[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 45288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22606]


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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 
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefit recipient 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 benefit records maintained by RRB.
    VA plans to match records of veterans and surviving spouses and 
children who receive pension, and parents who receive DIC, with 
Railroad Retirement benefit records maintained by RRB. The match with 
RRB will provide VA with data from the RRB Research File of Retirement 
and Survivor Benefits.
    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 income is obtained only 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 60 FR 20156, April 24, 1995. The RRB records consist of information 
from the Research File of Retirement and Survivor Benefits, Systems of 
Records RRB 225 and RRB 26 contained in the Privacy Act Issuances, 1991 
compilation, Volume V, Pages 518-519. 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.
    This notice is provided in accordance with the provisions of the 
Privacy Act of 1974 as amended by Pub. L. 100-503.
    The match is estimated to start August 1, 1997, but 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 is 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 (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: Interested individuals may submit written comments to the 
Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), 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.

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: August 15, 1997.
Hershel W. Gober,
Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-22606 Filed 8-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M