[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32778-32779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15078]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Logistics Agency


Privacy Act of 1974: Computer Matching Program Between the 
Department of Defense and the Social Security Administration

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, 
Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the Social 
Security Administration and the Department of Defense.

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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, requires 
agencies to publish advance notice of any proposed or revised computer 
matching program by the matching agency for public comment. The 
Department of Defense (DoD), as the matching agency under the Privacy 
Act, is (1) hereby giving indirect or constructive notice in lieu of 
direct notice to the record subjects of this computer matching program 
between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and DoD that their 
records are being matched to validate an applicant's initial 
eligibility for, or recipients receiving, Supplemental Security Income 
(SSI) benefits from the SSA; and (2) announcing to the public the 
opportunity to comment on the proposed computer matching program.

DATES: This proposed action is effective on July 25, 1996, when the 
computer matching agreement will become effective and matching will 
proceed accordingly without further notice, unless comments are 
received which would result in a contrary determination or if the 
Office of Management and Budget or Congress objects thereto. Any public 
comments must be received before the effective date.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments to the Director, Defense 
Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Room 920, Arlington, VA 
22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943 or DSN 327-2943.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the DoD and the SSA has 
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between 
the agencies. The purpose of the computer match is to verify the 
information furnished to the SSA by applicants and recipients of 
Supplemental Security Income benefits who are retired military members 
or their survivors. By law, the SSA must independently verify the 
information submitted by applicants and recipients. Computer matching 
appeared to be the most efficient and economical manner in which this 
verification process could be accomplished while preserving the due 
process of the individual concerned. Therefore, it was concluded and 
agreed upon that computer matching would be the best and least 
obtrusive manner and choice for accomplishing this requirement.
    A copy of the computer matching agreement between the SSA and the 
DoD is available upon request to the public. Requests should be 
submitted to the address above or to Mr. Steve Hawk, Matching Staff, 
Social Security Administration, 3-J-3 Annex Building, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235.
    Set forth below is a notice of the establishment of a computer 
matching program required by paragraph 6.c. of the Office of Management 
and Budget Guidelines on Computer Matching published in the Federal 
Register at 54 FR 25818 on June 19, 1989.
    The matching agreement as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the 
Privacy Act, was submitted on June 4, 1996, to the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Administrator 
of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, pursuant to paragraph 4d of Appendix I to OMB 
Circular No. A-130, `Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining 
Records about Individuals,` dated February 8, 1996 (61 FR 6428, 
February 20, 1996). The matching program is subject to review by OMB 
and Congress and shall not become effective until that review period 
has elapsed.
    Dated: June 10, 1996.

Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Defense and the 
Social Security Administration for Verification of Eligibiltiy for 
Supplemental Security Income

    A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching 
are the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Defense Manpower 
Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The SSA is the 
source agency, i.e., the agency disclosing the records for the purpose 
of the match. The DMDC is the specific recipient agency or matching 
agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs the computer matching.

    B. Purpose of the match: The Social Security Act requires SSA to 
verify, with independent or collateral sources, information provided to 
SSA by applicants for and recipients of SSI payments. The SSI applicant 
or recipient provides information about eligibility factors and other 
relevant information. SSA obtains additional information as necessary 
before making any determinations of eligibility or payment amounts or 
adjustments thereto. With respect to military

[[Page 32779]]

retirement payments to SSI recipients who are former members of the 
Uniformed Services or their survivors, SSA proposes to accomplish this 
task by computer matching with the DOD. The component responsible for 
the disclosure on behalf of DOD is the Defense Manpower Data Center. 
The responsible component for SSA is the Office of Program Benefits 
Policy.

    C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for the 
matching program is contained in section 1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)).

    D. Records to be matched: The systems of records maintained by the 
respective agencies under the Privacy Act, from which records will be 
disclosed for the proposed computer match are as follows:
    The Social Security Administration, will use records from a system 
identified as 09-60-0103, entitled `Supplemental Security Income 
Record, (SSR), HHS/SSA/OSR', last published in the Federal Register at 
60 FR 2150 on January 6, 1995.
    The category of records to be used from this system is the SSI 
eligibility file. DMDC (DoD) will use a record system from the Defense 
Logistics Agency identified as S322.10 DMDC entitled `Defense Manpower 
Data Center Data Base', published in the Federal Register at 61 FR 6355 
on February 20, 1996. The categories of records utilized are military 
retirees and/or their survivors. The specific data elements to be used 
in the match are set forth below under the description of the computer 
matching program. Both systems of records respectively contain an 
appropriate routine use disclosure provision permitting the interchange 
of the affected personal information between SSA and DMDC. These 
routine uses are compatible with the purpose for collecting the 
information and establishing and maintaining the record system.

    E. Description of computer matching program: A electronic query 
file, provided by SSA as the source, will contain approximately 5.5 
million records extracted form the Supplemental Security Income Record 
system of records which is made up of individual record subjects 
containing the name, social security number and type of beneficiary. 
The query file will be matched by DMDC, as the recipient matching 
agency, and matched against the data base category of individuals who 
are retired members of the Uniformed Services of the United States: 
Army, Navy, Air Force Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or the commissioned 
corps of either the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or 
the Public Health Service. DMDC will match on the social security 
number and provide the SSA in a electronic reply file with information 
on each match (hit), including the following data elements: name, date 
of birth, address, payments status, monthly pension amount, date of 
entitlement, the date of any payments stopped and reason. The 
electronic reply file will contain approximately 4,000 records. SSA 
will be responsible for verifying and determining if the data on the 
DMDC reply file are consistent with the data of the SSA query file and 
to resolving any discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual 
basis. SSA will also be responsible for making final determinations as 
to eligibility for, or thereto or any recovery of overpayments as a 
result of the match.

    G. Inclusive dates of the matching program: This computer matching 
program is subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget and 
Congress. If no objections are raised by either, and the mandatory 30 
day public notice period for comment has expired for this Federal 
Register notice with no significant adverse public comments in receipt 
resulting in a contrary determination, then this computer matching 
program becomes effective and the respective agencies may begin the 
exchange of data 30 days after the date of this published notice at a 
mutually agreeable time and will be repeated on an annual basis. Under 
no circumstances shall the matching program be implemented before the 
30 day public notice period for comment has elapsed as this time period 
cannot be waived. By agreement between SSA and DMDC, the matching 
program will be in effect and continue for 18 months with an option to 
extend it for 12 additional months.

    H. Address for receipt of public comments or inquiries: Director, 
Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Room 920, 
Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.

[FR Doc. 96-15078 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F