[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 546-548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28475]


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

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA 2019-0006]


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support 
Enforcement (OCSE).

DATES: The deadline to submit comments on the proposed matching program 
is February 5, 2020. The matching program will be applicable, once a 
minimum of 30 days after publication of this notice has elapsed, 
February 5, 2020. The matching program will be in effect for a period 
of 18 months.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either 
telefaxing to (410) 966-0869, writing to Matthew Ramsey, Executive 
Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General 
Counsel, Social Security Administration, G-401 WHR, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, or emailing 
[email protected]. All comments received will be available for 
public inspection by contacting Mr. Ramsey at this street address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties may submit general 
questions about the matching program to Norma Followell, Supervisory 
Team Lead, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General 
Counsel, Social Security Administration, G-401 WHR, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, at telephone: (410) 966-5855, or 
send an email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This computer matching agreement, 
hereinafter ``agreement,'' governs a matching program between OCSE and 
SSA. The agreement covers the following information exchange operations 
between OCSE and SSA from the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH): 
Online query access for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Disability 
Insurance (DI), and Ticket-to-Work and Self-Sufficiency (Ticket) 
programs, and SSI Quarterly Wage batch match. This agreement also 
governs the use, treatment, and safeguarding of the information 
exchanged. OCSE is the ``source agency'' and SSA is the ``recipient 
agency.'' This agreement assists SSA (1) in establishing or verifying 
eligibility or payment amounts, or both under the SSI program; (2) in 
establishing or verifying eligibility or continuing entitlement under 
the DI program; and (3) in administering the Ticket programs. SSA 
evaluates the cost-benefits, including programmatic and operational 
impact, which NDNH information has on SSA programs and operations.

Matthew Ramsey,
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel.
    Participating Agencies: SSA and OCSE.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: The legal 
authorities for disclosures under this agreement are the Social 
Security Act (Act) and the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Section 
453(j)(4) of the Act provides that OCSE shall provide the Commissioner 
of Social Security with all information in the NDNH. 42 U.S.C. 
653(j)(4). SSA has authority to use data to determine entitlement and 
eligibility for programs it administers pursuant to sections 453(j)(4), 
1631(e)(1)(B) and (f), and 1148(d)(1) of the Act. 42 U.S.C. 653(j)(4), 
1320b-19(d)(1), and 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f). Disclosures under this 
agreement shall be made in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3), and in 
compliance with the matching procedures in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), (p), and 
(r).
    The Commissioner of Social Security is required to verify 
eligibility of a recipient or applicant for SSI using independent or 
collateral sources. SSI benefits may not be determined solely based on 
declarations by the applicant concerning eligibility factors or other 
relevant facts. Information is also obtained, as necessary, in order to 
assure that SSI benefits are only provided to eligible individuals (or 
eligible spouses) and that the amounts of such benefits are correct. 
Section 1631(e)(1)(B) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B)).
    Subsection 1631(f) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(f)) provides that 
``the head of any federal agency shall provide such information as the 
Commissioner of Social Security needs for purposes of determining 
eligibility for or amount of

[[Page 547]]

benefits, or verifying information with respect thereto.''
    Section 1148(d)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-19(d)(1)) requires 
SSA to verify earnings of beneficiaries/recipients to ensure accurate 
payments to employer network providers under the Ticket-to-Work 
program.
    Purpose(s): This computer matching agreement, hereinafter 
``agreement,'' governs a matching program between OCSE and SSA. The 
agreement covers the following information exchange operations between 
OCSE and SSA from the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH): Online 
query access for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Disability 
Insurance (DI), and Ticket-to-Work and Self-Sufficiency 
(Ticket)programs; and SSI Quarterly Wage batch match.
    This agreement also governs the use, treatment, and safeguarding of 
the information exchanged. OCSE is the ``source agency'' and SSA is the 
``recipient agency,'' as defined by the Privacy Act. 5 U.S.C. 
552a(a)(9) and (11).
    This agreement assists SSA:
    (1) In establishing or verifying eligibility or payment amounts, or 
both under the SSI program;
    (2) in establishing or verifying eligibility or continuing 
entitlement under the DI program; and
    (3) in administering the Ticket programs.
    These activities include overpayment avoidance and recovery for all 
three programs. SSA evaluates the cost-benefits, including programmatic 
and operational impact, which NDNH information has on SSA programs and 
operations.
    The Privacy Act, as amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy 
Protection Act of 1988, provides that no record contained in a system 
of records (SOR) may be disclosed for use in a computer matching 
program except pursuant to a written agreement containing specified 
provisions. 5 U.S.C. 552a(o). SSA and OCSE are executing this agreement 
to comply with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations 
and guidance promulgated thereunder. OCSE and SSA have been parties to 
matching agreements and recertification for these purposes since 2001.
    The SSA component responsible for this agreement and its contents 
is the Office of Privacy and Disclosure. The responsible component for 
OCSE is the Division of Federal Systems. This agreement is applicable 
to personnel, facilities, and information systems of SSA and OCSE 
involved in the processing and storage of NDNH information. Personnel 
are defined as employees, and contractors/agents of OCSE and SSA.
    Categories of Individuals: The SSA finder file for the SSI 
quarterly match will contain approximately 8.6 million records of 
individuals. For online queries, SSA will only query one record at a 
time and queries of individual records should not exceed 14 million in 
a given year.
    The NDNH contains approximately 1.4 billion new hire, quarterly 
wage, and unemployment insurance records, which represents the most 
recent 24 months of information. In accordance with section 453(j)(4) 
of the Act, NDNH information provided to SSA by OCSE will contain all 
the available data elements from the new hire, quarterly wage, and 
unemployment insurance information, if any, pertaining to the 
individuals whose records are contained in the SSA finder file or 
online query. 42 U.S.C. 653(j)(4).
    Categories of Records:
    1. Quarterly Batch Match (SSI). SSA's finder file is matched 
against the quarterly wage and unemployment insurance information in 
OCSE's NDNH.
    a. SSA will provide electronically to OCSE the following data 
elements in the finder file:

