[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 211 (Thursday, November 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75391-75392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24167]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of a modified matching program.

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SUMMARY: This is an 18-month re-establishment computer matching 
agreement (CMA) with the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), 
Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), regarding Veterans who 
are in drilling status and also in receipt of compensation or pension 
benefits. The purpose of this CMA is to re-establish the agreement 
between VA, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the DoD, Defense 
Manpower Data Center (DMDC). DoD will disclose information about 
individuals who are in drill pay status. VBA will use this information 
as a match for recipients of Compensation and Pension benefits for 
adjustments of awards.

DATES: Comments on this matching program must be received no later than 
30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. If no public 
comment

[[Page 75392]]

is received during the period allowed for comment or unless otherwise 
published in the Federal Register by VA, the new agreement will become 
effective a minimum of 30 days after date of publication in the Federal 
Register. If VA receives public comments, VA shall review the comments 
to determine whether any changes to the notice are necessary. This 
matching program will be valid for 18 months from the effective date of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through www.Regulations.gov or 
mailed to VA Privacy Service, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, (005R1A), 
Washington, DC 20420. Comments should indicate that they are submitted 
in response to ``CMA 89 Drill Pay''. Comments received will be 
available at regulations.gov for public viewing, inspection or copies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Conn (VBA), Program Analyst, 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Room 1064, 
Washington, DC 20420, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This agreement continues an arrangement for 
a periodic computer-matching program between the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration 
(VBA) as the matching recipient agency and the Department of Defense 
(DoD), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) as the matching source 
agency. This agreement sets forth the responsibilities of VBA and DoD 
with respect to information disclosed pursuant to this agreement and 
takes into account both agencies' responsibilities under the Privacy 
Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as amended by the Computer Matching and 
Privacy Protection Act of 1988, as amended, and the regulations 
promulgated thereunder, including computer matching portions of a 
revision of OMB Circular No. A-130, 65 FR 77677 dated December 12, 
2000.
    Participating Agencies: The United States Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) as the matching 
recipient agency and the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower 
Data Center (DMDC) as the matching source agency.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: The legal authority 
for conducting the matching program for use in the administration of 
VA's Compensation and Pension Benefits Programs is contained in 38 
U.S.C. 5304(c), Prohibition Against Duplication of Benefits, which 
precludes pension, compensation, or retirement pay on account of any 
person's own service, for any period for which he receives active duty 
pay. The law (10 U.S.C. 12316) prohibits the receipt of reserve pay and 
DVA compensation for the same time period, however, it does permit 
waiver of DVA compensation to draw reserve pay.''
    Purpose(s): The purpose of this matching program between VBA and 
DoD is to identify those Veterans and VA beneficiaries who are in 
receipt of certain VA benefit payments and are in drilling status. VBA 
has the obligation to reduce or suspend compensation and pension 
benefit payments to veterans who are in drilling status. VBA will use 
the DoD records provided in the match to update the master records of 
veterans and VA beneficiaries receiving benefits and to adjust their VA 
benefits, accordingly, if needed.
    Categories of Individuals: 1. Veterans who have applied for 
compensation for service-connected disability under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 
11. 2. Veterans who have applied for nonservice-connected disability 
under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 15. 3. Veterans entitled to burial benefits 
under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23. 4. Surviving spouses and children who have 
claimed pensions based on nonservice-connected death of a veteran under 
38 U.S.C. Chapter 15. 5. Surviving spouses and children who have 
claimed death compensation based on service-connected death of a 
veteran under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 11. 6. Surviving spouses and children 
who have claimed dependency and indemnity compensation for service 
connected death of a veteran under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 13. 7. Parents who 
have applied for death compensation based on service connected death of 
a veteran under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 11. 8. Parents who have applied for 
dependency and indemnity compensation for service-connected death of a 
veteran under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 13. 9. Individuals who applied for 
educational assistance benefits administered by VA under title 38 of 
the U.S. Code. 10. Individuals who applied for educational assistance 
benefits maintained by the Department of Defense under title 10 of the 
U.S. Code that are administered by VA. 11. Veterans who apply for 
training and employers who apply for approval of their programs under 
the provisions of the Emergency Veterans' Job Training Act of 1983, 
Public Law 98-77. 12. Any VA employee who generates or finalizes 
adjudicative actions using the Benefits Delivery Network (BDN) or the 
Veterans Service Network (VETSNET) computer processing systems. 13. 
Veterans who apply for training and employers who apply for approval of 
their programs under the provisions of the Service Members Occupational 
Conversion and Training Act of 1992, Public Law 102-484. 14. 
Representatives of individuals covered by the system.
    Categories of Records: The record, or information contained in the 
record, may include: 1. Name; 2. Social Security Number 3. Date of 
birth 4. Paid Inactive-duty training days 5. Paid Active-duty days.
    System(s) of Records: Compensation, Pension, Education, and 
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Records--VA (58 VA 21/22/28), 
published at 86 FR 61858 (November 8, 2021). DMDC 01, entitled 
``Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base,'' last published in the 
Federal Register on May 27, 2022, 87 FR 32145 and ``Veterans Affairs/
Department of Defense Identity Repository (VADIR)-VA (138VA005Q)'', 
last amended at 87 FR 79066 (December 23, 2022).

Signing Authority

    The Senior Agency Official for Privacy, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. John 
Oswalt, Chief Privacy Officer and Chair of the Data Integrity Board, 
Department of Veterans Affairs approved this document on October 25, 
2023 for publication.

    Dated: October 27, 2023.
Amy L. Rose,
Government Information Specialist, VA Privacy Service, Office of 
Compliance, Risk and Remediation, Office of Information and Technology, 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-24167 Filed 11-1-23; 8:45 am]
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