[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33011-33012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13137]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2020-0057]


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Office 
of Personnel Management (OPM). This matching agreement (agreement) sets 
forth the terms, conditions, and safeguards under which OPM will 
disclose civil service benefit and payment data to SSA. SSA is legally 
required to offset specific benefits by a percentage of civil service 
benefits received (Spousal and Survivors benefits, Supplemental 
Security Income (SSI) benefits, and Retirement and Disability Insurance 
Benefits are offset by a percentage of the recipients' Federal 
Government pension benefits). SSA administers the Old Age, Survivors, 
Disability Insurance (OASDI), SSI, and Special Veterans' Benefits (SVB) 
programs. SSA will use the match results under this agreement to meet 
its civil service benefit offset obligations. Appendices A, B, C, and D 
of this agreement contain specific information on the matching programs 
that SSA will conduct under this agreement. SSA's Office of the Chief 
Actuary (OCA) will also use OPM's data for statistical and research 
purposes in tracking the size of, and impact on, subpopulations of 
government annuitants affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO), 
the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), and in cost estimates of 
proposals to change the two provisions.

DATES: The deadline to submit comments on the proposed matching program 
is July 23, 2021. The matching program will be applicable on September 
11, 2021, or once a minimum of 30 days after publication of this notice 
has elapsed, whichever is later. The matching program will be in effect 
for a period of 18 months.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any one of three methods--
internet, fax, or mail. Do not submit the same comments multiple times 
or by more than one method. Regardless of which method you choose, 
please state that your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2020-0057 so 
that we may associate your comments with the correct regulation.
    Caution: You should be careful to include in your comments only 
information that you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge 
you not to include in your comments any personal information, such as 
Social Security numbers or medical information.
    1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments 
via the internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Use the Search function to find docket number 
SSA-2020-0057 and then submit your comments. The system will issue you 
a tracking number to confirm your submission. You will not be able to 
view your comment immediately because we must post each submission 
manually. It may take up to a week for your comments to be viewable.
    2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 966-0869.
    3. Mail: 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]. Comments are also 
available for public viewing on the Federal eRulemaking portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person, during regular business 
hours, by arranging with the contact person identified below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties may submit general 
questions about the matching program to Andrea Huseth, Division 
Director, 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 
emailing [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

Matthew Ramsey,
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel.

Participating Agencies

    SSA and OPM.

Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    The legal authority for SSA to conduct this matching activity for 
SSI purposes is section 1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the Social Security 
Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)), and for SVB purposes, is 
section 806 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1006). The legal authority for SSA to 
conduct this matching activity

[[Page 33012]]

for OASDI includes Section 224 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 424a), which 
provides for the reduction of Social Security disability benefits when 
the disabled worker is also entitled to a Public Disability Benefit 
(PBD). Also, Section 215a(7)(A) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 415) requires a 
modification to the computation formula reducing the Primary Insurance 
Amount of a retired and disabled worker entitled to a pension from 
employment not covered under Social Security. Section 202k(5)(A) (42 
U.S.C. 402) provides for the reduction of spouse's and survivor's 
benefits by a percentage of a pension received based on work not 
covered by Social Security.
    Section 1631(f) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(f)) requires Federal 
agencies to furnish SSA with information necessary to verify 
eligibility. Section 224(h)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 424a(h)(1)) 
requires any Federal agency to provide SSA with information in its 
possession that SSA may require for the purposes of making a timely 
determination of the amount of reduction under section 224 of the Act 
(42 U.S.C. 424a).

Purpose(s)

    This agreement sets forth the terms, conditions, and safeguards 
under which OPM will disclose civil service benefit and payment data to 
SSA. SSA is legally required to offset specific benefits by a 
percentage of civil service benefits received (Spousal and Survivors 
benefits, SSI benefits, and Retirement and Disability Insurance 
Benefits are offset by a percentage of the recipients' Federal 
Government pension benefits). SSA administers the OASDI, SSI, and SVB 
programs. SSA will use the match results under this agreement to meet 
its civil service benefit offset obligations. Appendices A, B, C, and D 
of this agreement contain specific information on the matching programs 
that SSA will conduct under this agreement. SSA's OCA will also use 
OPM's data for statistical and research purposes in tracking the size 
of, and impact on, subpopulations of government annuitants affected by 
the GPO, the WEP, and in cost estimates of proposals to change the two 
provisions.

Categories of Individuals

    The individuals whose information is involved in this matching 
program are those individuals who are receiving civil service benefits 
and payments, and either Spousal and Survivors benefits, SSI or SVB 
benefits, or Retirement and Disability Insurance benefits.

Categories of Records

    OPM will provide SSA with an electronic file containing civil 
service benefit and payment data from the annuity and survivor master 
file. Each month, OPM will provide SSA with an electronic file that 
will include updated payment information for new civil service 
annuitants and annuitants whose civil service annuity has changed. This 
monthly file contains approximately 25,000 records. OPM will provide 
SSA with the entire master annuity file of approximately 2.7 million 
records once yearly for the month of the civil service cost-of-living 
allowance. OPM will furnish SSA with the following civil service 
benefit and payment data: Payment status code; prefix; name; Social 
Security number (SSN); Social Security verification code; date of 
birth; award date; civil service claim number; first potential month 
and year of eligibility; date of eligibility indicator; first month, 
day, and year of entitlement; disability indicator; Federal Insurance 
Contributions Act covered months indicator; total service months; 
amount of current gross civil service benefits; effective date (month, 
day, and year) of civil service amount; SSNs for disabled children; 
retroactive payments; date of death; payments that are currently coded 
`special pay'; OPM code that indicates OPM used pre-1957 military 
service in the benefit computations; actual military service dates that 
OPM used in computing the OPM pension amount; OPM code for voluntary 
contributions; amount of the pension from voluntary contributions; 
months of employment after 1956 not covered by Social Security that are 
used to determine the pension; period of employment upon which pension 
is based; and Federal Employees Retirement System transfer case data.
    SSA will attempt to verify the SSNs furnished by OPM using the SSA 
Enumeration System database and the individuals' name, date of birth, 
and SSN. SSA will only use verified SSNs in the matches with its 
systems of records (SOR). SSA will match the SSN-verified OPM data 
against the Supplemental Security Record or Master Beneficiary Record 
to identify: SSI/SVB recipients who are also receiving a civil service 
pension; individuals who may be subject to PDB offset; and 
beneficiaries subject to a Federal pension offset.

System(s) of Records

    OPM will provide SSA with electronic files from the OPM SOR 
published as OPM/Central-1 (Civil Service Retirement and Insurance 
Records) at 73 FR 15013 (March 20, 2008), as amended at 80 FR 74815 
(November 30, 2015). SSA will conduct the match using the individual's 
SSN, name, and date of birth on both the OPM file and SSA's databases 
covered under the following SSA SORs: The Master Files of Social 
Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications (Enumeration 
System), 60-0058, as published at 75 FR 82121 (December 29, 2010), as 
amended at 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), 79 FR 8780 (February 13, 2014), 
83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), and 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018); 
the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), 60-0090, as published at 71 FR 
1826 (January 11, 2006), as amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 
78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), 83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), and 83 FR 
54969 (November 1, 2018); and the Supplemental Security Income Record 
and Special Veterans Benefits (SSR/SVB), 60-0103, as published at 71 FR 
1830 (January 11, 2006), as amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 
83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), and 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018).

[FR Doc. 2021-13137 Filed 6-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P