Privacy Act of 1974: Computer Matching Agreement

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Privacy Act of 1974: Computer Matching Agreement

AGENCY: General Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program between GSA and the

United States Postal Service (USPS).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act, as amended by the

Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-503)

requires agencies to publish advance notice of computer matching

programs as a means of informing benefit recipients and employees of

plans to conduct computer matches. This publishes notice that the GSA

proposes to conduct a computer matching

[[Page 36145]]

program with the USPS. Under the program, the USPS will compare its

payroll records with the GSA's debtor records to identify postal

employees delinquent in paying their debts to the GSA. The GSA will

contact the affected employees and take steps to collect the debts,

using the salary offset provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982

(Pub. L. 97-365) when the individuals do not pay their debts

voluntarily.

DATES: The GSA must receive any comments no later than August 14, 1995.

Unless GSA receives comments that result in a contrary decision, the

matching program covered by this notice begins no sooner than 30 days

after the published notice has been sent to the Congress and to the

Office of Management and Budget, and a copy of the matching agreement

has been sent to the Congress.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to the Records Officer, General

Services Administration, 18th and F Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20405

or delivered to room 7102 at the above address between 8 a.m. and 4:30

p.m. on weekdays. Comments received may be examined in room 7102 during

the above hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary L. Cunningham, Records Officer (202) 501-1659).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through the matching program, the GSA

expects to obtain the home and work addresses of 3,077 delinquent

debtors. Under this program and a similar one being conducted with the

Defense Manpower Data Center, the Government should recover an

estimated $225,000 per year.

Report of a Computer Matching Program--United States Postal Service and

the General Services Administration (Comparing USPS Payroll and GSA

Debtor Records)

A. Participating agencies. The USPS is the recipient agency and

will perform the computer match against debtor records provided by the

GSA, the source agency in the matching program.

B. Purpose of the program. The matching program will compare the

USPS payroll and the GSA delinquent debtor files to identify postal

employees who may owe delinquent debts to the Federal Government. The

pay of an employee identified and verified as a delinquent debtor may

be offset under the Debt Collection Act of 1982, when the employee does

not pay the debt voluntarily.

C. Legal authorities authorizing operation of the match. The

matching program is operated under the authority of the Debt Collection

Act of 1982, which authorizes Federal agencies to offset a Federal

employee's salary as a means of satisfying delinquent debts owed to the

United States.

D. Categories of individuals matched and identification of records

used. The systems of records maintained by the participating agencies

under the Privacy Act of 1974, from which records are to be disclosed

under the matching program are:

1. The USPS will use records from its system ``Finance Records--

Payroll System, USPS 050.020,'' containing records of about 700,000

employees. Routine use 24 of USPS 050.020, which appeared at 57 FR

57515 on December 4, 1992, covers the disclosure.

2. The GSA will use records from its system ``GSA/PPFM-7, Credit

Data on Individual Debtors.'' It contains records of about 3,077

debtors. Routine use ``i'' of that system, which was last published at

58 FR 64588 on December 8, 1993, covers the disclosure.

E. Description of the matching program. With the USPS acting as

recipient, the GSA provides a data extract to the USPS, sorted by

Social Security Number (SSN) that contains the name and SSN of each

employee. The USPS compares the data extract against its data base of

employee records, establishing ``hits'' (names common to both files)

based on matching SSN's. For each matched employee, the USPS provides

to the GSA the name, SSN, home address, and place of work. The GSA

screens the initial data to verify that the matched individual is a

delinquent debtor not in a repay status. The agency conducts

independent inquiries as needed to clarify questionable identities and

reviews records of the suspected debtor's account to confirm that the

debt is still unpaid and unresolved.

The Debt Collection Act requires the GSA to provide the suspected

debtor advance notice and an opportunity to contest the alleged debt.

The procedures include providing the debtor employee the following:

1. A 30-day written notice of the GSA's determination of the debt

and the employee's rights under the Debt Collection Act;

2. An opportunity to examine and receive a copy of the GSA's

documentation of the debt;

3. An opportunity for the employee to enter into a written

agreement to repay the GSA;

4. An opportunity for the employee to have a hearing before someone

who is not under the control of the GSA.

After independently verifying the debt and providing notice under

subsection (p) of the Privacy Act, the GSA makes the final decision on

the amount of the debt owed and establishes procedures for applying the

offset from the disposable pay of the USPS employees to recover debts

owed the United States through the GSA. Before asking the USPS to

offset the salary of a debtor employee, the GSA is to certify, over the

signature of a authorized GSA official, that it has followed the due

process procedures required by the Debt Collection Act.

E. Beginning and ending dates of the matching program. The matching

program is expected to begin no sooner than 30 days after the GSA sends

this published notice to the Congress and to the Office of Management

and Budget and sends a copy of the matching agreement to the Congress.

The program is to continue in effect for 18 months. The agreement may

be extended for 1 year beyond that period, if within 90 days before the

matching agreement expires, the Data Integrity Boards of the USPS and

the GSA find that the computer matching program will be conducted

without change, and each party certifies that the matching program has

been conducted within the terms of the matching agreement.

Dated: July 6, 1995.

Kenneth S. Stacey,

Acting Director, Information Management Division.

[FR Doc. 95-17134 Filed 7-12-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6820-34-M