Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 203 / Thursday, October 21, 2004 / Notices 61913

by the States to determine the feasibility 

of the projects for VA participation, to 

meet VA requirements for a grant award 

and to rank the projects in establishing 

the annual fiscal year priority list. The 

list is the basis for committing to State 

Home construction projects during the 

various fiscal years. 

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal 

Government. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 360. 

Estimated Average Burden Per 

Respondent: 6 hours. 

Frequency of Response: On occasion. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

60.

Dated: October 12, 2004.

By direction of the Secretary: 

Loise Russell, 

Director, Records Management Service.

[FR Doc. 04–23492 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Privacy Act of 1974; Report of 

Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 

intends to continue a recurring 

computer program matching Social 

Security Administration (SSA) records 

with VA pension and parents’

dependency and indemnity 

compensation (DIC) records. 

The goal of this match is to compare 

income and employment status as 

reported to VA with wage records 

maintained by SSA. 

VA plans to match records of 

veterans, surviving spouses and 

children who receive pension, and 

parents who receive DIC, with SSA 

income tax return information as it 

relates to earned income. VA will also 

match records of veterans receiving 

disability compensation at the 100 

percent rate based on unemployability 

with SSA income tax return information 

as it relates to earned income. 

VA will use this information to adjust 

VA benefit payments as prescribed by 

law. The proposed matching program 

will enable VA to ensure accurate 

reporting of income and employment 

status. 

The authority for this matching 

program is 38 U.S.C. 5106, which 

requires Federal agencies to furnish VA 

with information necessary to determine 

eligibility for or amount of benefits. In 

addition, 26 U.S.C. 6103(l)(7) authorizes 

the disclosure of tax return information 

to VA. 

Records to be Matched: VA records 

involved in the match are the VA 

system of records, Compensation, 

Pension, Education and Rehabilitation 

Records—VA (58 VA 21/22). The SSA 

records will come from the Earnings 

Recording and Self-Employment Income 

System, SSA/OSR, 60–0059. In 

accordance with Title 5 U.S.C. 

subsection 552a(o)(2) and (r), copies of 

the agreement are being sent to both 

Houses of Congress and to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

This notice is provided in accordance 

with the provisions of the Privacy Act 

of 1974 as amended by Public Law 100–

503.

DATES: The match will start no sooner 

than 30 days after publication of this 

Notice in the Federal Register, or 40 

days after copies of this Notice and the 

agreement of the parties are submitted 

to Congress and OMB, whichever is 

later, and end not more than 18 months 

after the agreement is properly 

implemented by the parties. The 

involved agencies’ Data Integrity Boards 

(DIB) may extend this match for 12 

months provided the agencies certify to 

their DIBs within three months of the 

ending date of the original match that 

the matching program will be conducted 

without change and that the matching 

program has been conducted in 

compliance with the original matching 

program.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

submitted by: mail or hand-delivery to 

Director, Regulations Management 

(00REG1), Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., 

Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; fax 

to (202) 273–9026; or e-mail to 

VAregulations@mail.va.gov. All 

comments received will be available for 

public inspection in the Office of 

Regulation Policy and Management, 

Room 1063B, between the hours of 8 

a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday (except holidays). Please call 

(202) 273–9515 for an appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

Trowbridge (212B), (202) 273–7218.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

information is required by Title 5 U.S.C. 

subsection 552a(e)(12), the Privacy Act 

of 1974. A copy of this notice has been 

provided to both Houses of Congress 

and OMB.

Approved: October 4, 2004. 

Anthony J. Principi, 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

[FR Doc. 04–23493 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

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