[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15373-15374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7735]


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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 advanced notices of any 
proposed or revised computer matching program by the matching agency 
for public comment. The Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower 
Data Center (DMDC), as the matching agency under the Privacy Act, 
compensation and pension is hereby giving notice to the record subjects 
of a computer matching program between Department of Veterans Affairs, 
Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) and the Department of Defense 
(DoD) that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose of 
the computer matching program is to attempt to verify eligibility for 
VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits by matching veteran's record 
of those benefits with the military service record of veterans eligible 
for those benefits for themselves or their beneficiaries.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective May 1, 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 VA OIG and DMDC have 
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between 
agencies. The purpose of the computer matching program is to attempt to 
verify eligibility for VA C&P benefits by matching veteran's record of 
those benefits with the military service record of veterans eligible 
for those benefits for themselves or their beneficiaries.
    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 VA OIG to 
verify the military service record of veterans eligible for VA (C&P) 
benefits, to identify potential fraudulent payments to fictitious 
veterans, and to identify payments that should be adjusted where the 
beneficiary is not entitled to all or part of the VA C&P benefits 
received. The principal alternative to using a computer matching 
program for identifying such individuals would be to conduct a manual 
comparison of all veterans or their beneficiaries receiving VA (C&P) 
benefits with the other files. Conducting a manual match, however, 
would clearly impose a considerable administrative burden, constitute a 
greater intrusion on the individual's privacy, and would result in 
additional delay in the eventual response to possible fraud and abuse. 
By comparing the information received through the computer matching 
program between VA OIG and DMDC on a recurring basis, information on 
successful matches (hits) can be provided to VA to initiate research on 
these discrepancies, thus assuring that benefit payments are proper.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between VA OIG and DoD is 
available upon request. Requests should be submitted to the address 
caption above or to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of 
Inspector General (52CO), 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420.
    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 March 
20, 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: March 25, 2002.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Notice of a Computer Matching Program Agreement Between; Office of 
the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
Defense Manpower Data Center, the Department of Defense for 
Verification of Eligibility

A. Participating Agencies

    Participants in this computer matching program are the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) and the 
Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). The 
VA OIG is the source agency, i.e., the activity

[[Page 15374]]

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, VA will provide and disclose 
VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) and Veterans Assistance Discharge 
Systems (VADS) records to DMDC to identify individuals that have not 
separated from military service and/or confirm elements of military 
service relevant to the adjudication of VA benefits. VA OIG will use 
this information to initiate an independent verification process to 
determine eligibility and entitlement to VA benefits.

C. Authority for Conducting the Match

    The authority to conduct this match is 5 U.S.C. App. 3, the 
Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act). The IG Act authorizes the VA 
OIG to conduct audits and investigations relating to the programs and 
operations of VA. IG Act, Sec. 2. In addition, Sec. 4 of the IG Act 
provides that the IG will conduct activities designed to promote 
economy and efficiency and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in 
VA's programs and operations.

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. Agencies must publish ``routine uses'' pursuant to subsection 
(b)(3) of the Privacy Act for those systems of records from which they 
intend to disclose information. The systems of records described below 
contain an appropriate routine use provision which pertains to 
disclosure of information between the agencies.
    2. VA will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record 
system for the match: Compensation, Pension, Education and 
Rehabilitation Records--VA, 58VA21/22, first published at 41 FR 9294, 
March 3, 1976, and last amended at 65 FR 37605, June 15, 2000, with 
other amendments as cited therein.
    3. DoD will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record 
system for the match: Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base--S322.10 
DMDC, published in the Federal Register at 66 FR 29552 on May 31, 2001.

E. Description of Computer Matching Program

    VA, as the source agency, will provide DMDC with two electronic 
files, the C&P and VADS files. The C&P file contains names of veterans, 
SSNs, and compensation and pension records. The VADS file contains 
names of veterans, SSNs, and DD214 data. Upon receipt of the electronic 
files, DMDC will perform a match using the SSNs in the VA C&P file, and 
the VADS file against the DMDC Active Duty Transaction, Reserve 
Transaction, and Reserve Master files. DMDC will provide VA OIG an 
electronic listing of VA C&P and VADS records for which there is no 
matching record from any of the three DMDC files, and an electronic 
listing of records that contain data that are inconsistent with data 
contained in the VA C&P or VADS files. VA OIG is responsible for 
verifying and determining that the data on the DMDC electronic reply 
file are consistent with the VA source file and for resolving any 
discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual basis.

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 on an annual basis. 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 VA OIG and DMDC, 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. 02-7735 Filed 3-29-02; 8:45 am]
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