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

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

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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]

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