[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61209-61210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24392]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Amendment of Two Systems of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e), 
notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is 
amending two systems of records entitled ``Personnel and Accounting Pay 
System--VA'' (27VA047) and ``General Personnel Records (Title 38)--VA'' 
(76VA05) by adding a new routine use to each system in order to 
disclose information as required by law to enroll the children of 
Federal employees in healthcare benefits coverage and to notify the 
courts about the coverage.

DATES: If no public comment is received during the 30-day review period 
allowed for public comment, or unless otherwise published in the 
Federal Register by VA, the amended systems of records are effective 
October 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments concerning the 
proposed amendment to the systems of records to the Office of 
Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 
273-9289; or email comments to ``[email protected]''. All 
relevant material received before October 28, 2002 will be considered. 
Comments will be available for public inspection at the above address 
in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the hours 
of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Mulhern, Office of Financial 
Policy (047GC1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-5570.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 106-394 (October 30, 2000), 114 
Stat. 1629, the ``Federal Employees Health Benefits Children's Equity 
Act of 2000,'' and 5 U.S.C. 8905(h) mandate that agencies ensure that 
employees provide healthcare benefit coverage for their children when 
such employees are required to do so by a court or administrative 
order. This law simply places Federal employees in the same position as 
private sector employees in regard to being required to provide 
healthcare benefits coverage for their dependent children when required 
by court or administrative order. VA and other Federal agencies are 
required to enroll employees in the Federal Employees' Health Benefits 
(FEHB) program if they do not voluntarily enroll or purchase other 
healthcare benefits coverage. An employee subject to such an order must 
enroll in self and family coverage in a plan that provides full 
benefits to his or her child or children in the area where they live or 
provide documentation that he or she has other healthcare coverage for 
the children. If the employee does not enroll in an appropriate 
healthcare plan or provide documentation of other coverage for the 
children, the agency must enroll the employee for self and family 
coverage in the standard option of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield 
Service Benefit Plan (enrollment code 105).
    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has provided guidance to 
agencies on implementation of this law in OPM Retirement and Insurance 
Service Benefits Administration Letters Number 00-224 (November 21, 
2000) and Number 01-202 (January 29, 2001), and Retirement and 
Insurance Service Payroll Office Letter Number P-00-39 (December 14, 
2000).
    In order to comply with Public Law 106-394 and 5 U.S.C. 8905(h), VA 
proposes to add a new routine use to 27VA047 and 76VA05. This new 
routine use will permit disclosure of information to a court, 
administrative entity, or custodial parent of a child in order to 
provide documentation of payroll deductions for child healthcare 
insurance coverage in accordance with a court or administrative order. 
The routine use also permits disclosure of information from these 
systems of records to healthcare insurance carriers in order to enroll 
employees and their children in healthcare insurance plans. VA has 
determined that the release of information for these purposes is a 
necessary and proper use of the information in these systems of records 
and that the new specific routine use for transfer of this information 
is appropriate.
    An altered systems of records report and a copy of the revised 
systems notice have been sent to the House of Representatives Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight, the Senate Committee on 
Governmental Affairs, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as 
required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) and guidelines issued by OMB (65 FR 77677, 
(12/12/00)).

    Approved: September 11, 2002.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Notice of Amendment to Systems of Records
    In the system of records identified as 27VA047, ``Personnel and 
Accounting Pay System--VA,'' as set forth in the Federal Register 40 FR 
38095 (8/26/75) and amended in 48 FR 16372 (4/15/83), 50 FR 23009 (5/
30/85), 51 FR 6858 (2/26/86), 51 FR 25968 (7/17/86), 55 FR 42534 (10/
19/90), 56 FR 23952 (5/24/91), 58 FR 39088 (7/21/93), 58 FR 40852 (7/
30/93), 60 FR 35448 (7/7/95), 62 FR 41483 (8/1/97), 62 FR 68362 (12/31/
97), 65 FR 20850 (4/18/00), 65 FR 31370 (5/17/00), and 65 FR 44097 (7/
17/00) the system is revised as follows:
* * * * *

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    34. VA may disclose information from this system of records to a 
court, administrative entity, or custodial parent of a child in order 
to provide documentation of payroll deductions for child healthcare 
insurance coverage in accordance with a court or administrative order 
as required by 5 U.S.C. 8905(h), as enacted by Public Law 106-394 and 
in accordance with the procedures stated in the applicable Office of 
Personnel Management Benefits Administration and Payroll Office 
Letters. VA may also disclose information from this system of records 
to healthcare insurance carriers in order to enroll employees and their 
children in healthcare insurance plans in accordance with Public Law 
106-394.
* * * * *
    In the system of records identified as 76VA05, ``General Personnel 
Records

[[Page 61210]]

(Title 38)--VA,'' as set forth in the Federal Register at 65 FR 45131 
(7/20/00), the system is revised as follows:
* * * * *

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
* * * * *
    39. VA may disclose information from this system of records to a 
court, administrative entity, or custodial parent of a child in order 
to provide documentation of payroll deductions for child healthcare 
insurance coverage in accordance with a court or administrative order 
as required by 5 U.S.C. 8905(h), as enacted by Public Law 106-394 and 
in accordance with the procedures stated in the applicable Office of 
Personnel Management Benefits Administration and Payroll Office 
Letters. VA may also disclose information from this system of records 
to healthcare insurance carriers in order to enroll employees and their 
children in healthcare insurance plans in accordance with Public Law 
106-394.

[FR Doc. 02-24392 Filed 9-26-02; 8:45 am]
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