Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency

Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of a computer matching program.

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SUMMARY: Subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, (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 DoD, as the matching agency under the Privacy

Act, is hereby giving public notice of a computer matching program

between the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and DoD that certain

records are being matched by computer. By verifying Federal payments to

residents, the AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the

individual fees as required by law. A computer match will provide

accurate benefit information on the residents.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This proposed action will become effective April 30,

1998, unless comments are received which would result in a contrary

determination. Any public comment must be received before the effective

date.

ADDRESSES: Any interested party may submit written comments to the

Acting Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Suite 920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Vahan Moushegian, Jr. at telephone

(703) 607-2943.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy

Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the DMDC and AFRH have

concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between

the agencies. The purpose of the match is to exchange personal data

between the agencies for verification of Federal payments to residents.

The match will yield the benefit information on the residents so that

AFRH can accurately and fairly determine and fix the individual fees,

from time to time, as required by law. Computer matching is the most

efficient and effective manner to accomplish this task with the least

amount of intrusion of personal privacy of the individuals concerned.

A copy of the computer matching agreement between AFRH and DMDC is

available upon request to the public. Requests should be submitted to

the address caption above or to the Chief, Management Information

Systems, U. S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home, 3700 North Capitol Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20317-0002.

Set forth below is the 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 on June 19, 1989 at 54 FR 25818.

The matching agreement, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the

Privacy Act, and an advance copy of this notice was submitted on

February 25, 1998, to the House Committee on Government Reform and

Oversight, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, 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

6435). The matching program is subject to review by OMB and Congress

and shall not become effective until that review period has elapsed.

Dated: March 2, 1998.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

NOTICE OF A COMPUTER MATCHING PROGRAM BETWEEN THE ARMED FORCES

RETIREMENT HOME AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR VERIFICATION OF

FEDERAL PAYMENTS TO RESIDENTS

A. Participating agencies: Participants in this computer matching

program are the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and the Defense

Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Department of Defense (DoD). The

AFRH is the source agency, i.e., the activity disclosing the records

for the purpose of the match. The DMDC is the recipient activity or

matching agency, i.e., the agency that actually performs the computer

matching.

B. Purpose of the match: The purpose of this agreement is to

establish the conditions under which the DoD,

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Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and Office of Personnel Management

(OPM) agree to a computer matching program for the disclosure of

military retired or retainer pay, civil service annuity, and

compensation or pension from the DVA for the residents of the AFRH,

which includes the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (USSAH)

and the United States Naval Home (USNH). This disclosure will provide

the AFRH with information necessary to verify the payment information

currently provided by residents for the computation of their monthly

fee, and identify any unreported benefit payments received by

residents.

C. Authority for conducting the match: The legal authority for

conducting the matching program is contained in the Armed Forces

Retirement Home Act of 1991, Pub. L. 101-510, 24 U.S.C. 401-441.

D. Records to be matched: The systems of records maintained by the

respective agencies under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, from

which records will be disclosed for the purpose of this computer match

are as follows:

The AFRH will use personal data from the record system identified

as AFRH-1, entitled `Armed Forces Retirement Home Resident Fee

Maintenance System' last published in the Federal Register at 58 FR

68629 on December 28, 1993.

DoD will use personal data from the record system identified as

S322.10 DMDC, entitled `Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base,' last

published in the Federal Register at 62 FR 55610 on October 27, 1997.

E. Description of Computer Matching Program: The AFRH will provide

DMDC with a magnetic computer tape which contains the name, SSN and

date of birth of each resident. Upon receipt of the computer tape file

of residents, DMDC will perform a computer match using all nine digits

of the SSN of the AFRH file against a DMDC computer database of

personnel/employment/pay records of all uniformed personnel who served

on active duty or retired, including individuals receiving any Federal

compensation, pension or annuity from the DVA or OPM. Matching records

(hits) based on the SSN, will produce the resident's military retired

or retainer pay, civil service annuity and DVA compensation and

pension. The match results will be furnished to AFRH. AFRH is

responsible for verifying and determining that the data on the DMDC

reply tape file are consistent with AFRH's source file and for

resolving any discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual basis.

AFRH will also be responsible for making final determinations as to

positive identification and the amount of Federal payment received by

the resident as a result of the match.

The AFRH will provide an electronic file in a format defined by

DMDC on a semiannual basis. This file will contain the name and SSN of

approximately 2,000 residents whose records DMDC will verify.

The DMDC computer database file contains approximately 10 million

records of active duty and retired military members, including the

Reserve and Guard; the DVA compensation and pension records on military

retirees; and the OPM compensation and annuity records on military

retirees.

DMDC will match the SSN on the AFRH file by computer against the

DMDC database. Matching records, hits based on the SSN, will produce

data elements of the individual's name, date of birth, gross

entitlement amount, payment status, benefit eligibility effective date,

termination cause, waiver amount, waiver effective date, disability or

non-disability retirement status, VA and OPM claim/file numbers, and

Former Spouse Protection Act deductions.

F. 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; then this computer

matching program becomes effective and the respective agencies may

begin the exchange of data at a mutually agreeable time and will be

repeated semiannually. 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 AFRH and DMDC, the matching program will be in effect and

continue for 18 months with an option to renew for 12 additional months

unless one of the parties to the agreement advises the other by written

request to terminate or modify the agreement.

G. Address for receipt of public comments or inquiries: Acting

Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite

920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.

[FR Doc. 98-5761 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]

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