82 FR 60613 - Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 244 (December 21, 2017)

In accordance with subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement (HHS/ACF/OCSE), is providing notice of a re-established matching program between OCSE and state agencies administering Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The matching program will compare state TANF agency records with new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance information from OCSE's National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) system of records. The matching program will assist state TANF agencies in establishing or verifying eligibility for assistance, reducing payment errors, and maintaining program integrity.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60613-60614]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27487]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health 
and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with subsection (e)(12) of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, the Department of Health and Human Services, 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support 
Enforcement (HHS/ACF/OCSE), is providing notice of a re-established 
matching program between OCSE and state agencies administering 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The matching program 
will compare state TANF agency records with new hire, quarterly wage, 
and unemployment insurance information from OCSE's National Directory 
of New Hires (NDNH) system of records. The matching program will assist 
state TANF agencies in establishing or verifying eligibility for 
assistance, reducing payment errors, and maintaining program integrity.

DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is January 22, 2018. 
The re-established matching program will commence not sooner than 30 
days after publication of this notice, provided no comments are 
received that warrant a change to this notice.
    The matching program will be conducted for an initial term of 18 
months (approximately January 13, 2018 through July 13, 2019) and 
within 3 months of expiration may be renewed for up to 12 additional 
months if the parties make no change to the matching program and 
certify that the program has been conducted in compliance with the 
matching agreement.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit written comments on this 
notice, by mail or email, to Linda Boyer, Director, Division of Federal 
Systems, Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for 
Children and Families, by email at [email protected], or by mail 
at Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 
20201. Comments received will be available for public inspection at 
this address from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about the matching 
program may be submitted to Linda Boyer, Director, Division of Federal 
Systems, Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for 
Children and Families, by email at [email protected], by mail at 
Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 
20201, or by telephone at 202-401-5410.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 
U.S.C. 552a), provides for certain protections for individuals applying 
for and receiving federal benefits. The law governs the use of computer 
matching by federal agencies when records in a system of records 
(meaning, records about individual retrieved by personal identifier) 
are matched with other federal or state agency records. The Privacy Act 
requires agencies involved in a matching program to:
    1. Enter into a written agreement, which must be prepared in 
accordance with the Privacy Act, approved by the Data Integrity Board 
of each participating federal agency, provided to Congress and the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and made available to the 
public, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), (u)(3)(A), and (u)(4).
    2. Notify the individuals whose information will be used in the 
matching program that the information they provide is subject to 
verification through matching, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(1)(D).
    3. Verify match findings before suspending, terminating, reducing, 
or making a final denial of an individual's benefits or payments or 
taking other adverse action against the individual, as required by 5 
U.S.C. 552a(p).
    4. Report the matching program to Congress and the OMB, in advance 
and annually, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o) (2)(A)(i), (r), and 
(u)(3)(D).
    5. Publish advance notice of the matching program in the Federal 
Register as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12).
    This matching program meets these requirements.
    Participating Agencies: Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) 
is the source agency, and state agencies administering the Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program are the recipient 
agencies.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: 42 U.S.C. 653(j)(3).
    Purpose(s): The matching program provides each participating state 
agency with new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance 
information from OCSE's National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) system 
of records, pertaining to adult TANF applicants and recipients, 
resulting from comparing client Social Security numbers in the state 
agency's files to data in NDNH. The match results assist the state 
agencies in establishing or verifying clients' eligibility for 
assistance, reducing payment errors, and maintaining program integrity, 
including determining whether duplicate participation exists or if the 
client resides in another state. The state agencies may also use the 
NDNH information for the secondary purposes of updating the applicants' 
and recipients' reported participation in work activities and updating 
applicant, recipient, and employer contact information maintained by 
the state TANF agencies.
    Categories of Individuals: The categories of individuals whose 
information is involved in the matching program are adult members of 
households who receive or have applied for TANF benefits.
    Categories of Records: The categories of records involved in the 
matching program are new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment 
insurance information. The specific data elements

[[Page 60614]]

that will be provided to OCSE in a state TANF agency input file are:

 Submitting state code (2-digit FIPS code)
 Date stamp (input file transmission date)
 Adult TANF applicant/recipient's Social Security number
 Adult TANF applicant/recipient's first, middle, and last name
 Same state data indicator (indicates whether the state TANF 
agency requests NDNH new hire, quarterly wage, or unemployment 
insurance even if the information was provided by that same state)
 Passback data (state TANF agency information used to identify 
individuals within the input file to be returned on the output file)
 Name/Social Security number verification request

    OCSE will compare the Social Security numbers in the state TANF 
agency input file to the Social Security numbers in the NDNH, and will 
provide the state TANF agency with any available new hire and quarterly 
wage information in NDNH (including names, Social Security numbers, 
home addresses, and employment information) pertaining to the 
individuals whose records are contained in the state TANF agency input 
file.
    System(s) of Records: The OCSE records disclosed to state TANF 
agencies will be disclosed from OCSE's National Directory of New Hires 
(NDNH) system of records, No. 09-80-0381, last published at 80 FR 17906 
on April 2, 2015. The disclosures are authorized by routine use 8 in 
that system of records.

Scott M. Lekan,
Commissioner, Office of Child Support Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2017-27487 Filed 12-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-42-P