Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Office of Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Office

of Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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

Social Security Administration (SSA) for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OPM is publishing notice of its computer matching program with

SSA to meet the reporting and publication requirements of Public Law

100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988. In

this match, SSA records are used in redetermining and recomputing

certain annuitants' benefits where computations are based, in part, on

military service performed after December 1956 under the Civil Service

Retirement System (CSRS) and for annuitants under the Federal

Employees' Retirement System (FERS) who have a CSRS component in their

FERS annuity computation. The purpose of this match is to identify

these beneficiaries.

DATES: This proposed action will become effective 40 days after the

agreements by the parties participating in the match have been

submitted to

[[Page 50353]]

Congress and the Office of Management and Budget unless either the

Congress or the Office of Management and Budget objects thereto. Any

public comment on this matching program must be submitted within the

30-day public notice period, which begins on the publication date of

this notice.

ADDRESS: Any interested party may submit written comments to Kathleen

M. McGettigan, Assistant Director for Financial Control and Management,

Retirement and Insurance Service, Office of Personnel Management, 1900

E Street, NW, Room 4312, Washington, DC 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marc Flaster, (202) 606-2115.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM and SSA have concluded an agreement to

conduct a computer matching program between the two agencies. The

purpose of the agreement is to establish the conditions under which SSA

agrees to the disclosure of Social Security benefit and/or tax return

information to the OPM. OPM, as specified in 5 U.S.C. 8332(j)(1), has

an obligation to use post 1956 earnings data in redetermining and

recomputing annuities for certain CSRS and FERS annuitants. Section

1106 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.) requires that SSA disclose

the needed data to OPM.

Office of Personnel Management.

James B. King,

Director.

Report of Computer Matching Agreement Between the Office of

Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration

A. Participating Agencies

OPM and SSA.

B. Purpose of the Matching Program

Chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), provide

the basis for computing annuities under the Civil Service Retirement

System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System respectively, and

require release of information by SSA in order to administer post 1956

data exchanges. In this match, SSA records are used in redetermining

and recomputing certain annuitants' benefits where computations are

based, in part, on military service performed after December 1956 under

the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and for annuitants under the

Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) who have a CSRS component

in their FERS annuity computation. The purpose of this match is to

identify these beneficiaries.

C. Authority for Conducting the Match Program

Chapters 83 and 84, title 5, United States Code, section 1106 of

the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306), and the Internal Revenue Code

(26 U.S.C. 6103).

D. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match

SSA will disclose data from its Master Beneficiary Record and

Master Earnings Files, and manually extracted post 1956 military wage

information from SSA's ``1086'' microfilm file when required. SSA has

published routine uses for these systems of records, published at 59 FR

62407, December 5, 1994 and 60 FR 2144, January 6, 1995, last revised

at 60 FR 52948, on October 1, 1995.

OPM's records consist of annuity data from its system of records

entitled OPM/Central-1--Civil Service Retirement and Insurance Records,

last published in the Federal Register at 60 FR 63075, December 8,

1995.

E. Description of Matching Program

OPM provides a monthly magnetic tape to SSA containing data on

those individuals for whom OPM requests post 1956 military service

benefit information. These elements will be matched against SSA

records. SSA furnishes OPM by magnetic tape benefit information on

these individuals, including the amount of the SSA benefit attributable

to the post 1956 military service (which constitutes the CSRS or FERS

annuity reduction amount).

F. Privacy Safeguards and Security

The personal privacy of the individuals whose names are included in

the tapes are protected by strict adherence to the provisions of the

Privacy Act of 1974 and OMB's ``Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of

Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of

1988''. Access to the records used in the data exchange is restricted

to only those authorized employees and officials who need it to perform

their official duties. Records matched or created will be stored in an

area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized personnel

during duty hours as well as nonduty hours or when not in use. Records

used in this exchange and any records created by this exchange will be

processed under the immediate supervision and control of authorized

personnel in a manner which will protect the confidentiality of the

records.

Both SSA and OPM have the right to make onsite inspections or make

other provisions to ensure that adequate safeguards are being

maintained by the other agency.

G. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program

This computer matching program is subject to review by the Congress

and the Office of Management and Budget. OPM's report to these parties

must be received at least 40 days prior to the initiation of any

matching activity. If no objections are raised by either Congress or

OMB, and the mandatory 30 day public notice period for comment for this

Federal Register notice expires, with no significant receipt of adverse

public comments resulting in a contrary determination, then this

computer matching program becomes effective. By agreement between OPM

and SSA, the matching program will be in effect and continue for 18

months with an option to renew for 12 additional months under the terms

set forth in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D),

[FR Doc. 96-24566 Filed 9-24-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325-01-M