[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11384-11386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5536]


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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 notice of any 
proposed or revised computer matching program by the matching agency 
for public comment. The DoD, as the matching agency under the Privacy 
Act, is hereby giving notice to the record subjects of a computer 
matching program between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and 
DoD that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose is to 
identify and locate Federal personnel, employed, serving, or retired, 
who owe delinquent debts to the Federal Government under certain 
programs administered by VA.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective April 9, 2003, 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 Defense Manpower Data 
Center (DMDC) and VA have concluded an agreement to conduct a computer 
matching program between the agencies. The purpose of the match is to 
exchange personal data

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between the agencies for debt collection. The match will yield the 
identity and location of the debtors within the Federal government so 
that VA can pursue recoupment of the debt by voluntary payment or by 
administrative or salary offset procedures.
    The parties to this agreement have determined that a computer 
matching program is the most efficient and effective manner to 
accomplish this task with the least amount of intrusion of personal 
privacy of the individuals concerned. It was therefore concluded and 
agreed upon that computer matching would be the best and least 
obtrusive manner and choice for accomplishing this requirement.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between VA and DoD is 
available upon request. Requests should be submitted to the address 
caption above or to the Debt Management Center, U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal 
Drive, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota 55111.
    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 12, 2003, 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 21, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Notice of a Computer Matching Program Between the Defense Manpower Data 
Center, the Department of Defense, and the Debt Management Center, 
Department of Veterans Affairs, for Debt Collection

    A. Participating Agencies: Participants in this computer matching 
program are the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), the Department of 
Defense, and the Debt Management Center, Department of Veterans 
Affairs. VA is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the 
records for the purpose of the match. The DMDC 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 debtor records to DMDC to identify and locate 
any matched Federal personnel, employed, serving, or retired, who owe 
delinquent debts to the Federal government under certain programs 
administered by VA. VA will use this information to initiate 
independent collection of those debts under the provisions of the Debt 
Collection Act of 1982, as amended, when voluntary payment is not 
forthcoming. These collection efforts will include requests by VA of 
the military service/employing agency in the case of military personnel 
(either active, reserve, or retired) and current non-postal civilian 
employees, and to OPM in the case of retired non-postal civilian 
employees, to apply administrative and/or salary offset procedures 
until such time as the obligation is paid in full.
    C. Authority for Conducting the Match: The legal authority for 
conducting the matching program is contained in the Debt Collection Act 
of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365), as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement 
Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-134, section 31001); 31 U.S.C. chapter 37, 
subchapter I (General) and subchapter II (Claims of the United States 
Government); 31 U.S.C. 3711, Collection and Compromise; 31 U.S.C. 3716, 
Administrative Offset; 5 U.S.C. 5514, Installment Deduction for 
Indebtedness (Salary Offset); 10 U.S.C. 135, Under Secretary of Defense 
(Comptroller); section 101(l) of Executive Order 12731; 31 CFR chapter 
IX, Federal Claims Collection Standards; 5 CFR 550.1101-550.1110 
Collection by Offset from Indebted Government Employees (OPM); 38 CFR 
1.980-1.994 (VA).
    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:
    VA will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record 
systems for the match: Accounts Receivable Records-VA, 88VA244, 
published in the Federal Register at 63 FR 16864 on April 6, 1998.
    DoD will use personal data from the record system identified as 
S322.11 DMDC, entitled ``Federal Creditor Agency Debt Collection Data 
Base,'' last published in the Federal Register at 64 FR 42101, August 
3, 1999.
    E. Description of Computer Matching Program: VA, as the source 
agency, will provide DMDC with an electronic file which contains the 
names of delinquent debtors for programs VA administers. Upon receipt 
of the electronic file of debtor accounts, DMDC will perform a computer 
match using all nine digits of the SSN of the VA file against a DMDC 
computer database. The DMDC database, established under an interagency 
agreement between DOD, OPM, OMB, and the Department of the Treasury, 
consists of personnel records of non-postal Federal civilian employees 
and military members, both active and retired. The ``hits'' or matches 
will be furnished to VA. VA is responsible for verifying and 
determining that the data on the DMDC electronic reply file are 
consistent with VA's source file and for resolving any discrepancies or 
inconsistencies on an individual basis. VA will also be responsible for 
making final determinations as to positive identification, amount of 
indebtedness and recovery efforts as a result of the match.
    The electronic file provided by VA will contain data elements of 
the debtor's name, SSN, internal account numbers and the total amount 
owed for each debtor on approximately 240,000 delinquent debtors.
    The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 4.84 million 
records of active duty and retired military members, including the 
Reserve and Guard, and approximately 3.56 million records of active and 
retired non-postal Federal civilian employees.
    DMDC will match the SSN on the VA file by computer against the DMDC 
database. Matching records, ``hits'' based on SSNs, will produce data 
elements of the individual's name, SSN, military service or employing 
agency, and current work or home address.
    F. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: This computer matching 
program is subject to public comment and review by Congress and the 
Office of Management and Budget. If the mandatory 30 day period for 
comment has expired and no comments are received and if no objections 
are raised by either Congress or the Office of Management and Budget 
within 40 days of being notified of the proposed match, the computer 
matching program becomes effective and the respective agencies may 
begin the exchange of data at a mutually agreeable time and thereafter 
every six months. By agreement between VA and DMDC, the matching 
program will be in effect for

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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. 03-5536 Filed 3-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-P