| Publication Date: September 03, 2003 FRPart: |
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Page Numbers: 52389-52390
Summary: Notice of computer matching program between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
Posted on 09-03-2003
[Federal Register: September 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 170)]
[Notices]
[Page 52389-52390]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03se03-40]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of computer matching program between the U.S. Department
of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child
Support Enforcement (OCSE).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act
of 1988 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines on the
Conduct of Matching Programs, this document gives notice of a computer
matching program between ED and HHS.
Background: This computer matching program between the two agencies
will become effective, as indicated in paragraph six of this notice. In
accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended by
the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-
503), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Final Guidelines on the
Conduct of Matching Programs (see 54 FR 25818, June 19, 1989), and OMB
Circular A-130, we provide the following information:
1. Participating Agencies. U.S. Department of Education (ED),
recipient agency. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support
Enforcement (OCSE), source agency.
2. Purpose of Match. The purpose of the match is to obtain address
information on individuals who owe funds to the Federal government for
defaulted student loans or grant overpayments. ED will use this
information to initiate independent collection of these debts under the
provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982 when voluntary payment is
not forthcoming. For individuals whose annual wage level exceeds
$16,000, these collection efforts will include orders by ED or a
guaranty agency to the employing entity, pursuant to statutory, non-
judicial, administrative wage garnishment authority, to withhold a
portion of the disposable pay of the debtor until such time as the
obligation is paid in full.
3. Authority for Conducting the Match. The legal authority for
conducting this match is contained in the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 653(j)(6)), as amended (Pub. L. 106-113).
4. Records and Individuals Covered by the Match. 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: ED: 18-11-07,
Student Financial Assistance Collection Files, 64 FR 30166-30169 (June
4, 1999), as amended, 64 FR 72407 (December 27, 1999). OCSE: 09-90-
0074, Location and Collection System, 65 FR 57817 (September 26, 2000).
5. Description of Computer Matching Program. ED administers student
financial assistance programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965
(HEA). OCSE maintains a database that consists of three separate
components. The first component, the W4 table, contains all newly hired
employees as reported from the State Directory of New Hires (SDNH) and
directly from Federal agencies. Component two, the QW table, contains
quarterly wage information on individual employees, as received from
Federal agencies and States. The final component, the UI table,
contains, unemployment insurance information of individuals who have
received, or made application for, unemployment benefits, as reported
by State Employment Security Agency or other State agencies responsible
for the implementation of the Unemployment Insurance Program.
This matching agreement between ED and OCSE will assist ED in
locating and collecting funds from delinquent debtors. The identifying
elements that the two agencies will match are as follows:
ED: Name and Social Security Number (SSN) of delinquent debtors.
OCSE: Name and SSN of all newly hired employees and individuals who
have received, or made application for, unemployment benefits.
OCSE will perform the computer match using all nine digits of the
SSN of the ED file against the OCSE computer database. OCSE will
produce a file containing the name, SSN, current home address, employer
and employer's address for each individual identified, based on the
match. The file of matches will be returned to ED.
ED is responsible for verifying and determining that the data on
the NDNH reply file is consistent with ED's source file and for
resolving any discrepancies
[[Page 52390]]
or inconsistencies on an individual basis. ED will also be responsible
for making final determinations as to positive identification, amount
of indebtedness and recovery efforts, as a result of the match.
6. Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program. The matching program
will become effective at the latest of the following three dates: (1)
40 days after the signing of the transmittal letters sending the
computer matching program report to Congress and OMB, unless OMB
disapproves the agreement within the 40 day review period or grants a
waiver of the review period for compelling reasons; (2) 30 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal Register; or (3) July 22,
2003. The matching program will continue for 18 months after the
effective date and may be extended for an additional 12 months
thereafter, if the conditions specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have
been met.
7. Address for Receipt of Comments or Inquiries. If you wish to
comment on this matching program or obtain additional information about
the program including a copy of the computer matching agreement between
ED and OCSE, contact Marian E. Currie, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Union Center Plaza, Room 41B4, Washington, DC
20202-5320, telephone: (202) 377-3212; or, as a secondary contact:
Adara L. Walton, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Union Center Plaza, Room
44E3, Washington, DC 20202-5320, telephone: (202) 377-3236. If you use
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF,
call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-
293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
You may also view this document in text or PDF at the following
site: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/IFAPWebApp/index.jsp
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
.
Authority: (5 U.S.C. 5514(a); 5 U.S.C. 552a).
Dated: August 27, 2003.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 03-22452 Filed 9-2-03; 8:45 am]
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