[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28471-28472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13103]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Notice of Computer Matching 
Program (Railroad Retirement Board and Social Security Administration, 
Match Number 1007)

AGENCY: Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

ACTION: Notice of a modified matching program.

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

SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the RRB is 
issuing public notice of its renewal of an ongoing computer-matching 
program with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The purpose of 
this notice is to advise individuals applying for or receiving benefits 
under the Railroad Retirement Act of the use made by RRB of this 
information obtained from SSA by means of a computer match. The RRB is 
also issuing public notice, on behalf of the SSA, of their intent to 
conduct a computer-matching program based on information provided to 
them by the RRB.

DATES: Public comments are welcome until July 19, 2018. We will file a 
report of this computer-matching program with the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). 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.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this publication by 
writing to Ms. Martha P. Rico-Parra, Secretary to the Board, Railroad 
Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Timothy Grant, Associate Chief 
Information Officer, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092, telephone 312-751-4869 or email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988, (Pub. L. 100-503), amended by the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 
U.S.C. 552a) as amended, requires a Federal agency participating in a 
computer matching program to publish a notice in the Federal Register 
for all matching programs.
    The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching 
by Federal agencies when records contained in a Privacy Act System of 
Records are matched with other Federal, State, or local government 
records. It requires Federal agencies involved in computer matching 
programs to:
    (1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies 
participating in the matching programs;
    (2) Obtain the approval of the matching agreement by the Data 
Integrity Boards (DIB) of the participating Federal agencies;

[[Page 28472]]

    (3) Publish notice of the computer matching program in the Federal 
Register;
    (4) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress 
and OMB;
    (5) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are 
subject to matching; and
    (6) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, 
or denying a person's benefits or payments. The last notice for this 
matching program was published in the Federal Register on November 9, 
2015 (80 FR 69253).
    Participating agencies: Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) and the 
Social Security Administration (SSA), Match #1007.
    Authority for conducting the matching program: Section 7(b)(7) of 
the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(7)) provides that the 
Social Security Administration shall supply information necessary to 
administer the Railroad Retirement Act. Sections 202, 205(o) and 215(f) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402, 405(o) and 415(f)) relate to 
benefit provisions, inclusion of railroad compensation together with 
wages for payment of benefits under certain circumstances, and the re-
computation of benefits.

Purposes

    1. Daily exchanges:
    a. The RRB will obtain from SSA a record of the wages reported to 
SSA for persons who have applied for benefits under the Railroad 
Retirement Act and a record of the amount of benefits paid by that 
agency to persons who are receiving or have applied for benefits under 
the Railroad Retirement Act. The wage information is needed to compute 
the amount of the tier I annuity component provided by sections 3(a), 
4(a) and 4(f) of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231b(a), 45 
U.S.C. 231c(a) and 45 U.S.C. 231c(f)). The benefit information is 
needed to adjust the tier I annuity component for the receipt of the 
Social Security benefit. This information is available from no other 
source.
    b. The RRB will receive from SSA the amount of certain social 
security benefits which the RRB pays on behalf of SSA. Section 7(b)(2) 
of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(2)) provides that the 
RRB shall make the payment of certain social security benefits. The RRB 
also requires this information in order to adjust the amount of any 
annuity due to the receipt of a social security benefit. Section 10(a) 
of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231i(a)) permits the RRB to 
recover any overpayment from the accrual of social security benefits. 
This information is not available from any other source.
    c. The SSA will receive from RRB earnings information on selected 
individuals. The transfer of information may be initiated either by RRB 
or by SSA. SSA needs this information to determine eligibility to 
Social Security benefits and, if eligibility is met, to determine the 
benefit amount payable. Section 18 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 
U.S.C. 231q(2)) requires that earnings considered as compensation under 
the Railroad Retirement Act be considered as wages under the Social 
Security Act for the purposes of determining entitlement under the 
Social Security Act if the person has less than 10 years of railroad 
service or has 10 or more years of service but does not have a current 
connection with the railroad industry at the time of his/her death.
    2. Weekly exchange: The SSA will receive from the RRB earnings 
information for all railroad employees. SSA will match the identifying 
information of the records furnished by the RRB against the identifying 
information contained in its Master Benefit Record and its Master 
Earnings File. If there is a match, SSA will use the RRB earnings to 
adjust the amount of Social Security benefits in its Annual Earnings 
Reappraisal Operation. This information is available from no other 
source.
    Yearly exchange: The RRB will receive from SSA a copy of SSA's 
Master Benefit Record for earmarked RRB annuitants. Section 7(b)(7)) of 
the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(7)) requires that SSA 
provide the requested information. The RRB needs this information to 
make the necessary cost-of-living computation adjustments quickly and 
accurately for those RRB annuitants who are also SSA beneficiaries.
    Categories of individuals: All applicants for benefits under the 
Railroad Retirement Act and current beneficiaries will have a record of 
any social security wages and the amount of any social security 
benefits furnished to the RRB by SSA. In addition, all persons who ever 
worked in the railroad industry after 1936 will have a record of their 
service and compensation furnished to SSA by RRB.
    Systems of records: The applicable RRB Privacy Act Systems of 
Records and their Federal Register citation used in the matching 
program are:
    1. RRB-5, Master File of Railroad Employees' Creditable 
Compensation, September 30, 2014 (79 FR 58877)
    2. RRB-22, Railroad Retirement, Survivor, and Pensioner Benefit 
System, May 15, 2015 (80 FR 28018)
    The applicable SSA Privacy Act Systems of Records used and their 
Federal Register citation used in the matching program are:
    1. SSA 60-0058, Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) 
Holders and SSN Applications (the Enumeration System), last published 
on December 29, 2010 (75 FR 82121), July 5, 2013 (78 FR 40542), and 
February 13, 2014 (79 FR 8780).
    2. SSA/OS, 60-0059, Earnings Recording and Self-Employment Income 
System (MEF), last published on January 11, 2006 (71 FR 1819), July 5, 
2013 (78 FR 40542).
    3. SSA/ORSIS 60-0090, Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), last 
published on January 11, 2006 (71 FR 1826), December 10, 2007 (72 FR 
69723), and July 5, 2013 (78 FR 40542).
    4. SSA/ODISSIS 60-103, Supplemental Security Income Record and 
Special Veteran Benefits last published on January 11, 2006 (71 FR 
1830), December 10, 2007 (72 FR 69723).
    5. SSA/OPB 60-0269, Prisoner Update Processing System (PUPS), last 
published on March 8, 1999 (64 FR 11076), December 10, 2007 (72 FR 
69723), and July 5, 2013 (78 FR 40542).

    Dated: June 14, 2018.

    By authority of the Board.
Martha Rico-Parra,
Secretary to the Board.
[FR Doc. 2018-13103 Filed 6-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P