82 FR 27548 - Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Matching Program

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 114 (June 15, 2017)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides notice that it intends to conduct a recurring computer-matching program matching Social Security Administration (SSA) Master Beneficiary Records (MBRs) and the Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications (Enumeration System) and with VA pension, compensation, and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) records. The goal of this match is to identify beneficiaries, who are receiving VA benefits and SSA benefits or earned income, and to reduce or terminate VA benefits, if appropriate. The match will include records of current VA beneficiaries.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27548-27549]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12395]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of computer matching program.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides notice that 
it intends to conduct a recurring computer-matching program matching 
Social Security Administration (SSA) Master Beneficiary Records (MBRs) 
and the Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN 
Applications (Enumeration System) and with VA pension, compensation, 
and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) records. The goal of 
this match is to identify beneficiaries, who are receiving VA benefits 
and SSA benefits or earned income, and to reduce or terminate VA 
benefits, if appropriate. The match will include records of current VA 
beneficiaries.

DATES: The match will start no sooner than 30 days after publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register (FR), or 40 days after copies of 
this notice and the agreement of the parties is submitted to Congress 
and the Office of Management and Budget, whichever is later. The match 
will end not more than 18 months after the agreement is properly 
implemented by the parties. The involved agencies' Data Integrity 
Boards (DIB) may extend this match for 12 months provided the agencies 
certify to their DIBs, within three months of the ending date of the 
original match, that the matching program will be conducted without 
change and that the matching program has been conducted in compliance 
with the original matching program.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning this matching program may be 
submitted by: Mail or hand-delivery to Director, Regulations Management 
(00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Room 
1068, Washington, DC 20420; fax to (202) 273-9026 (this is not a toll-
free number); or email to www.Regulations.gov. All comments received 
will be available for public inspection in the Office of Regulation 
Policy and Management, Room 1063B, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 
461-4902 (this is not a toll-free number) for an appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy C. Williams, Pension Analyst, 
Pension and Fiduciary Service (21P), Department of Veterans Affairs, 
810 Vermont Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461-8394 (this is not 
a toll-free telephone number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA will use this information to verify the 
income information submitted by beneficiaries in VA's needs-based 
benefit programs and adjust VA benefit payments as prescribed by law.
    The legal authority to conduct this match is 38 U.S.C. 5106, which 
requires any Federal department or agency to provide VA such 
information as VA requests for the purposes of determining eligibility 
for benefits, or verifying other information with respect to payment of 
benefits.
    The VA records involved in the match are in ``Compensation, Pension 
and Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA (58 VA 21/22/28),'' a 
system of records which was first published at 41 FR 9294 (March 3, 
1976), amended and republished in its entirety at 77 FR 42593 (July 19, 
2012). The routine use is number 39 regarding computer matches. The SSA 
records consist of information from the system of records identified as 
the SSA MBR, 60-0090, and SSA Enumeration System, 60-0058, routine use 
number 15.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2) and (r), 
copies of the agreement are being sent to Congress and to the Office of 
Management and Budget. This notice is provided in accordance with the 
provisions of Privacy Act of 1974 as amended by Public Law 100-503.

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
    The Social Security Administration (SSA)

[[Page 27549]]

AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCHING PROGRAM:
    The Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and 38 U.S.C. 5106 authorize VA to 
enter into this CMA with SSA.

PURPOSE(S):
    To re-establish a CMA with SSA for determining eligibility to 
continue to receive benefits authorized by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA).

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS:
    Veterans and beneficiaries who apply for VA income benefits.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS:
    VA will provide SSA with an electronic file in a format defined by 
SSA that contains the necessary identifying information for applicable 
beneficiaries and their dependents. Each VA input file will contain 
variables such as: Social Security Number for Primary Number Holder; 
Last Name; First Name; Middle Name/Initial; Date of Birth (MMDDCCYY); 
Sex Code (Blank); VA File Number; Agency Code ``VA''; Type of Benefit; 
Veteran with Spouse Indicator; Payee Number; Type of Record; Verified 
Payment Indicator; Verification Indicator; Processing Code ``212''; 
Verification Account Number (VAN); and Blanks, or Multiple Request 
Code. SSA will match the file against the Enumeration System and MBR 
will generate an output file with information on: Verification code; 
Death Indicator; Filler; Verification Code; Type of Benefit--Retirement 
(R), Disability (D) or Survivor (S); Monthly Benefit Credited (MBC); 
Monthly Benefit Payment (MBP); Medicare Deduction (SMI-B); Effective 
Date of Monthly Social Security Payment ``CCYYMM''; LAF Code 
(D=Deferred/withheld money), (E=Monies paid through the Railroad 
Board), (C=Current pay)) for each of VA's records containing a verified 
SSN.

SYSTEM(S) OF RECORDS:
    SSA will disclose the necessary benefit information electronically 
from the files of the MBR, system of records number 60-0090, last fully 
published at 71 FR 1826 (January 11, 2006), amended at 72 FR 69723 
(December 10, 2007), and at 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013). SSA will 
disclose SSN verification information from the Enumeration System, 
system of records number 60-0058, last fully published at 75 FR 82121 
(December 29, 2010), amended at 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), and at 79 
FR 8780 (February 13, 2014).
    VA records involved in this match are in ``VA Compensation, 
Pension, Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment 
Records--VA'' (58 VA 21/22/28), a system of records that was first 
published at 41 FR 9294 (March 3, 1976), last amended and republished 
in its entirety at 77 FR 42593 (July 19, 2012).

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina S. 
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs 
approved this document on May 4, 2017 for publication.

    Dated: June 7, 2017.
Kathleen M. Manwell,
Program Analyst, VA Privacy Service, Office of Privacy and Records 
Management, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2017-12395 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P