[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 81 (Thursday, April 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31789-31791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08794]


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

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2024-0005]


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

[[Page 31790]]

amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the 
Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).

DATES: Submit comments on the proposed matching program no later than 
May 28, 2024.
    The matching program will be applicable on May 28, 2024, 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-2024-0005 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-2024-0005 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 (833) 410-1631.
    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 Cynthia Scott, 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) 966-1943, or 
send an email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under this matching program, DoD/DMDC will 
disclose military retirement payment and survivor benefit payment data 
to SSA. SSA will use the military retirement payment and survivor 
benefit payment data to verify information provided by applicants, 
recipients, deemors (i.e., someone other than the eligible individual 
or eligible spouse whose income and resources are considered when 
determining an individual's eligibility for Supplemental Security 
Income (SSI) and the amount of his or her payment), and beneficiaries 
of SSI payments and Special Veterans Benefits (SVB).

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

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
    SSA and DoD/DMDC.

AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCHING PROGRAM:
    This matching agreement between SSA and DoD/DMDC is executed 
pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the Computer 
Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, and the Computer Matching 
Privacy Protections Amendments of 1990 (Privacy Act) (5 U.S.C. 552a) 
and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder, including 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108, ``Federal 
Agency Responsibilities for Review, Reporting, and Publication under 
the Privacy Act,'' published at 81 Federal Register 94424 (Dec. 23, 
2016); OMB Circular No. A-130, ``Managing Information as a Strategic 
Resource,'' published at 61 FR 49689 (July 15, 2016); and ``Privacy Act 
of 1974: Final Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public Law 100-
503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988,'' 
published at 54 FR 25818 (June 19, 1989).
    The legal authority for this exchange is sections 806(b) and 
1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the Social Security Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 
1006(b) and 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)). SSA's legal authority to disclose 
data to DoD/DMDC is section 1106(a) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1306(a)) and 
section (b)(3) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3)).

PURPOSE(S):
    This agreement sets forth the terms, conditions, and safeguards 
under which the DoD/DMDC will disclose military retirement payment and 
survivor benefit payment data to the SSA. SSA will use the military 
retirement payment and survivor benefit payment data to verify 
information provided by applicants, recipients, deemors (i.e., someone 
other than the eligible individual or eligible spouse whose income and 
resources are considered when determining an individual's eligibility 
for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the amount of their 
payment), and beneficiaries of SSI payments and Special Veterans 
Benefits (SVB).
    The SSI and SVB applicants, recipients, deemors, and beneficiaries 
provide information about eligibility and entitlement factors (e.g., 
income, resources, living arrangements). SSA obtains additional 
information, as necessary, before making any determinations of 
eligibility, payments, entitlement or benefit amounts or adjustments 
thereto. Military retirement payments to SSI and SVB applicants, 
recipients, deemors, and beneficiaries include retired members, or 
their survivors, of the Uniformed Services, i.e., Army; Navy; Air 
Force; Marine Corps; Coast Guard; Space Force; and Commissioned Corps 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (but not 
including the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service). 
SSA will obtain military retirement payments through a computer 
matching program with DoD/DMDC.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS:
    The individuals whose information is involved in this matching 
program are SSI and SVB applicants, recipients, deemors, and 
beneficiaries including retired members, or their survivors, of the 
Uniformed Services.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS:
    SSA will provide DoD/DMDC with an electronic finder file using a 
mutually approved secure file transfer application, such as the MFT 
application. Upon receipt of the electronic file, DoD/DMDC will perform 
a computer match using all nine digits of the Social Security Number 
(SSN) against data maintained in the DoD SORN, DMDC 01, ``Defense 
Manpower Data Center Data Base.'' In the response file, DoD/DMDC will 
use a mutually approved secure file transfer, such as the MFT 
application to furnish SSA with matches to the Retired and Survivor Pay 
file.
    SSA will compare DoD/DMDC's data with SSA data recorded in the 
Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits 
system of records, 60-0103.

[[Page 31791]]

SYSTEM(S) OF RECORDS:
    SSA will disclose records from the ``Supplemental Security Income 
Record and Special Veterans Benefits'' system of records, 60-0103, last 
fully published at 71 FR 1830 (January 11, 2006), and updated at 72 FR 
69723 (December 10, 2007), 83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3, 2018), 83 FR. 
54969 (November 1, 2018), and 89 FR 825 (January 5, 2024). DoD/DMDC 
will disclose records from the following system of records: DMDC 01, 
entitled ``Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base,'' last published in 
full at 84 FR 6383 (February 27, 2019), and amended at 84 FR 8698 
(March 11, 2019), 84 FR 15605 (April 16, 2019), and 87 FR 32145 (May 
27, 2022).

[FR Doc. 2024-08794 Filed 4-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P