[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1317-1318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-350]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Alteration to Existing Systems 
of Records

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Proposed New Routine Use for Existing System of Records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4) and 
(11)), we are issuing public notice of our intent to establish a new 
routine use disclosure applicable to the system of records entitled 
Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN 
Applications, 60-0058. The proposed routine use will allow SSA to 
disclose citizenship status data, in addition to validated SSN 
information, to assist the Department of Defense (DOD) in identifying 
those military enrollees and members of the Armed Forces who are aliens 
or noncitizen nationals that may qualify for expedited naturalization 
or citizenship processing. We invite public comment on this proposal.

DATES: We filed a report of the proposed new routine use disclosure 
with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, the 
Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, and the Director, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) on January 2, 2004. The proposed routine use will become 
effective on February 11, 2004, unless we receive comments warranting 
that it not become effective.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals may comment on this publication by 
writing to the Executive Director, Office of Public Disclosure, Office 
of the General Counsel, Social Security Administration, Room 3-A-6 
Operations Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 
21235-6401. All comments received will be available for public 
inspection at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Joan Peddicord, Social Insurance 
Specialist, Strategic Issues Team, Office of Public Disclosure, Office 
of the General Counsel, Social Security Administration, in Room 3-C-2 
Operations Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 
21235, at e-mail address [email protected] or by telephone at 
(410) 966-6491.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Discussion of the Proposed New Routine Use

    DOD has requested that SSA verify SSNs, and under the proposed new 
routine use, provide citizenship status data to assist DOD in 
identifying those military enrollees and members of the Armed Forces 
who are aliens or noncitizen nationals that may qualify for expedited 
naturalization or citizenship processing. To satisfy the legal 
requirements for disclosure under the Privacy Act, SSA must establish a 
new routine use in the system of records entitled Master Files of 
Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications, 60-0058.
    Data output from this verification process will be used by DOD as 
part of its ongoing efforts to help identify those military enrollees 
and members of the Armed Forces who are aliens or noncitizen nationals 
that may qualify for expedited citizenship or naturalization processing 
under section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 
1440. Under section 329, the President may make expedited 
naturalization procedures available to aliens and noncitizen nationals 
serving in an active duty status by designating, via an Executive Order 
(EO), a period in which the Armed Forces of the United States are 
engaged in military operations involving armed conflict with a hostile 
foreign force. On January 3, 2002, President Bush issued EO 13269, 
designating such a period to have commenced on September 11, 2001.
    SSA already validates SSNs for DOD under an existing routine use. 
This routine use, number 16, is found in the Master Files of Social 
Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications, 60-0058, and 
permits SSA to disclose SSN verifications to Federal agencies which use 
the SSN as a numerical identifier in their recordkeeping systems. The 
proposed routine use will allow the additional disclosure of 
citizenship status data to DOD as a part of the SSN verification 
process. The proposed routine use, number 38, reads as follows:

    Validated SSN information and citizenship status information may 
be disclosed to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the purpose of 
assisting DOD in identifying those members of the Armed Forces and 
military enrollees who are aliens or noncitizen

[[Page 1318]]

nationals that may qualify for expedited naturalization or 
citizenship processing. These disclosures will be made pursuant to 
requests made under section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act, 8 U.S.C. 1440, as executed by Executive Order 13269.

    We are not republishing in its entirety the notice of the system of 
records to which we are adding the proposed new routine use disclosure. 
Instead, we are republishing only the identification number and the 
name of the system of record, along with the volume, page number and 
date of the Federal Register (FR) issue in which the system notice was 
last published. The proposed new routine use will be included in the 
Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN 
Applications, 60-0058 (63 F.R. 14165, dated 03/24/98).

II. Compatibility of Proposed Routine Use

    The Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(a)(7) and (b)(3)) and SSA's 
disclosure regulation (20 CFR Part 401) permit us to disclose 
information under a published routine use for a purpose that is 
compatible with the purpose for which we collected the information. 
Consistent with Executive Order 9397, Numbering System for Federal 
Accounts Relating to Individual Persons, SSA previously determined that 
disclosing information to those Federal agencies that use the SSN as a 
numerical identifier in their recordkeeping systems for the purpose of 
validating SSNs was compatible with the purposes for which SSA 
collected such information. The additional disclosure of citizenship 
status information to DOD helps DOD fulfill its obligation under EO 
13269 to identify those members of the Armed Forces and military 
enrollees who are aliens or noncitizen nationals that may qualify for 
expedited naturalization or citizenship processing. This use is 
compatible with the purposes SSA collected the data as described in EO 
9397. Thus, the proposed routine use is appropriate and meets the 
relevant statutory and regulatory criteria.

III. Effect of the Proposed Routine Use Disclosure on the Rights of 
Individuals

    The proposed routine use will allow SSA to disclose SSN 
verifications and citizenship status information to DOD to assist DOD 
in identifying military enrollees and members of the Armed Forces who 
may be entitled to expedited naturalization. DOD has advised SSA that 
the administrative activity that DOD will conduct, based on information 
disclosed under the proposed routine use, will not result in decisions 
or actions taken against specific individuals. The routine use has 
established safeguards to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the 
record and to ensure the privacy and other rights of individuals. 
Additionally, we will adhere to all applicable provisions of the 
Privacy Act when disclosing information. Thus, we do not anticipate 
that the proposed new routine use will have any unwarranted adverse 
effect on the rights of individuals about whom data will be disclosed.

    Dated: January 2, 2004.
Jo Anne B. Barnhart,
Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 04-350 Filed 1-7-04; 8:45 am]
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