[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15543-15544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7223]
[[Page 15543]]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Logistics Agency
Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Armed
Forces Retirement Home and the Defense Manpower Data Center of the
Department of Defense
AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency,
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between the Armed Forces
Retirement Home (AFRH) and the Department of Defense (DoD) for public
comment.
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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, (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 DoD, as the matching agency under the Privacy
Act is hereby giving public notice of a computer matching program
between AFRH and DoD that certain records are being matched by
computer. The record subjects are AFRH resident whose average age is 70
years, and many have physical or mental impairments; thus, it has been
found that requested income information submitted by residents are not
reliable, or is difficult or impossible to acquire. A computer match
will provide accurate benefit information on the residents. This is a
pilot project and no figures are available at this time. No cost-
benefit analysis has been accomplished for this match and a waiver of
the analysis was granted by the respective agency Data Integrity
Boards. By actually conducting a verification of Federal payments to
residents, the AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the
individual fees from time to time as required by law.
DATES: This proposed action will become effective April 24, 1995, and
the computer 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 comment must be received before the
effective date.
ADDRESSES: Any interested party may submit written comments to the
Director, Defense Privacy Office, Crystal Mall 4, Room 920, 1941
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-4502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Aurelio Nepa, Jr. at telephone
(703) 607-2943.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the DMDC and AFRH have
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between
the agencies. The purpose of the match is to exchange personal data
between the agencies for verification of Federal payments to residents.
The match will yield the benefit information on the residents so that
AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the individual fees
from time to time as required by law. Computer matching appeared to be
the most efficient and effective manner to accomplish this task with
the least amount of intrusion of personal privacy of the individuals
concerned. It was therefore 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 AFRH and DMDC is
available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to
the address caption above or to the Budget Officer, Management
Information Systems, Armed Forces Retirement Home, 3700 North Capitol
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20317-0002. Telephone (202) 722-3216.
Set forth below is the 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, and an advance copy of this notice was submitted on March
10, 1995, to the Committee on Government Operations 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 July 15, 1994 (59 FR
37906, July 25, 1994). The matching program is subject to review by OMB
and Congress and shall not become effective until that review period
has elapsed.
Dated: March 17, 1995.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
Notice of a Computer Matching Program Between the Armed Forces
Retirement Home and the Department of Defense for Verification of
Federal Payments to Residents
A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching
program are the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and the Defense
Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The
AFRH is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the records
for the purpose of the match. The DMDC is the specific recipient
activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs
the computer matching.
B. Purpose of the match: Upon the execution of this agreement, the
conditions will be established under which the DoD, VA and OPM agree to
a computer matching program for the disclosure of military retired or
retainer pay, civil service annuity, and compensation or pension from
the VA for the residents of the AFRH, which includes the United States
Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (USSAH) and the United States Naval Home
(USNH). This disclosure will provide the AFRH with information
necessary to verify the payment information currently provided by
residents for the computation of their monthly fee, and identify any
unreported benefit payments received by residents.
C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for
conducting the matching program is contained in the Armed Forces
Retirement Home Act of 1991, Pub. L. 101-510, 24 U.S.C. 401-441. The
law also incorporated the U.S. Naval Home and the U.S. Soldiers' and
Airmen's Home into a single independent establishment in the Executive
branch of the Federal government as the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
D. Records to be matched: The systems of records maintained by the
respective agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C.
552a, from which records will be disclosed for the purpose of this
computer match are as follows:
The AFRH will use personal data from the Privacy Act record system
identified as AFRH-1, entitled `Armed Forces Retirement Home Resident
Fee Maintenance System' last published in [[Page 15544]] the Federal
Register at 58 FR 68629 on December 28, 1993.
DMDC will use personal data from the record system identified as
S322.10 DMDC, entitled `Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base,' last
published in the Federal Register at 59 FR 55462 on November 7, 1994.
Agencies must publish routine uses pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of
the Privacy Act for those systems of records from which they intend to
disclose this information. Otherwise they must obtain the written
consent of the record subjects to disclose outside the agency.
Moreover, the routine use, with respect to the disclosure of a record,
must be compatible with the purpose for which it was collected.
E. Description of computer matching program: The AFRH, as the
source agency, will provide DMDC with a magnetic computer tape which
contains the name, SSN and date of birth of each resident. Upon receipt
of the computer tape file of residents, DMDC will perform a computer
match using all nine digits of the SSN of the AFRH file against a DMDC
computer database of personnel/employment/pay records of all uniformed
services officers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty or
retired, including individuals receiving any Federal compensation,
pension or annuity from the VA or OPM. Matching records (hits) based on
the SSN, will produce the member's military retired or retainer pay,
civil service annuity and VA compensation and pension. The match
results will be furnished to AFRH. AFRH is responsible for verifying
and determining that the data on the DMDC reply tape file are
consistent with AFRH's source file and for resolving any discrepancies
or inconsistencies on an individual basis. AFRH will also be
responsible for making final determinations as to positive
identification and the amount of Federal payment received by the
resident as a result of the match.
The AFRH will provide a magnetic computer tape in a format defined
by DMDC on a semiannual basis. This file will contain the name and SSN
of approximately 2,700 residents whose records DMDC will verify.
The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 10 million
records of active duty and retired military members, including the
Reserve and Guard; the VA compensation and pension records on military
retirees; and the OPM compensation and annuity records on military
retirees.
F. 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 annually. 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 AFRH and DMDC, the matching
program will be in effect and continue for 18 months with an option to
renew for 12 additional months unless one of the parties to the
agreement advises the other by written request to terminate or modify
the agreement.
G. Address for receipt of public comments or inquiries: Director,
Defense Privacy Office, Crystal Mall 4, Room 920, 1941 Jefferson Davis
Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.
[FR Doc. 95-7223 Filed 3-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F