[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 88235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29364]



[[Page 88235]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program 
Between the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document provides notice of the computer matching program 
between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA). The computer matching program will begin on the 
effective date specified in paragraph 5.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided under 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); the 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 1.
    1. Name of Participating Agencies. ED and VA.
    2. Purpose of the Match.The computer matching program will assist 
ED in its obligation to ensure that borrowers with disabilities who 
have loans under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), more efficiently and 
effectively apply for total and permanent disability discharge of their 
student loans.
    3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program. ED's legal 
authority to enter into this computer matching program is section 437 
of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1087(a)); the regulations promulgated pursuant to 
that 552a(a)(8)). VA's legal authority to enter into this computer 
matching program and to disclose information thereunder is the Privacy 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(a)(8) and (b)(3)).
    4. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match. The 
records to be used in the match are described as follows:
    VA will disclose to ED the name (first and last), date of birth, 
Social Security Number, and date of disability determination for 
individuals who are in receipt of VA disability compensation benefits 
with a VA disability compensation rating of 100 percent Permanent and 
Total.
    ED will match the file received from VA with ED's records on 
individuals who owe a balance on one or more title IV, HEA loans or who 
have had a loan written off due to default, as contained in ED's system 
of records entitled ``National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-
11-06), last published in the Federal Register in full on June 28, 2013 
(78 FR 38963-38969) and last updated on April 2, 2014 (79 FR 18534-
18536).
    The ED data described in the preceding paragraph will be matched 
with the VA system of records identified as ``BIRLS--VA'' (38VA21), 
first published at 49 FR 38095 (August 26, 1975), routine use 21, as 
added by 66 FR 30049-30050 (June 4, 2001), which is the published 
system notice that added routine use 21 to this system of records 
notice.
    5. Effective Date of the Matching Program. The computer matching 
program will become effective at the latest of the following dates: (1) 
The date of the last signatory to this Computer Matching Agreement; (2) 
40 days after the signing of the transmittal letter sending the 
computer matching program report to Congress and OMB, unless OMB 
disapproves the matching program within the 40-day review period; (3) 
if OMB waives 10 or fewer days of the 40-day review period for 
compelling reasons, then 30 days plus whatever number of the 10 days 
that OMB did not waive after the signing of the transmittal letter 
sending the computer matching program report to Congress and OMB; or 
(4) 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. 
The matching program will continue for 18 months after the effective 
date and may be extended for an additional 12 months if the conditions 
specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have been met.
    6. Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquiries. 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 ED and VA, may contact Lisa Oldre, 
Program Operations Specialist, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of 
Education, 830 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20202-5320. Telephone: 
202-377-3249. As a secondary contact, individuals may contact Pam 
Eliadis, Service Director, System Operations & Aid Delivery Management, 
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 830 First Street 
NE., Washington, DC 20202-5320. Telephone: (202) 377-3554.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-
877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact 
disc) on request to either contact person listed in the previous 
paragraph.
    Electronic Access to the Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of ED published in the Federal Register, in text 
or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe 
Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of ED published in the Federal 
Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by ED.

    Authority: The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a).

    Dated: December 2, 2016.
James W. Runcie,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 2016-29364 Filed 12-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P