[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9720-9721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4987]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Department of Defense, the 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health 
and Human Services and State Public Assistance Agencies (SPAA) for 
Verification of Continued Eligibility for Public Assistance.

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 advanced notices of any 
proposed or revise computer matching program by the matching agency for 
public comment. The Department of Defense (DoD), as the matching agency 
under the Privacy Act, is hereby giving notice to the record subjects 
of a computer matching program between Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) that their records 
are being matched by computer. The purpose the computer matching 
program is to exchange personal data for purposes of identifying 
individuals who are receiving Federal compensation or pension payments 
and also are receiving payments pursuant to Federal benefit programs 
being administered by the States.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective April 3, 2002, and 
matching may commence unless changes to the matching program are 
required due to public comments or by Congressional or by Office of 
Management and Budget objections. Any public comment must be received 
before the effective date.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Vahan Moushegian, Jr. at (703) 
607-2943.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the DHHS and DMDC have 
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between 
agencies. The purpose of the computer matching program is to exchange 
personal data for purposes of identifying individuals who are receiving 
Federal compensation or pension payments and also are receiving 
payments pursuant to Federal benefit programs being administered by the 
States.
    The parties to this agreement have determined that a computer 
matching program is the most efficient, expeditious, and effective 
means of obtaining and processing the information needed by ACF and the 
SPAAs to identify individuals who may be ineligible for public 
assistance benefits. The principal alternative to using a computer 
matching program for identifying such individuals would be to conduct a 
manual comparison of all Federal personnel records with SPAA records of 
those individuals currently receiving public assistance under a Federal 
benefit program being administered by the State. Conducting a manual 
match, however, would clearly impose a considerable administrative 
burden, constitute a greater intrusion of the individual's privacy, and 
would result in additional delay in the eventual recovery of the 
outstanding debts.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between DHHS and DoD is 
available upon request. Requests should be submitted to the address 
caption above or to the Administration for Children and Families, 370 
L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447.
    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 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 19, 2002, to the House Committee on Government Reform, 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 (February 20, 1996, 61 FR 6427).

    Dated: February 25, 2002.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

    Notice of a Computer Matching Program Among the Defense Manpower 
Data Center, the Department of Defense, the Administration for Children 
and Families Department of Health and Human Service and State Public 
Assistance Agencies for Verification of Continued Eligibility for 
Public Assistance

A. Participating Agencies

    Participants in this computer matching program are the Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD). 
The DHHS is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the 
records for the purpose of the match. The DoD is the specific recipient 
activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs 
the computer matching.

B. Purpose of the Match

    Upon the execution of this agreement, ACF will disclose public 
assistance records, obtained from those SPAAs participating in the 
matching program, to DMDC to identify any Federal personnel, employed, 
serving, or retired, who are also receiving public assistance under the 
Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, general assistance 
and Food Stamp Programs. After matching has been conducted, ACF will 
provide matched data to the SPAAs who will use this information to 
verify the continued eligibility of individuals to receive public 
assistance benefits and, if ineligible, to take such action, as may be 
authorized by law and regulation.

C. Authority for Conducting the Match

    The legal authority for conducting the matching program is 
contained in

[[Page 9721]]

section 1137 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-7).

D. Records To Be Matched

    The systems of records maintained by the respective agencies under 
the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, from which records 
will be disclosed for the purpose of this computer match are as 
follows:
    1. Federal, but not State, agencies must publish system notices for 
``systems of records'' pursuant to subsection (e)(4) of the Privacy Act 
and must identify ``routine uses'' pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of the 
Privacy Act for those systems of records from which they intend to 
disclose this information. The DoD system of records described below 
contains an appropriate routine use proviso, which permits disclosure 
of information by DMDC to ACF and the SPAAs.
    2. DoD will use personal data from the record system identified as 
S322.10 DMDC, entitled ``Defense Manpower Data Center Base,'' last 
published in the Federal Register at 66 FR 29552, May 31, 2001.
    3. DHHS will be disclosing to DMDC personal data it has collected 
from the SPAAs. No information will be disclosed from systems of 
records that ACF operates and maintains. DHHS will be disclosing to the 
SPAAs personal data it has received from DMDC. The DMDC supplied 
matched data will be disclosed by ACF pursuant to the DoD routine use.

E. Description of Computer Matching Program

    ACF, as the source agency, will collect from the SPAAs electronic 
files containing the names and other personal identifying data of 
eligible public assistance beneficiaries. ACF will coordinate the input 
obtained from the SPAAs and will provide DMDC with similarly formatted 
electronic data files, which contain the names of individuals receiving 
public assistance benefits, and which can be processed as a single 
file. Upon receipt of the electronic files of SPAA beneficiaries, DMDC 
will perform a computer match using all nine digits of the SSN of the 
ACF/SPAA file against a DMDC computer database. The DMDC database 
consists of personnel records of non-postal Federal civilian employees 
and military members, both active and retired.
    The ``hits'' or matches will be furnished by DMDC to ACF, who in 
turn, will disclose to the SPAAs any matched information pertaining to 
individuals receiving benefits from that State.
    1. The electronic files provided by ACF and the SPAAs will contain 
data elements of the client's name, SSN, date of birth, address, sex, 
marital status, number of dependents, information regarding the 
specific public assistance benefit being received, and such other data 
as considered necessary and on no more than 10,000,000 public 
assistance beneficiaries.
    2. The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 4.53 
million records of active duty and retired military members, including 
the Reserve and Guard, and approximately 3.45 million records of active 
and retired non-postal Federal civilian employees.
    3. DMDC will match the SSN on the ACF/SPAA file by computer against 
the DMDC database. Matching records, ``hits'' based on SSNs, will 
produce data elements of the individual's name; SSN; active or retired; 
if active, military service or employing agency, and current work or 
home address, and such.

F. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program

    The effective date of the matching agreement and date when matching 
may actually begin shall be at the expiration of the 40-day review 
period for OMB and Congress, or 30 days after publication of the 
matching notice in the Federal Register, whichever date is later. The 
parties to this agreement may assume OMB and Congressional concurrence 
if no comments are received within 40 days of the date of the 
transmittal letter. The 40-day OMB and Congressional review period and 
the mandatory 30-day public comment period for the Federal Register 
publication of the notice will run concurrently. By agreement between 
DHHS and DoD, the matching program will be in effect 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

    Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Suite 920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.

[FR Doc. 02-4987 Filed 3-1-02; 8:45 am]
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