[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 36 (Thursday, February 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 9116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3580]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Privacy Act of 1994; Computer Matching Programs; Office of 
Personnel Management/Social Security Administration

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

ACTION: Publication of notice of computer matching to comply with 
Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act of 1988.

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SUMMARY: OPM is publishing notice of its computer matching program with 
the Social Security Administration (SSA) to meet the reporting 
requirements of Pub. L. 100-503. The purpose of this match is for SSA 
to establish the conditions under which the SSA agrees to disclose tax 
return and/or Social Security benefit information to OPM. The SSA 
records will be used in redetermining and recomputing the benefits of 
certain annuitants and survivors whose computations are based, in part, 
on military service performed after December 1956 under the Civil 
Service Retirement System (CSRS) and certain annuitants and survivors 
whose annuity computation under the Federal Employees Retirement System 
(FERS) have a CSRS component.

DATES: The matching program will begin 40 days after the Federal 
Register notice has been published and the letters to Congress and OMB 
have been issued. The matching program will continue for 18 months from 
the beginning date and may be extended an additional 12 months 
thereafter. The data exchange will begin at a date mutually agreed upon 
between OPM and SSA after February 2005, unless comments on the match 
are received that result in cancellation of the program. Subsequent 
matches will take place semi-annually on a recurring basis until one of 
the parties advises the other in writing of its intention to 
reevaluate, modify and/or terminate the agreement.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Marc Flaster, Chief, RIS Support Services 
Group, Office of Personnel Management, Room 4316, 1900 E Street, NW. 
Washington, DC 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Sparrow, (202) 606-1803.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSA will agree to provide OPM with the 
disclosure of tax return information. The SSA records will be used in 
redetermining and recomputing the benefits of certain annuitants and 
survivors whose computations are based, in part, on military service 
performed after December 1956 under the Civil Service Retirement System 
(CSRS) and certain annuitants and survivors whose annuity computation 
under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) have a CSRS 
component. The SSA components responsible for the disclosure are the 
Office of Income Security Programs. The responsible component for OPM 
is the Center for Retirement and Insurance Services. OPM, as the agency 
actually using the results of this matching activity in its programs, 
will publish the notice required by Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 
552a(e)(12) in the Federal Register.

Office of Personnel Management.
Dan G. Blair,
Acting Director.

Report of Computer Matching Program Between the Office of Personnel 
Management and Social Security Administration

A. Participating Agencies

    OPM and SSA.

B. Purpose of the Matching Program

    This computer matching agreement sets forth the responsibilities of 
the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) with respect to information disclosed pursuant to this 
agreement and is executed under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, 
as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

C. Description of the Match and Records

    SSA will disclose data from its MBR file (60-0090, Master 
Beneficiary Record, SSA/OEEAS) and MEF file (60-0059, Earning Recording 
and Self-Employment Income System, SSA/OEEAS), and manually extracted 
military wage information from SSA's ``1086'' microfilm file when 
required. OPM will provide SSA with a electronic finder file from the 
OPM System of Records published as OPM/Central-1 (Civil Service and 
Insurance Records), on October 8, 1999 (64 FR 54930), as amended on May 
3, 2000 (65 FR 2575). The systems of records involved have routine uses 
permitting the disclosures needed to conduct this match.
    The systems of records are protected under the Privacy Act of 1974, 
as amended, and in accordance with Internal Revenue Manual 1.16.8, 
Physical Security Standards Handbook. Either OPM or SSA may make onsite 
inspection or make other provisions to ensure that adequate safeguards 
are being maintained by the other agency.

D. Privacy Safeguards and Security

    Both SSA and OPM will safeguard information provided by the 
reciprocal agency as follows: Access to the records matched and to any 
records created by the match will be restricted to only those 
authorized employees and officials who need the records to perform 
their official duties in connection with the uses of the information 
authorized in the agreement. SSA and OPM will protect Federal Tax 
information in the same manner which IRS systems of records are 
protected under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and in accordance 
with Internal Revenue Manual 1.16.8, Physical Security Standards 
Handbook. Either OPM or SSA may make onsite inspection or make other 
provisions to ensure that adequate safeguards are being maintained by 
the other agency.

E. Disposal of Records

    Records causing closeout or suspend actions would also be annotated 
and returned to OPM for recordkeeping purposes. All records returned to 
OPM are considered ``response'' records and any not used in the update 
process must be purged by SSA immediately after all processing is 
completed.

[FR Doc. 05-3580 Filed 2-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-38-P