[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 53 (Monday, March 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13550-13551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5506]


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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 information to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The SSA 
records will be used in a matching program in which OPM will match 
SSA's tax return records with OPM's records on disability retirees 
under age 60, disabled adult child survivors, certain retirees in 
receipt of a supplemental benefit under the Federal Employees 
Retirement System (FERS), and certain annuitants receiving a 
discontinued service retirement benefit under the Civil Service 
Retirement System (CSRS).

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 with 
OPM's records on disability retirees under age 60, disabled adult child 
survivors, certain retirees in receipt of a supplemental benefit under 
the FERS, and certain annuitant receiving a discontinued service 
retirement benefit under CSRS. 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),

[[Page 13551]]

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 record keeping 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. 05-5506 Filed 3-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-38-P