 Individual's Social Security number (SSN)
 Name

    b. OCSE will provide electronically to SSA the following data 
elements from the NDNH in the quarterly wage file:

 Quarterly wage record identifier
 For employees:
    (1) Name (first, middle, last)
    (2) SSN
    (3) Verification request code
    (4) Processed date
    (5) Non-verifiable indicator
    (6) Wage amount
    (7) Reporting period
 For employers of individuals in the quarterly wage file of the 
NDNH:
    (1) Name
    (2) Employer identification number
    (3) Address(es)
 Transmitter agency code
 Transmitter state code
 State or agency name

    c. OCSE will provide electronically to SSA the following data 
elements from the NDNH in the unemployment insurance file:

 Unemployment insurance record identifier
 Processed date
 SSN
 Verification request code
 Name (first, middle, last)
 Address
 Unemployment insurance benefit amount
 Reporting period
 Transmitter agency code
 Transmitter state code
 State or agency name

    2. Online Query Access (SSI, DI, and Ticket programs). SSA will 
access OCSE's web service when making online requests for NDNH records:
    a. Data element to initiate a query in SSA's Permission Module:

 Individual's SSN

    b. Data elements on quarterly wage screen:

 Quarterly wage record identifier
 Date report processed
 Name/SSN verified
 For Employees:
    (1) SSN
    (2) Name (first, middle, last)
    (3) Wage amount
    (4) Reporting period
 For Employers:
    (1) Name
    (2) Employer identification number
    (3) Employer FIPS code (if present)
    (4) Address(es)

    c. Data elements on the new hire screen:

 New hire record identifier
 Name/SSN verified
 Date report processed
 For Employees:
    (1) SSN
    (2) Name (first, middle, last)
    (3) Date of hire
 For Employers:
    (1) Name
    (2) Employer identification number
    (3) Employer FIPS code (if present)
    (4) Address(es)

    d. Data elements on the unemployment insurance screen:

 Unemployment insurance record identifier
 Name/SSN verified
 SSN
 Name (first, middle, last)
 Address
 Unemployment insurance benefit amount
 Reporting period
 Payer state
 Date report processed

    System(s) of Records: OCSE and SSA published notice of the relevant 
SORs in the Federal Register. For the batch process, SSA's SOR is the 
Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits (SSR/
SVB), SSA/OASSIS, 60-0103 last fully published at 71 FR 1830 (January 
11, 2006), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), and at 83 FR 
31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), and at 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018).

[[Page 548]]

    For the query process, SSA's SORs are the SSR; Completed 
Determination Record-Continuing Disability Determination file (CDR-
CDD), 60-0050, last fully published at 71 FR 1813 (January 11, 2006), 
and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007); and the Master 
Beneficiary Record (MBR), 60-0090, last fully published at 71 FR 1826 
(January 11, 2006), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007, and 
at 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), and at 83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), 
and at 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018); the Electronic Disability (eDIB) 
Claim File, (60-0320) last fully published at 68 FR 71210 (December 22, 
2003), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), and at 83 FR 
54969 (November 1, 2018); the Ticket-to-Work and Self-Sufficiency 
Program Payment Database, (60-0295) last fully published at 66 FR 17985 
(April 4, 2001), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), and at 
83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018); and the Ticket-to-Work Program Manager 
(PM) Management Information System, (60-0300) last fully published at 
66 FR 32656 (June 15, 2001), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 
2007), and at 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018). SSA has the appropriate 
routine uses to disclose information to the NDNH under this agreement.
    OCSE will match SSA information against the new hire, quarterly 
wage, and unemployment insurance information furnished by state and 
federal agencies maintained in its SOR ``OCSE National Directory of New 
Hires'' (NDNH), No. 09-80-0381, established by publication in the 
Federal Register on April 2, 2015, at 80 FR 17906. The disclosure of 
NDNH information by OCSE to SSA constitutes a ``routine use'', as 
defined by the Privacy Act. 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3). Routine use (9) of the 
system of records authorizes disclosure of NDNH information to SSA, 80 
FR 17906, 17907 (April 2, 2015).
    SSA will access the OCSE web service when making online queries for 
new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance information in the 
NDNH. To comply with limitations on disclosure and to prohibit 
browsing, SSA access is restricted by anti-browsing technology 
(permission modules) to only those Social Security numbers (SSN) that 
have a direct business relationship with SSI, DI, or Ticket program 
(that is, the record must have a valid SSI, DI, or Ticket payment or 
application issue). If no business relationship exists with SSA, OCSE 
denies access to NDNH and the user is unable to proceed. If a business 
relationship exists with SSA, SSA can access the NDNH via the OCSE web 
service to display SSN-specific new hire, quarterly wage, or 
unemployment insurance information in the NDNH. The MFQM or eView 
extracts information from SSA's SSR (for SSI recipients) or CDR-CDD 
(for ticket holders and disability beneficiaries) to facilitate query 
access.

[FR Doc. 2019-28475 Filed 1-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE P