[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73851-73852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29216]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2013-OS-0226]


Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program.

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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 
U.S.C. 552a) requires agencies to publish advance notice of any 
proposed or revised computer matching program by the matching agency 
for public comment. The Department of Defense (DoD), as the matching 
agency under the Privacy Act is hereby giving notice to the record 
subjects of a computer matching program between the Office of the 
Inspector General (OIG), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the 
DoD that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose of 
this agreement is to verify an individual's eligibility for receipt of 
benefits under programs administered by the Veterans Benefits 
Administration.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective January 8, 2014 and 
matching may commence unless changes to the matching program are 
required due to public comments or by Congressional or by Office of 
Management and Budget objections. Public comments must be received 
before January 8, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark 
Center Drive, East Tower, 2nd Floor, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-
3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Samuel P. Jenkins at telephone 
(703) 571-0070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Defense Manpower Data 
Center (DMDC) and VA have concluded an agreement to conduct a computer 
matching program between the agencies. The purpose of this agreement is 
to verify an individual's eligibility for receipt of benefits under 
programs administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration.
    The parties to this agreement have determined that a computer 
matching program is the most efficient, expeditious, and effective 
means of obtaining the information needed by the VA to identify 
individuals that have not separated from military service and/or 
confirm elements of military service relevant to the adjudication of VA 
benefits. If this identification is not accomplished by computer 
matching, but is done manually, the cost would be prohibitive and it is 
possible that not all individuals would be identified.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between VA and DMDC is 
available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to 
the Director, Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, 241 18th 
Street South, Suite 101, Arlington, VA 22202 or to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefit Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20420.
    Set forth below is the notice of the establishment of a computer 
matching program required by paragraph 6.c. of the Office of Management 
and Budget Guidelines on computer matching published in the Federal 
Register at 54 FR 25818 on June 19, 1989.
    The matching agreement, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the 
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and an advance copy of this notice was 
submitted on November 27, 2013, to the House Committee on Government 
Reform, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and the 
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget pursuant to paragraph 4d of Appendix I 
to OMB Circular No. A-130, ``Federal Agency Responsibilities for 
Maintaining Records about Individuals,'' February 8, 1996 (February 20, 
1996; 61 FR 6427).

     Dated: December 3, 2013.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Notice of a Computer Matching Program Between the Office of the 
Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
Department of Defense for Verification of Eligibility

    A. Participating Agencies: Participants in this computer matching 
program are the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of 
the Department of Defense (DoD). The VA is the source agency, i.e., the 
activity disclosing the records for the purpose of the match. The DMDC 
is the specific recipient activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency 
that actually performs the computer matching.

[[Page 73852]]

    B. Purpose of the Match: The purpose of this agreement is to verify 
an individual's eligibility for receipt of benefits under programs 
administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration.
    The VA, as the source agency, will provide DMDC with two electronic 
files, the VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) and Veterans Assistance 
and Discharge System (VADS) files. The C&P file contains names of 
veterans, SSNs, and compensation and pension records. The VADS file 
contains names of veterans, SSNs, and DD214 data. Upon receipt of the 
electronic files, DMDC will perform a match using the SSNs in the VA 
C&P file and the VADS file against the DMDC Active Duty Transaction, 
Reserve Transaction, and Reserve Master files. DMDC will provide VA OIG 
an electronic listing of VA C&P and VADS records for which there is no 
matching record from any of the three DMDC files, and an electronic 
listing of records that contain data that are inconsistent with data 
contained in the VA C&P or VADS files. VA OIG is responsible for 
verifying and determining that the data on the DMDC electronic reply 
file are consistent with the VA source file and for resolving any 
discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual basis.
    C. Authority for Conducting the Match: The authority for VA to 
conduct this match is 5 U.S.C. App. 3, the Inspector General Act of 
1978 (IG Act). The IG Act authorizes the VA OIG to conduct audits and 
investigations relating to the programs and operations of VA, IG Act, 
Sec.  2. In addition, Sec.  4 of the IG Act provides that the IG will 
conduct activities designed to promote economy and efficiency and to 
prevent and detect fraud and abuse in VA's programs and operations.
    D. Records To Be Matched: 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:
    VA will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record 
system for the match: Compensation, Pension, Education, and Vocational 
Rehabilitation and Employment Records-VA, 58VA21/22/28, April 2010.
    DoD will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record 
system for the match: Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base--DMDC 01, 
published in the Federal Register at November 23, 2011, 76 FR 72391.
    E. Description of Computer Matching Program: VA, as the source 
agency, will provide DMDC with two electronic files, the C&P and VADS 
files. The C&P file contains names of veterans, SSNs, and compensation 
and pension records. The VADS file contains names of veterans, SSNs, 
and DD214 data. Upon receipt of the electronic files, DMDC will perform 
a match using the SSNs in the VA C&P file and the VADS file against the 
DMDC Active Duty Transaction, Reserve Transaction, and Reserve Master 
files. DMDC will provide VA OIG an electronic listing of VA C&P and 
VADS records for which there is no matching record from any of the 
three DMDC files, and an electronic listing of records that contain 
data that are inconsistent with data contained in the VA C&P or VADS 
files. VA OIG is responsible for verifying and determining that the 
data on the DMDC electronic reply file are consistent with the VA 
source file and for resolving any discrepancies or inconsistencies on 
an individual basis.
    The VADS file provided by VA contains approximately 308,000 records 
per year that include data elements showing veteran's name, SSN, VA 
claim number, Date of Birth, Date of Discharge, and Character of 
Service.
    The C&P file provided by VA contains approximately 3.6 million 
records per year that includes data elements showing veteran's stub 
name, SSN, Date of Birth, Date of Discharge, Entitlement Code, File 
Number, Combined Degree of Disability, Station Number/Regional Office 
Number, Suspense Segment Indicator, Address Line 1, Branch of Service, 
Additional Service Indicator, Net Award Amount, and Net Award Date.
    The Active Duty Transaction file provided by DMDC contains 
approximately 2.7 million records per year historically dating from 
1971 to the present. This file includes data elements showing service 
member's name, SSN, Date of Birth, Separation Program Designator, 
Interservice Separation code, Date of Separation, and Branch of 
Service.
    The Reserve Transaction file provided by DMDC contains 
approximately 1.5 million records per year historically dating from 
1977 to the present. This file includes data elements showing reserve 
service member's name, SSN, Date of Birth, Separation Program 
Designator, Interservice Separation code, Date of Separation, and 
Branch of Service.
    The Reserve Master file provided by DMDC contains approximately 1.3 
million records per year historically dating from 1977 to the present. 
This file does not include character of service. However, a match on 
this file may indicate that the Reserve service member spent time on 
active duty while a member of the Reserve Forces.
    F. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: This computer matching 
program is subject to public comment and review by Congress and the 
Office of Management and Budget. If the mandatory 30 day period for 
comment has expired and no comments are received and if no objections 
are raised by either Congress or the Office of Management and Budget 
within 40 days of being notified of the proposed match, the computer 
matching program becomes effective and the respective agencies may 
begin the exchange at a mutually agreeable time and thereafter on a 
quarterly basis. By agreement between VA and DMDC, the matching program 
will be in effect for 18 months with an option to renew for 12 
additional months unless one of the parties to the agreement advises 
the other by written request to terminate or modify the agreement.
    G. For Questions, Contact: Director, Defense Privacy and Civil 
Liberties Office, 241 18th Street South, Suite 101, Arlington, VA 
22202. Telephone (703) 571-0070.

[FR Doc. 2013-29216 Filed 12-6-13; 8:45 am]
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