[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15373-15374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7735]
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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 advanced notices of any
proposed or revised computer matching program by the matching agency
for public comment. The Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower
Data Center (DMDC), as the matching agency under the Privacy Act,
compensation and pension is hereby giving notice to the record subjects
of a computer matching program between Department of Veterans Affairs,
Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) and the Department of Defense
(DoD) that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose of
the computer matching program is to attempt to verify eligibility for
VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits by matching veteran's record
of those benefits with the military service record of veterans eligible
for those benefits for themselves or their beneficiaries.
DATES: This proposed action will become effective May 1, 2002, and
matching may commence unless changes to the matching program are
required due to public comments or by Congressional or by Office of
Management and Budget objections. Any public comment must be received
before the effective date.
ADDRESSES: Any interested party may submit written comments to the
Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite
920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Vahan Moushegian, Jr. at (703)
607-2943.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to subsection (o) of the Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 552a), the VA OIG and DMDC have
concluded an agreement to conduct a computer matching program between
agencies. The purpose of the computer matching program is to attempt to
verify eligibility for VA C&P benefits by matching veteran's record of
those benefits with the military service record of veterans eligible
for those benefits for themselves or their beneficiaries.
The parties to this agreement have determined that a computer
matching program is the most efficient, expeditious, and effective
means of obtaining and processing the information needed by VA OIG to
verify the military service record of veterans eligible for VA (C&P)
benefits, to identify potential fraudulent payments to fictitious
veterans, and to identify payments that should be adjusted where the
beneficiary is not entitled to all or part of the VA C&P benefits
received. The principal alternative to using a computer matching
program for identifying such individuals would be to conduct a manual
comparison of all veterans or their beneficiaries receiving VA (C&P)
benefits with the other files. Conducting a manual match, however,
would clearly impose a considerable administrative burden, constitute a
greater intrusion on the individual's privacy, and would result in
additional delay in the eventual response to possible fraud and abuse.
By comparing the information received through the computer matching
program between VA OIG and DMDC on a recurring basis, information on
successful matches (hits) can be provided to VA to initiate research on
these discrepancies, thus assuring that benefit payments are proper.
A copy of the computer matching agreement between VA OIG and DoD is
available upon request. Requests should be submitted to the address
caption above or to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of
Inspector General (52CO), 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420.
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 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 March
20, 2002 to the House Committee on Government Reform, 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 (February 20, 1996, 61 FR 6427).
Dated: March 25, 2002.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
Notice of a Computer Matching Program Agreement Between; Office of
the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs and
Defense Manpower Data Center, the Department of Defense for
Verification of Eligibility
A. Participating Agencies
Participants in this computer matching program are the Department
of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) and the
Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). The
VA OIG is the source agency, i.e., the activity
[[Page 15374]]
disclosing the records for the purpose of the match. The DoD is the
specific recipient activity or matching agency, i.e., the agency that
actually performs the computer matching.
B. Purpose of the Match
Upon the execution of this agreement, VA will provide and disclose
VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) and Veterans Assistance Discharge
Systems (VADS) records to DMDC to identify individuals that have not
separated from military service and/or confirm elements of military
service relevant to the adjudication of VA benefits. VA OIG will use
this information to initiate an independent verification process to
determine eligibility and entitlement to VA benefits.
C. Authority for Conducting the Match
The authority to conduct this match is 5 U.S.C. App. 3, the
Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act). The IG Act authorizes the VA
OIG to conduct audits and investigations relating to the programs and
operations of VA. IG Act, Sec. 2. In addition, Sec. 4 of the IG Act
provides that the IG will conduct activities designed to promote
economy and efficiency and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in
VA's programs and operations.
D. Records To Be Matched
The systems of records maintained by the respective agencies under
the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, from which records
will be disclosed for the purpose of this computer match are as
follows:
1. Agencies must publish ``routine uses'' pursuant to subsection
(b)(3) of the Privacy Act for those systems of records from which they
intend to disclose information. The systems of records described below
contain an appropriate routine use provision which pertains to
disclosure of information between the agencies.
2. VA will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record
system for the match: Compensation, Pension, Education and
Rehabilitation Records--VA, 58VA21/22, first published at 41 FR 9294,
March 3, 1976, and last amended at 65 FR 37605, June 15, 2000, with
other amendments as cited therein.
3. DoD will use personal data from the following Privacy Act record
system for the match: Defense Manpower Data Center Data Base--S322.10
DMDC, published in the Federal Register at 66 FR 29552 on May 31, 2001.
E. Description of Computer Matching Program
VA, as the source agency, will provide DMDC with two electronic
files, the C&P and VADS files. The C&P file contains names of veterans,
SSNs, and compensation and pension records. The VADS file contains
names of veterans, SSNs, and DD214 data. Upon receipt of the electronic
files, DMDC will perform a match using the SSNs in the VA C&P file, and
the VADS file against the DMDC Active Duty Transaction, Reserve
Transaction, and Reserve Master files. DMDC will provide VA OIG an
electronic listing of VA C&P and VADS records for which there is no
matching record from any of the three DMDC files, and an electronic
listing of records that contain data that are inconsistent with data
contained in the VA C&P or VADS files. VA OIG is responsible for
verifying and determining that the data on the DMDC electronic reply
file are consistent with the VA source file and for resolving any
discrepancies or inconsistencies on an individual basis.
F. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program
The effective date of the matching agreement and date when matching
may actually begin shall be at the expiration of the 40-day review
period for OMB and Congress, or 30 days after publication of the
matching notice in the Federal Register, whichever date is later. The
parties to this agreement may assume OMB and Congressional concurrence
if no comments are received within 40 days of the date of the
transmittal letter on an annual basis. The 40-day OMB and Congressional
review period and the mandatory 30-day public comment period for the
Federal Register publication of the notice will run concurrently. By
agreement between VA OIG and DMDC, the matching program will be in
effect 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
Director, Defense Privacy Office, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite
920, Arlington, VA 22202-4502. Telephone (703) 607-2943.
[FR Doc. 02-7735 Filed 3-29-02; 8:45 am]
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