Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of Veterans Affairs

# AGENCY:

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

# ACTION:

Notice; addition of routine use. 

# SUMMARY:

As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to add a routine use to the system of records “Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and Records Location Subsystem—VA (38VA21).” 

# DATES:

The proposed routine use will be effective July 5, 2001, unless comments are received before this date which would result in a contrary determination. 

# ADDRESSES:

Written comments concerning the proposed amendment to the routine use may be mailed to the Office of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420. 

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Trowbridge, Consultant, Compensation and Pension Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-7218. 

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

There is an ongoing computer matching program between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Education (ED) to provide ED with information about the veteran status of applicants for Federal financial aid. Veteran status is relevant to the financial aid process because ED treats veterans as independent applicants—which means that they are not required to provide parental financial information. ED uses the computer match with VA to quickly verify the veteran status of many financial aid applicants. In a memorandum dated September 30, 1998, VA's Office of General Counsel stated that routine use #2 in the system of records 38VA21 was legally sufficient to support the existing computer match with ED but recommended that VA promulgate a new routine use in this system of records specifically authorizing disclosure for the purpose of conducting computer matches. 

                    VA proposes to add this routine use to the following system of records which is contained in the                     **Federal Register:**                     “Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and Records Location Subsystem—VA (38VA21).”                 

A “Report of Altered System” and an advance copy of the revised system have been sent to the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of the Committee on Government Reform of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the U.S. Senate, and to the Office of Management and Budget, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o) and guidelines issued by the Office of Management and Budget. 

                    Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, suggestions, or objections regarding the proposed amended routine use statement to the Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420. All relevant material received on or before July 5, 2001 will be considered. All written comments received will be available for public inspection at the above address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158,                           ( print page 30050)                        between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.                 

                    If no public comment is received during the 30-day review period allowed for public comment, or otherwise published in the                     **Federal Register**                     by VA, the new routine use is effective July 5, 2001.                 

Approved: May 21, 2001.

Anthony J. Principi, 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

1. In the system identified as “Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and Records Location Subsystem—VA (38VA21) “the following routine use is added: 

## 38VA21

### System name: 

Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and Records Location Subsystem—VA. 

* * * * *

### Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and purposes of such uses: 

* * * * *

21. Any information in this system of records may be disclosed to a Federal agency for the purpose of conducting a computer matching program (as defined in 5 U.S.C. § 552a(a)(8)) in accordance with the provisions of section 552a. 

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 01-13848 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320-01-P