[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52389-52390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22452]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of computer matching program between the U.S. Department 
of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child 
Support Enforcement (OCSE).

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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, this document gives notice of a computer 
matching program between ED and HHS.
    Background: This computer matching program between the two agencies 
will become effective, as indicated in paragraph six of this notice. In 
accordance with 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), 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, we provide the following information:
    1. Participating Agencies. U.S. Department of Education (ED), 
recipient agency. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support 
Enforcement (OCSE), source agency.
    2. Purpose of Match. The purpose of the match is to obtain address 
information on individuals who owe funds to the Federal government for 
defaulted student loans or grant overpayments. ED will use this 
information to initiate independent collection of these debts under the 
provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982 when voluntary payment is 
not forthcoming. For individuals whose annual wage level exceeds 
$16,000, these collection efforts will include orders by ED or a 
guaranty agency to the employing entity, pursuant to statutory, non-
judicial, administrative wage garnishment authority, to withhold a 
portion of the disposable pay of the debtor until such time as the 
obligation is paid in full.
    3. Authority for Conducting the Match. The legal authority for 
conducting this match is contained in the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 653(j)(6)), as amended (Pub. L. 106-113).
    4. Records and Individuals Covered by the Match. 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: ED: 18-11-07, 
Student Financial Assistance Collection Files, 64 FR 30166-30169 (June 
4, 1999), as amended, 64 FR 72407 (December 27, 1999). OCSE: 09-90-
0074, Location and Collection System, 65 FR 57817 (September 26, 2000).
    5. Description of Computer Matching Program. ED administers student 
financial assistance programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(HEA). OCSE maintains a database that consists of three separate 
components. The first component, the W4 table, contains all newly hired 
employees as reported from the State Directory of New Hires (SDNH) and 
directly from Federal agencies. Component two, the QW table, contains 
quarterly wage information on individual employees, as received from 
Federal agencies and States. The final component, the UI table, 
contains, unemployment insurance information of individuals who have 
received, or made application for, unemployment benefits, as reported 
by State Employment Security Agency or other State agencies responsible 
for the implementation of the Unemployment Insurance Program.
    This matching agreement between ED and OCSE will assist ED in 
locating and collecting funds from delinquent debtors. The identifying 
elements that the two agencies will match are as follows:
    ED: Name and Social Security Number (SSN) of delinquent debtors.
    OCSE: Name and SSN of all newly hired employees and individuals who 
have received, or made application for, unemployment benefits.
    OCSE will perform the computer match using all nine digits of the 
SSN of the ED file against the OCSE computer database. OCSE will 
produce a file containing the name, SSN, current home address, employer 
and employer's address for each individual identified, based on the 
match. The file of matches will be returned to ED.
    ED is responsible for verifying and determining that the data on 
the NDNH reply file is consistent with ED's source file and for 
resolving any discrepancies

[[Page 52390]]

or inconsistencies on an individual basis. ED will also be responsible 
for making final determinations as to positive identification, amount 
of indebtedness and recovery efforts, as a result of the match.
    6. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program. The matching program 
will become effective at the latest of the following three dates: (1) 
40 days after the signing of the transmittal letters sending the 
computer matching program report to Congress and OMB, unless OMB 
disapproves the agreement within the 40 day review period or grants a 
waiver of the review period for compelling reasons; (2) 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register; or (3) July 22, 
2003. The matching program will continue for 18 months after the 
effective date and may be extended for an additional 12 months 
thereafter, if the conditions specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have 
been met.
    7. Address for Receipt of Comments or 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 OCSE, contact Marian E. Currie, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Union Center Plaza, Room 41B4, Washington, DC 
20202-5320, telephone: (202) 377-3212; or, as a secondary contact: 
Adara L. Walton, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Union Center Plaza, Room 
44E3, Washington, DC 20202-5320, telephone: (202) 377-3236. If you use 
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative 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 Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at this site. If you have questions about using 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.
    You may also view this document in text or PDF at the following 
site: http://ifap.ed.gov/csb_html/fedlreg.htm.

    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.


    Authority: (5 U.S.C. 5514(a); 5 U.S.C. 552a).

    Dated: August 27, 2003.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 03-22452 Filed 9-2-03; 8:45 am]
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