Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Programs

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Programs

agency: Small Business Administration.

action: Notice of computer matching programs.

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summary: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, the Small Business

Administration (SBA) is giving notice of its intent to participate in

two computer matching programs. The matches will compare records of

delinquent SBA disaster home loan debtors against records of United

States Postal Service employees and against records of Federal

employees and military members, active or retired. If matches are

found, SBA will use the information to collect the delinquent debt

through salary offset or administrative offset.

dates: This proposed action will become effective November 30, 1994,

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 to the conduct of the matches. Any public comment must be

received before the effective date.

addresses: Any interested party may submit written comments to the

Chief, Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts Office, 409 Third Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20416.

for further information contact: Walter C. Intlekofer, Deputy Director,

Office of Portfolio Management, Small Business Administration, 409

Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416. (202) 205-6481.

supplementary information: Pursuant to subsection (0) of the Privacy

Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the SBA has entered into

agreements to conduct computer matching programs with two recipient

agencies, the Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center (DoD,

DMDC) and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The purpose of the

matches is to compare SBA delinquent loan data with personnel records

stored at the DoD, DMDC and USPS to determine whether SBA can proceed

with salary or administrative offset against the salaries or other

benefits of delinquent debtors pursuant to the Debt Collection Act of

1982. The DoD records contain information on Federal personnel,

civilian and military, employed and retired. The USPS records contain

information on USPS employees.

SBA will provide tapes or other magnetic media containing

delinquent debtor data to DoD and USPS. DoD and USPS will perform the

matches, return SBA's data, and report any ``hits''. A DoD ``hit'' will

show that a delinquent debtor is a Federal employee, a retired Federal

employee, an active member of the military, or a retired member of the

military. A USPS hit will show that the delinquent debtor is a USPS

employee.

The records to be matched are contained in Privacy Act Systems in

each agency. SBA, the source agency, will extract names and Social

Security numbers from ``Litigation and Claims Files SBA-070'' and

``Loan Case Files SBA 075'' published in the Federal Register on

February 26, 1991, and revised on May 14, 1992 at 57 FR 20726. DoD DMDC

will match the SBA information against ``Federal Creditor Agency Debt

Collection Data Base, S322.11 DMDC'' published at 58 FR 10875 on

February 22, 1993. USPS will match the SBA data against ``Finance

Records--Payroll System, USPS 050.020,'' published at 57 FR 57515 on

December 4, 1992. The matching program will begin on the effective date

of this notice and be effective for 18 months. It may be extended for

12 months after that.

SBA will learn the debtor's service or agency, category and current

work or home address. SBA will use the information to collect the

delinquent debt through administrative or salary offset as provided by

the Debt Collection Act of 1982 and SBA regulations.

The parties to these agreements have determined that a computer

matching program is the most efficient, effective and expeditious

method of obtaining and processing the information needed to determine

whether SBA delinquent debtors are receiving salaries or other benefits

that can be offset. Computer matching also appears to be the manner to

accomplish this task with the least amount of intrusion into the

personal privacy of the individuals concerned. The principal

alternative to using a computer matching program for identifying such

employees would be a manual comparison of all records of SBA delinquent

debtors with the records of all military members and all Federal

civilian employees and all Federal retirees.

Copies of the computer matching agreements between DoD and SBA and

between USPS and SBA are available to the public upon request. Requests

should be submitted to the Chief, Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts

Office, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416.

The matching agreements and an advance copy of this notice must be

submitted 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. These matching programs are

subject to review by OMB and Congress and shall not become effective

until that review period has elapsed.

Dated: October 5, 1994.

Cassandra M. Pulley,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-26886 Filed 10-28-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025-01-M