[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 132 (Friday, July 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 37448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18310]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Amended Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
intends to conduct a recurring computer matching program matching 
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) records with VA pension and 
parents' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) records.
    The goal of this match is to compare income status as reported to 
VA with records maintained by OPM.
    The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to match records of 
veterans and surviving spouses and children who receive pension, and 
parents who receive DIC from VA from Office of Personnel Management 
benefit records maintained by OPM. The match with OPM will provide VA 
with data from OPM civil service benefit records.
    VA will use this information to update the master records of VA 
beneficiaries receiving income dependent benefits and to adjust VA 
benefit payments as prescribed by law. Otherwise, information about a 
VA beneficiary's receipt of OPM benefits is obtained from reporting by 
the beneficiary. The proposed matching program will enable VA to ensure 
accurate reporting of income.

Records to Be Matched

    The VA records involved in the match are the VA system of records, 
Compensation, Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA (58 VA 
21/22) first published at 41 FR 9294, March 3, 1976 and last amended at 
63 FR 7196, February 12, 1998. The OPM records involved in the match 
are from the OPM Civil Service Retirement Pay File identified as OPM 
Central-1, Civil Service Retirement and Insurance records, published at 
58 FR 19153 (April 12, 1993) and amended at 60 FR 63081-63083, 
(December 8, 1995). In accordance with Title 5 U.S.. 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.
    This notice is provided in accordance with the provisions of the 
Privacy Act of 1974 as amended by Public Law 100-503.
    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 
the Office of Management and Budget, 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 (DIBs) may extend 
this match for 12 months provided the agencies certify to the 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: Interested individuals may submit written comments to the 
Director, Office of Regulations Management (O2D), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1154, Washington, DC 
20420. Comments will be available for public inspection at the above 
address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, except holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Trowbridge (213B), (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 the Office of 
Management and Budget.

    Approved: June 30, 1998.
Togo D. West, Jr.,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-18310 Filed 7-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M