[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68127-68128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18945]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice of reestablished matching program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, USDA 
FNS is providing notice of a reestablished computer matching program 
between FNS and the State agencies that administer the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The matching program allows State 
agencies access to the Electronic Disqualified Recipient System (eDRS), 
a national database operated by FNS. The system maintains records of 
SNAP disqualifications imposed by State agencies on individuals who 
have been found to have committed an intentional program violation 
(IPV).

DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is September 23, 2024.
    The re-established matching program will become effective 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 and 
may be renewed for up to one 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 by one of the 
following methods:
     Preferred: Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov provides the ability to type short comments 
directly into the comment field on this web page or attach a file for 
lengthier comments. Follow the online instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
     By email: FNS, SNAP, State Administration Branch (SAB) at 
[email protected].
     By mail: Maribelle Balbes, Branch Chief, SAB, SNAP, FNS, 
1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
     Instructions: All comment submissions must include the 
agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided.
     Docket: For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions, please contact 
the above individual, Maribelle Balbes, Branch Chief, SAB, SNAP, FNS at 
[email protected] or 703-605-4272.

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, which 
contains information about individuals that are retrieved by name or 
other personal identifier, are matched with records of other Federal, 
State, or local government records. The Privacy Act requires agencies 
involved in a matching program to:
     Obtain approval of a Computer Matching Agreement, prepared 
in accordance with the Privacy Act, by the Data Integrity Board of any 
Federal agency participating in a matching program.
     Enter into a written Computer Matching Agreement.
     Provide a report of the matching program to Congress and 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and make it available to the 
public, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), (u)(3)(A), and (u)(4).
     Publish a notice of the matching program in the Federal 
Register as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12) after OMB and Congress 
complete their review of the report, as provided by OMB Circular A-108, 
Federal Agency Responsibilities for Review, Reporting, and Publication 
under the Privacy Act.
     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).
     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).
    This matching program meets these requirements.

Participating Agencies

    FNS and the State agencies that administer SNAP to include all 50 
States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands.

Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act), as amended, 7 U.S.C. 
2015(b), provides the legal authority for conducting the matching 
program. Section 6(b) of the Act prescribes mandatory periods of 
ineligibility for persons found to have committed an IPV such as fraud, 
misrepresentation, or other violation of statute or regulation in 
connection with SNAP. Section 6(b)(4) prescribes regulations to ensure 
that appropriate State and Federal entities forward information 
concerning determinations arising out of such proscribed activity by a 
specific individual.

Purpose(s)

    The eDRS matching program maintains program integrity and reduces 
payment errors by providing information to assist State agencies with 
establishing or verifying the eligibility of individuals for SNAP 
benefits and determining the appropriate disqualification period to be 
imposed for a new IPV as required in regulations at 7 CFR 273.16, 
Disqualification for intentional Program violation. Each State agency 
must submit information about individuals who have been disqualified 
from SNAP within their State to eDRS. As a participant in this matching 
program, each State agency has access to this national system to both 
submit the required information for their State and perform the 
required matches against information provided by all State agencies.

Categories of Individuals

    SNAP applicants and new household members are matched against eDRS 
as part of the eligibility determination process to ensure the 
individual is not currently disqualified from receiving benefits due to 
an IPV. Individuals who are being disqualified by a State agency due to 
a new IPV finding are matched against eDRS to assist the State agency 
in determining the appropriate duration of the new disqualification

[[Page 68128]]

Categories of Records

    The data elements in eDRS provide information about individuals who 
have been disqualified, the disqualification details, and the agency 
that imposed the disqualification. State agencies submit this 
information about disqualifications imposed in their State and this 
information is then available to all participating State agencies with 
access to eDRS. State agencies use personally identifying information 
to search eDRS for the individual being matched.

 Information about the disqualified individual:
 Name
 Social security number or alternative ID
 Date of birth
 Gender
 Alias
 Disqualification number
 Disqualification decision date
 Disqualification start date
 Duration of disqualification period
 Offense code
 Agency information:
 Locality code
 Locality contact name, title, location, and phone number

System(s) of Records

    The system of records for this data exchange comprising eDRS is 
USDA/FNS-5, Information on Persons Disqualified from the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program, 75 FR 81205 (Dec. 27, 2010). This data 
exchange is authorized under routine uses.

Tameka Owens,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-18945 Filed 8-22-24; 8:45 am]
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