing File after SSA provides IRS 
with identifying information from SSA's Supplemental Security Income 
Record (SSR). The extracted file will contain certain tax return 
information about unearned income. Each record on the IRS file will be 
matched to the SSR, SSA/OSR 90-60-0103, to identify individuals 
potentially subject to benefit reductions or termination of payment 
eligibility under the statutory provisions cited above.

E. Inclusive Dates of the Match

    The matching program shall become effective upon the signing of the 
agreement by both parties to the agreement and approval of the 
agreement by the Data Integrity Boards of the respective agencies, but 
no sooner than 40 days after notice of this matching program is sent to 
Congress and the Office of Management and Budget or 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever 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.

[FR Doc. 98-23137 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4190-29-P