Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
| Published date | 04 June 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 34451 |
| Record Number | 2020-11996 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Children And Families Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 108 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 108 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34451-34453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11996]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
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 the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research and
Evaluation (OPRE), is providing notice of a re-established matching
program between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and State
Public Assistance Agencies (SPAAs) participating in the Public
Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) Program. The matching
program provides the SPAAs with VA compensation and pension data on a
periodic basis to use in determining
[[Page 34452]]
public assistance applicants' and recipients' eligibility for certain
public assistance benefits. HHS/ACF/OPRE facilitates the matching
program, and the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Manpower Data
Center (DMDC) conducts the matches of SPAA and VA data and provides
associated support.
DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is July 6, 2020. 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 (from approximately August
30, 2020, through February 28, 2022) and within 3 months of expiration
may be renewed for 1 additional year 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 the PARIS Project Officer, Division of
Data and Improvement, HHS/ACF Office of Planning, Research and
Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20024, [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about the matching
program may be submitted to Joshua Williams, PARIS Project Officer,
Division of Data and Improvement, HHS/ACF Office of Planning, Research
and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20024,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5
U.S.C. 552a), provides 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, federal agency records about individuals retrieved by name or
other personal identifier) are matched with records of other federal or
non-federal agencies. The Privacy Act requires agencies involved in a
matching program to:
1. Obtain approval of a Computer Matching Agreement, prepared in
accordance with the Privacy Act, by the Data Integrity Board of each
federal agency that is a source or recipient of data used in the
matching program. 5 U.S.C. 522a(o)(1), (u)(3)(A), and (u)(4).
2. Provide adequate advance notice of the matching program,
including a copy of the agreement, to Congress and the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(A)(i) and (r).
3. Publish advance notice of the matching program in the Federal
Register. 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12).
4. Make the Computer Matching Agreement available to the public. 5
U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(A)(ii).
5. 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).
6. 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).
7. Provide an annual report of the matching program activities to
Congress and OMB, and make the report available to the public. 5 U.S.C.
552a(u)(3)(D).
This matching program meets these requirements.
Naomi Goldstein,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research and Evaluation, ACF.
Participating Agencies
VA is the source agency, and SPAAs are non-federal agencies.
Authority for Conducting the Matching Program
Sections 402, 1137, and 1903(r) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. secs. 602(a), 1320b-7, and 1396b(r)).
Purpose(s)
The matching program will provide participating SPAAs with VA
compensation and pension data on a periodic basis to use in determining
public assistance applicants' and recipients' eligibility for benefits
under Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and general
assistance programs, and to use in helping relevant veterans to better
understand similar benefits available through the VA, which may be
better alternatives. The matching program helps ensure fair and
equitable treatment in the delivery of benefits attributable to funds
provided by the Federal Government.
Categories of Individuals
The categories of individuals involved in the matching program are:
Individuals applying for, or receiving, Medicaid, TANF,
SNAP, and/or general assistance benefits (public assistance clients);
and
Individuals receiving VA pay or pension benefits.
Categories of Records
The categories of records used in the matching program are
identifying information and compensation and pension data.
On an approximately quarterly basis, VA will provide DoD/DMDC with
a file containing VA benefit record data about all individual VA
benefit and compensation recipients, and each SPAA will provide DoD/
DMDC with a non-federal file containing identifying information,
including Social Security Numbers (SSNs) about public assistance
clients. DoD/DMDC will compare the SSNs in each SPAA file to the VA
file and will provide the SPAA with match results containing the
following data elements (as applicable) about each public assistance
client whose SSN matches the SSN of an individual receiving VA
compensation or pension benefits:
VA File Number; Veteran/Beneficiary/Apportionee SSN and SSN
Verification Indicator; Payee Type Code; Award Type, Award Line Type,
and Award Status Codes; Gender Code; Last Name/First Name/Middle Name;
Beneficiary Birth Date; Veteran/Spouse Aid and Attendance Code; Station
Number; Spouse; Minor Child; School Child; Helpless Child; Parent;
Combined Degree; Entitlement Type Code; Change Reason; Suspense Reason;
Last Paid Date; Effective Date; Gross Amount; Net Award Amount; Payment
Amount; Frequency Pay Type Code; Income for VA Purposes Amount;
Beneficiary/Spouse Annual Amounts (for Wages, Insurance, Interest,
Social Security, Civil Service Retirement, Military, Railroad
Retirement Board, Black Lung, and Rest); Beneficiary/Spouse Rest of
Exclusion Amount; Medical Expense/Education Expense/Last Expense/
Hardship Amounts; Receivable/Receivable Amount; Monthly Deductions/
Deduction Amount; Proceeds/Proceeds Amount; Address Type Indicator;
Address Name/Fiduciary; Address Fiduciary Type; Address Name
Beneficiary; Corporate Format Address (Address Lines One, Two, and
Three, City Name, State Name, ZIP Code Prefix and Suffix, Country Type
Name, Foreign Postal Code, Province Name, Territory Name, Military
Postal Type, Military Post Office); and Benefits Delivery Network
Treasury Address and ZIP Code Prefix.
System(s) of Records
The VA data used in this matching program will be disclosed from
the following system of records, as authorized by routine use 35:
``Compensation, Pension, Education,
[[Page 34453]]
and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Records--VA (58VA21/22/
28),'' 84 FR 4138 (Feb. 14, 2019).
[FR Doc. 2020-11996 Filed 6-3-20; 8:45 am]
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