[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49555-49556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20599]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of computer matching between the U.S. Department of 
Education and the U.S. Postal Service.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act 
of 1988 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines on the 
Conduct of Matching Programs, a notice is hereby given of the computer 
matching program between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the 
U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The following notice represents the 
approval of a new computer matching agreement by the ED and USPS Data 
Integrity Boards to implement the matching program on the effective 
date as indicated in paragraph E of this notice.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Final Guidelines on the Conduct of Matching 
Programs (see 54 FR 25818, June 19, 1989), and OMB Circular A-130, the 
following information is provided:

A. Participating Agencies

    The USPS is the recipient agency and will perform the computer 
match with debtor records provided by ED, the source agency in this 
matching program.

B. Purposes of the Matching Program

    This matching program will compare USPS payroll and ED delinquent 
debtor files for the purposes of identifying postal employees who may 
owe delinquent debts to the federal government under programs 
administered by the ED. The pay of an employee identified and verified 
as a delinquent debtor may be offset under the provisions of the Debt 
Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365) when voluntary payment is not 
made.

C. Legal Authorities Authorizing Operation of the Match

    This matching program will be undertaken under the authority of the 
Debt Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365) which authorizes federal 
agencies to offset a federal employee's salary as a means of satisfying 
delinquent debts owed to the United States.

D. Categories of Individuals Involved and Identification of Records 
Used

    The following systems of records, maintained by the participant 
agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended by 
the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-
503), will be used to disclose records for this matching program:
    1. USPS' ``Finance Records--Payroll System, USPS 050-020,'' 
containing records for approximately 800,000 employees. (Disclosure 
will be made pursuant to routine use No. 24 of USPS 050-020, which last 
appeared in the Federal Register on December 4, 1992 (57 FR 57515).)
    2. ED's ``Title IV Program Files'' (18-11-05), containing debt 
records for approximately 3,000,000 borrowers. (A notice of this system 
was last published in the Federal Register on June 4, 1999 (64 FR 
30106).)

E. Beginning and Ending Dates of the Matching Program

    The matching program will become effective 40 days after a copy of 
the agreement, as approved by the Data Integrity Board of each agency, 
is sent to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, or 30 days 
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever 
date is later. The matching program will continue for 18 months after 
the effective date. The agreement may be extended for one additional 
year beyond that period, if within 90 days prior to the actual 
expiration date of the matching agreement, the Data Integrity Boards of 
both the USPS and ED find that the computer matching program will be 
conducted without change and each party certifies that the matching 
program has been conducted in compliance with the matching agreement.

F. Address for Receipt of Comments and Inquiries

    If you wish to comment on this matching program or obtain 
additional information about the program including a copy of the 
computer matching agreement between ED and USPS, contact John R. Adams, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5114 ROB-
3, Washington, DC 20202-5320. Telephone: (202) 205-5311. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[[Page 49556]]

    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this notice in room 5114 ROB-3, Seventh and D Streets, 
SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Comments

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
record for this notice. If you want to schedule an appointment for this 
type of aid, you may call (202) 205-8113 or (202) 260-9895. If you use 
a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (PDF) on the Internet at the following sites:

http://cfco.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions 
about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) 
toll free at 1-888-293-6498, or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 
512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Dated: August 4, 2000.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 00-20599 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U