Notice2024-02789
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
Primary source
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Published
February 12, 2024
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Under this matching program, OPM will disclose civil service benefit and payment data to SSA. SSA is legally required to offset specific benefits by a percentage of civil service benefits received (Spousal and Survivors benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and Retirement and Disability Insurance Benefits are offset by a percentage of the recipients' own Federal Government pension benefits). SSA administers the Old Age, Survivors, Disability Insurance (OASDI), SSI, and Special Veterans' Benefits (SVB) programs. SSA will use the match results under this agreement to meet its civil service benefit offset obligations. SSA's Office of the Chief Actuary (OCA) will also use OPM's data for statistical and research purposes in tracking the size of, and impact on, subpopulations of government annuitants affected by the Government Pension Offset, the Windfall Elimination Provision, and in cost estimates of proposals to change the two provisions.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 29 (Monday, February 12, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9891-9893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02789]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. SSA-2023-0027]
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as
amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM). Under this matching program, OPM will
disclose civil service benefit and payment data to SSA. SSA is legally
required to offset specific benefits by a percentage of civil service
benefits received (Spousal and Survivors benefits, Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) benefits, and Retirement and Disability Insurance
Benefits are offset by a percentage of the recipients' own Federal
Government pension benefits). SSA administers the Old Age, Survivors,
Disability Insurance (OASDI), SSI, and Special Veterans' Benefits (SVB)
programs. SSA will use the match results under this agreement to meet
its civil service benefit offset obligations. SSA's Office of the Chief
Actuary (OCA) will also use OPM's data for statistical and research
purposes in tracking the size of, and impact on, subpopulations of
government annuitants affected by the Government Pension Offset, the
Windfall Elimination Provision, and in cost estimates of proposals to
change the two provisions.
DATES: Submit comments on the proposed matching program no later than
March 13, 2024.
The matching program will be applicable on March 11, 2024, or once
a minimum of 30 days after publication of this notice has elapsed,
whichever is later. The matching program will be in effect for a period
of 18 months.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any one of four methods--
internet, fax, mail, or email. Do not submit the same comments multiple
times or by more than one method. Regardless of which method you
choose, please state
[[Page 9892]]
that your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2023-0027 so that we may
associate your comments with the correct regulation.
Caution: You should be careful to include in your comments only
information that you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge
you not to include in your comments any personal information, such as
Social Security numbers or medical information.
1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments
via the internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Use the Search function to find docket
number SSA-2023-0027 and then submit your comments. The system will
issue you a tracking number to confirm your submission. You will not be
able to view your comment immediately because we must post each
submission manually. It may take up to a week for your comments to be
viewable.
2. Fax: Fax comments to (833) 410-1631.
3. Mail: Submit comments to Matthew Ramsey, Executive Director,
Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, Social
Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-
6401, or by emailing <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86cbe7f2f2eee3f1a8d4e7ebf5e3ffc6f5f5e7a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f220e1b1b070a18413d0e021c0a162f1c1c0e41080019">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments are also
available for public viewing on the Federal eRulemaking portal at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> or in person, during regular business
hours, by arranging with the contact person identified below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties may submit general
questions about the matching program to Cynthia Scott, Division
Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General
Counsel, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, at telephone: (410) 966-1943, or by sending
an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2b6852455f43424a057848445f5f6b58584a054c445d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c281bbacb6aaaba3ec91a1adb6b682b1b1a3eca5adb4">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.
Matthew Ramsey,
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the
General Counsel.
Participating Agencies: SSA and OPM.
Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: The legal authority
for SSA to conduct this matching activity for SSI purposes is section
1631(e)(1)(B) and (f) of the Social Security Act (Act) (42 U.S.C.
1383(e)(1)(B) and (f)). The legal authority for SVB purposes is section
806 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1006). The legal authority for SSA to conduct
this matching activity for OASDI includes section 224 of the Act (42
U.S.C. 424a), which provides for the reduction of Social Security
disability benefits when the disabled worker is also entitled to a
Public Disability Benefit (PDB). Also, section 215a(7)(A) of the Act
(42 U.S.C. 415) requires a modification to the computation formula
reducing the Primary Insurance Amount of a retired and disabled worker
entitled to a pension from employment not covered under Social
Security. Section 202k(5)(A) (42 U.S.C. 402) provides for the reduction
of spousal and survivors benefits by a percentage of a pension received
based on work not covered by Social Security.
