[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38724-38725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15355]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DHS-2013-0006]


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching 
Program between the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services and the California Department of Social 
Services.
SUMMARY: This document provides notice of the existence of a Computer 
Matching Agreement that establishes a computer matching program between 
the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services and the California Department of Social Services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Homeland Security/U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services provides 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) 
and the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Amendments of 1990 
(Pub. L. 101-508) (Privacy Act); Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Final Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public Law 100-503, the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, 54 FR 25818 (June 
19, 1989); and OMB Circular A-130, Appendix I, 65 FR 77677 (December 
12, 2000).
    Participating Agencies: The Department of Homeland Security/U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) is the source agency 
and the California Department of Social Services (CA-DSS) is the 
recipient agency.
    Purpose of the Match: The Computer Matching Agreement (Agreement) 
that establishes this computer matching program allows DHS/USCIS to 
provide CA-DSS with electronic access to immigration status information 
contained within the DHS/USCIS Verification Information System (VIS). 
The immigration status information will enable CA-DSS to determine 
whether an applicant is eligible for benefits under the Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP) program administered by CA-DSS.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: Section 121 of the 
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, Public Law 99-603, 
as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), requires DHS to establish a system 
for the verification of immigration status of alien applicants for, or 
recipients of, certain types of benefits as specified in IRCA, and to 
make this system available to state agencies that administer such 
benefits. Section 121(c) of IRCA amends Section 1137 of the Social 
Security Act and certain other sections of law that pertain to Federal 
entitlement benefit programs to require state agencies administering 
these programs to use the DHS/USCIS verification system to make 
eligibility determinations in order to prevent the issuance of benefits 
to alien applicants who are not entitled to program benefits

[[Page 38725]]

because of their immigration status. The VIS database is the DHS/USCIS 
system established and made available to CA-DSS and other covered 
agencies for use in making these eligibility determinations.
    CA-DSS seeks access to the information contained in DHS/USCIS VIS 
database for the purpose of confirming the immigration status of alien 
applicants for, or recipients of, the benefits it administers, in order 
to discharge its obligation to conduct such verifications pursuant to 
Section 1137 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1320b-7(a). Pursuant 
to Section 840 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation 
Act of 1996, verification of applicants for Food Stamps through DHS/
USCIS is optional for CA-DSS. CA-DSS has elected to use the VIS for all 
alien applicants for Food Stamps for the length of this Agreement.
    Categories of Records and Individuals Covered: DHS/USCIS will 
provide the following to CA-DSS: Records in the DHS/USCIS VIS database 
containing information related to the status of aliens and other 
persons on whom DHS/USCIS has a record as an applicant, petitioner, or 
beneficiary. See DHS/USCIS-004 Systematic Alien Verification for 
Entitlements Program System of Records Notice, 76 FR 58525 (September 
21, 2011).
    CA-DSS will provide the following to DHS/USCIS: CA-DSS records 
pertaining to alien applicants for, or recipients of, entitlement 
benefit programs administered by the State.
    CA-DSS will match the following records with DHS-USCIS records:

 Alien Registration Number (also referred to as USCIS Number)
 1-94 Number
 Last Name
 First Name
 Middle Name
 Date of Birth
 Nationality
 Social Security Number

DHS-USCIS will match the following records with CA-DSS records:

 Alien Registration Number
 Last Name
 First Name
 Middle Name
 Date of Birth
 Country of Birth (not nationality)
 Social Security Number (if available)
 Date of Entry
 Immigration Status Data
 Employment Eligibility Data

    Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: This Agreement will be 
effective 40 days after a report concerning the computer matching 
program has been transmitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) and transmitted to Congress along with a copy of the Agreement, 
or 30 days after publication of a computer matching notice in the 
Federal Register, whichever is later. The Agreement (and matching 
activity) will continue for 18 months from the effective date, unless 
within three (3) months prior to the expiration of this Agreement, the 
Data Integrity Board approves a one-year extension pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
552a(o)(2)(D).
    Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquires: Individuals 
wishing to comment on this matching program or obtain additional 
information about the program, including requesting a copy of the 
Computer Matching Agreement between DHS-USCIS and CA-DSS, may contact:
    For general questions please contact: Donald K. Hawkins (202-272-
8000), Privacy Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 
Department of Homeland Security 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20529.
    For privacy questions please contact: Jonathan R. Cantor (202-343-
1717), Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office Department of 
Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528.

Jonathan R. Cantor,
Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2013-15355 Filed 6-26-13; 8:45 am]
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