[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 108 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34451-34453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11996]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health 
and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for 
Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research and 
Evaluation (OPRE), is providing notice of a re-established matching 
program between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and State 
Public Assistance Agencies (SPAAs) participating in the Public 
Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) Program. The matching 
program provides the SPAAs with VA compensation and pension data on a 
periodic basis to use in determining

[[Page 34452]]

public assistance applicants' and recipients' eligibility for certain 
public assistance benefits. HHS/ACF/OPRE facilitates the matching 
program, and the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower Data 
Center (DMDC) conducts the matches of SPAA and VA data and provides 
associated support.

DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is July 6, 2020. The 
re-established matching program will commence not sooner than 30 days 
after publication of this notice, provided no comments are received 
that warrant a change to this notice. The matching program will be 
conducted for an initial term of 18 months (from approximately August 
30, 2020, through February 28, 2022) and within 3 months of expiration 
may be renewed for 1 additional year if the parties make no change to 
the matching program and certify that the program has been conducted in 
compliance with the matching agreement.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit written comments on this 
notice, by mail or email, to the PARIS Project Officer, Division of 
Data and Improvement, HHS/ACF Office of Planning, Research and 
Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20024, [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about the matching 
program may be submitted to Joshua Williams, PARIS Project Officer, 
Division of Data and Improvement, HHS/ACF Office of Planning, Research 
and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20024, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 
U.S.C. 552a), provides certain protections for individuals applying for 
and receiving federal benefits. The law governs the use of computer 
matching by federal agencies when records in a system of records 
(meaning, federal agency records about individuals retrieved by name or 
other personal identifier) are matched with records of other federal or 
non-federal agencies. The Privacy Act requires agencies involved in a 
matching program to:
    1. Obtain approval of a Computer Matching Agreement, prepared in 
accordance with the Privacy Act, by the Data Integrity Board of each 
federal agency that is a source or recipient of data used in the 
matching program. 5 U.S.C. 522a(o)(1), (u)(3)(A), and (u)(4).
    2. Provide adequate advance notice of the matching program, 
including a copy of the agreement, to Congress and the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(A)(i) and (r).
    3. Publish advance notice of the matching program in the Federal 
Register. 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12).
    4. Make the Computer Matching Agreement available to the public. 5 
U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(A)(ii).
    5. Notify the individuals whose information will be used in the 
matching program that the information they provide is subject to 
verification through matching, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(1)(D).
    6. Verify match findings before suspending, terminating, reducing, 
or making a final denial of an individual's benefits or payments or 
taking other adverse action against the individual, as required by 5 
U.S.C. 552a(p).
    7. Provide an annual report of the matching program activities to 
Congress and OMB, and make the report available to the public. 5 U.S.C. 
552a(u)(3)(D).
    This matching program meets these requirements.

Naomi Goldstein,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research and Evaluation, ACF.

Participating Agencies

    VA is the source agency, and SPAAs are non-federal agencies.

Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Sections 402, 1137, and 1903(r) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. secs. 602(a), 1320b-7, and 1396b(r)).

Purpose(s)

    The matching program will provide participating SPAAs with VA 
compensation and pension data on a periodic basis to use in determining 
public assistance applicants' and recipients' eligibility for benefits 
under Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and general 
assistance programs, and to use in helping relevant veterans to better 
understand similar benefits available through the VA, which may be 
better alternatives. The matching program helps ensure fair and 
equitable treatment in the delivery of benefits attributable to funds 
provided by the Federal Government.

Categories of Individuals

    The categories of individuals involved in the matching program are:
     Individuals applying for, or receiving, Medicaid, TANF, 
SNAP, and/or general assistance benefits (public assistance clients); 
and
     Individuals receiving VA pay or pension benefits.

Categories of Records

    The categories of records used in the matching program are 
identifying information and compensation and pension data.
    On an approximately quarterly basis, VA will provide DoD/DMDC with 
a file containing VA benefit record data about all individual VA 
benefit and compensation recipients, and each SPAA will provide DoD/
DMDC with a non-federal file containing identifying information, 
including Social Security Numbers (SSNs) about public assistance 
clients. DoD/DMDC will compare the SSNs in each SPAA file to the VA 
file and will provide the SPAA with match results containing the 
following data elements (as applicable) about each public assistance 
client whose SSN matches the SSN of an individual receiving VA 
compensation or pension benefits:
    VA File Number; Veteran/Beneficiary/Apportionee SSN and SSN 
Verification Indicator; Payee Type Code; Award Type, Award Line Type, 
and Award Status Codes; Gender Code; Last Name/First Name/Middle Name; 
Beneficiary Birth Date; Veteran/Spouse Aid and Attendance Code; Station 
Number; Spouse; Minor Child; School Child; Helpless Child; Parent; 
Combined Degree; Entitlement Type Code; Change Reason; Suspense Reason; 
Last Paid Date; Effective Date; Gross Amount; Net Award Amount; Payment 
Amount; Frequency Pay Type Code; Income for VA Purposes Amount; 
Beneficiary/Spouse Annual Amounts (for Wages, Insurance, Interest, 
Social Security, Civil Service Retirement, Military, Railroad 
Retirement Board, Black Lung, and Rest); Beneficiary/Spouse Rest of 
Exclusion Amount; Medical Expense/Education Expense/Last Expense/
Hardship Amounts; Receivable/Receivable Amount; Monthly Deductions/
Deduction Amount; Proceeds/Proceeds Amount; Address Type Indicator; 
Address Name/Fiduciary; Address Fiduciary Type; Address Name 
Beneficiary; Corporate Format Address (Address Lines One, Two, and 
Three, City Name, State Name, ZIP Code Prefix and Suffix, Country Type 
Name, Foreign Postal Code, Province Name, Territory Name, Military 
Postal Type, Military Post Office); and Benefits Delivery Network 
Treasury Address and ZIP Code Prefix.

System(s) of Records

    The VA data used in this matching program will be disclosed from 
the following system of records, as authorized by routine use 35: 
``Compensation, Pension, Education,

[[Page 34453]]

and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Records--VA (58VA21/22/
28),'' 84 FR 4138 (Feb. 14, 2019).
[FR Doc. 2020-11996 Filed 6-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P