Section 1631(f) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(f)) requires Federal
agencies to furnish SSA with information necessary to verify
eligibility for benefits. Section 224(h)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C.
424a(h)(1)) requires any Federal agency to provide SSA with information
in its possession that SSA may require for the purposes of making a
timely determination of the amount of reduction under section 224 of
the Act (42 U.S.C. 424a).
This agreement is executed in compliance with the Privacy Act of
1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy
Protection Act of 1988, and the regulations and guidance promulgated
thereunder.
Purpose(s): This agreement sets forth the terms, conditions, and
safeguards under which OPM will disclose civil service benefit and
payment data to SSA. SSA will use the match results under this
agreement to meet its civil service benefit offset obligations. SSA is
legally required to offset specific benefits by a percentage of the
benefit recipients' Federal Government pension benefits.
SSA's OCA will also use OPM's data for statistical and research
purposes in tracking the size of, and impact on, subpopulations of
government annuitants affected by the Government Pension Offset and the
Windfall Elimination Provision. Additionally, the OCA will use OPM's
data in cost estimates of proposals to change the two provisions.
Categories of Individuals: The individuals whose information is
involved in this matching program are those individuals who are
receiving civil service benefits and payments as well as either Spousal
and Survivors benefits, SSI or SVB benefits, or Retirement and
Disability Insurance benefits.
Categories of Records: OPM will provide SSA with an electronic file
containing civil service benefit and payment data from the annuity and
survivor master file. Each month, OPM will provide SSA with an
electronic file that will include updated payment information for new
civil service annuitants and annuitants whose civil service annuity has
changed. This monthly file contains approximately 25,000 records. OPM
will provide SSA with the entire master annuity file of approximately
2.7 million records once yearly for the month of the civil service
cost-of-living allowance. OPM will furnish SSA with the following civil
service benefit and payment data: payment status code; prefix; name;
Social Security number (SSN); Social Security verification code; date
of birth; award date; civil service claim number; first potential month
and year of eligibility; date of eligibility indicator; first month,
day, and year of entitlement; disability indicator; Federal Insurance
Contributions Act covered months indicator; total service months;
amount of current gross civil service benefits; effective date (month,
day, and year) of civil service amount; SSNs for disabled children;
retroactive payments; date of death; payments that are currently coded
`special pay'; OPM code that indicates OPM used pre-1957 military
service in the benefit computations; actual military service dates that
OPM used in computing the OPM pension amount; OPM code for voluntary
contributions; amount of the pension from voluntary contributions;
months of employment after 1956 not covered by Social Security that are
used to determine the pension; period of employment upon which pension
is based; and Federal Employees Retirement System transfer case data.
SSA will attempt to verify the SSNs furnished by OPM using the SSA
Enumeration System database and the individuals' name, date of birth,
and SSN. SSA will only use verified SSNs in the matches with its
systems of records (SOR). SSA will match the SSN-verified OPM data
against the Supplemental Security Record or Master Beneficiary Record
to identify: SSI/SVB recipients who are also receiving a civil service
pension; individuals who may be subject to PDB offset; and
beneficiaries subject to a Federal pension offset.
System(s) of Records: OPM will provide SSA with electronic files
from the OPM SOR published as OPM/Central-1 (Civil Service Retirement
and Insurance Records) at 73 FR 15013 (March 20, 2008), as amended at
80 FR 74815 (November 30, 2015). SSA will
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conduct the match using the individual's SSN, name, and date of birth
on both the OPM file and SSA's databases covered under the following
SSA SORs: the Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and
SSN Applications (Enumeration System), 60-0058, as published at 87 FR
263 (January 4, 2022); the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), 60-0090, as
published at 71 FR 1826 (January 11, 2006), as amended at 72 FR 69723
(December 10, 2007), 78 FR 40542 (July 5, 2013), 83 FR 31250-31251
(July 3, 2018), and 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018); and the
Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits (SSR/
SVB), 60-0103, as published at 71 FR 1830 (January 11, 2006), as
amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 83 FR 31250-31251 (July 3,
2018), and 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018).
[FR Doc. 2024-02789 Filed 2-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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