System of Records (SOR)
27VA047 - Personnel and Accounting Pay System-VA
System location:
VA Data Processing Center, Austin, Texas; the
field stations where the employee is on duty.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
All VA employees (including Consultants and Attendings).
Categories of records in the system:
PAID Master Records, Record of Salary Payments, Time and
Attendance Report File, Earnings and Leave Statement, Individual
Retirement Record, Payroll Folder Files, Personnel Action Records and
Basic Authorizations, Training and Incentive Awards Record, Carpool
and Ridesharing Program Records (i.e., name, address, office location
at the facility).
Authority for maintenance of the system:
Statutory provisions, Executive Order 12191 (45 FR 7997 (Feb. 6,
1980)) and other Executive Orders of the President, and rules and
regulations of certain Federal regulatory departments and agencies.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including
categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
- To produce and maintain the personnel and payroll records,
including reports and statistical data, of VA employees for use by
Federal, State and local agencies and organizations authorized by law
or regulation to have access to such information.
- Transfer payroll information to complete payroll checks, bond
deductions and withholding taxes to the Treasury Department in order
to effect delivery of payroll checks and saving bonds to VA
employees.
- Transfer payroll information to the Social Security
Administration in order to credit quarterly posting for social
security.
- Transfer withholding tax information to State and/or city
governments to effect payment of taxes to city and/or State
governments and to create W-2's.
- Transfer retirement record information to the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) in order to provide a hisotry of service
and retirement deductions.
- Transfer employee Payroll Folder File, Record of Salary
Payments, and Time and Attendance Reports to the National Archives
and Records Administration in order to provide a history of all
salaries, deductions and time and leave.
- Transfer unemployment compensation information to State
agencies to compile unemployment compensation data.
- Transfer personnel data to the Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) in order to provide the OPM with a readily accessible major
data source for meeting work force information needs of OPM, national
planning agencies, the Congress, the White House and the public.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs, on its own initiative, may
disclose any information in this system, except veterans' names and
addresses, which is relevant to a suspected violation or reasonably
imminent violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or regulatory in
nature and whether arising by general or program statute or by
regulation, rule, or order issued pursuant thereto, to any Federal,
foreign, State, or local government agency charged with the
responsibility of investigative or prosecuting such violations, or
charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, rule, regulation,
or order issued pursuant thereto.
- A record from this system of records may be disclosed as a
``routine use'' to a Federal, State or local agency, or to a non-
governmental organization maintaining civil, criminal or other
relevant information, such as current licenses, registration or
certification, if necessary to obtain information relevant to an
agency decision concerning the hiring or retention of an employee,
the use of an individual as a consultant, attending or to provide fee
basis health care, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting
of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other
benefits.These records may also be disclosed as part of an ongoing
computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.
- A record from this system of records may be disclosed to a
Federal, State or local agency, in response to its request, in
connection with the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance
of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an
employee, the letting of a contract or the issuance of a license,
grant, or other benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that
the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's
decision on the matter.
- Relevant information from this system of records, including
the nature and amount of a financial obligation, may be disclosed as
a routine use, in order assist VA in the collection of unpaid
financial obligations owed to VA, to a debtor's employing agency or
commanding officer so that the debtor-employee may be counseled by
his or her Federal employer or commanding officer. This purpose is
consistent with the Federal Claims Collection Act (31 U.S.C. chapter
37, subchapters I and II) 4 CFR parts 101-105, and 38 CFR 1.900-
1.954.
- To provide State and local taxing authorities employee names,
home addresses, social security numbers, gross compensation paid for
a given period, taxes withheld for the benefit of the recipient
jurisdiction or other jurisdictions, according to the provisions of
State and/or local law.
- Relevant information from this system of records, including
available identifying data regarding the debtor, such as name of
debtor, last known address of debtor, name of debtor's spouse, social
security account number of debtor, VA insurance number, VA loan
number, VA claims number, place and date of birth of debtor, name and
address of debtor's employer or firm, and dates of employment, may be
disclosed to other Federal agencies, State probate courts, State
drivers' license bureaus, and State automobile title and license
bureaus as a routine use in order to obtain current address, locator
and credit report assistance in the collection of unpaid financial
obligations owed to the U.S. This purpose is consist with the Federal
Claims Collection Act (31 U.S.C. chapter 37, subchapters I and II) 4
CFR parts 101-105, and 38 CFR 1.900-1.954.
- Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the
record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the
congressional office made at the request of that individual.
- Information and records in this system may be disclosed to
the National Archives and Records Administration and the General
Services Administration in records management inspections conducted
under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906 and the implementing
regulations.
- The name and general geographic location where an employee
resides (not specific home address) may be disclosed by the facility
Employee Transportation Coordinator to other employees in order to
promote the car/vanpooling and ridesharing program established in
accordance with Executive Order 12191 and to enable the VA to verify
membership in car and vanpools.
- Any information in this system may be disclosed to a Federal
grand jury, a Federal court or a party in litigation, or a Federal
agency or party to an administrative proceeding being conducted by a
Federal agency, in order for the VA to respond to and comply with the
issuance of a Federal subpoena.
- Any information in this system may be disclosed to a State or
municipal grand jury, a State or municipal court or a party in
litigation, or to a State or municipal administrative agency
functioning in a quasi-judicial capacity or a party to a proceeding
being conducted by such agency, in order for the VA to respond to and
comply with the issuance of a State or municipal subpoena.
- The name of the employee, social security number, beginning
and ending pay period dates, the number of hours worked during a
given pay period, the gross salary and duty station information may
be disclosed to the Department of Labor (DOL) Inspector General's
office (IG) in order for the DOL IG to conduct a computer match of
these records with various state unemployment benefit files. The
purpose of this computer matching program will be to determine if
Federal employees have been properly drawing state unemployment
benefit payments. These payments are ultimately reimbursed to the
state by the Federal Government.
- Relevant information from this system of records concerning
full time VA physicians and dentists, including name, social security
number, and date of birth, may be disclosed to Federal, State and
local agencies, and to independent insurance carriers (processors or
medical claims), for the purpose of conducting computer matches to
determine if their outside professional income is accurately reported
and obtained only from santioned professional activities.
- Records from this system of records may be disclosed to a
Federal Agency or to a State or local government licensing board and/
or to the Federation of State Medical Boards or a similar
nongovernment entity which maintains records concerning individuals'
employment histories or concerning the issuance, retention or
revocation of licenses, certifications, or registration necessary to
practice an occupation, profession or specialty , in order for the
Agency to obtain information relevant to an Agency decision
concerning the hiring, retention or termination of an employee or to
inform a Federal Agency or licensing boards or the appropriate
nongovernment entities about the health care practices of a
terminated, resigned or retired health care employee whose
professional health care activity so significantly failed to conform
to generally accepted standards of professional medical practice as
to raise reasonable concern for the health and safety of patients in
the private sector or from another Federal Agency. These records may
also be disclosed as part of an ongoing computer matching program to
accomplish these purposes.
- Any information in this system of records may be disclosed to
any State, local, or foreign civil or criminal law enforcement
governmental agency or instrumentality charged under applicable law
with the protection of the public health or safety for the purpose of
protecting public health or safety if qualified representative of
such agency or instrumentality has made a written request that such
information be provided in order to meet a statutory reporting
requirement.
- Relevant information from this system of records may be
disclosed to the National Practitioner Data Bank and/or State
Licensing Board in the State(s) in which a practitioner is licensed,
in which the VA facility is located, and/or in which an act or
omission occurred upon which a medical malpractice claim was based
when VA reports information concerning: (1) Any payment for the
benefit of a physician, dentist, or other licensed health care
practitioner which was made as the result of a settlement or judgment
of a claim of medical malpractice if an appropriate determination is
made in accordance with agency policy that payment was related to
substandard care, professional incompetence or professional
misconduct on the part of the individual; (2) a final decision which
relates to possible incompetence or improper professional conduct
that adversely affects the clinical privileges of a physician or
dentist for a period longer than 30 days; or, (3) the acceptance of
the surrender of clinical privileges or any restriction of such
privileges by a physician or dentist either while under investigation
by the health care entity relating to possible incompetence or
improper professional conduct, or in return for not conducting such
an investigation or proceeding. These records may also be disclosed
as part of a computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.
- Any informationin this system may be disclosed to the
Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where
required by law or regulation to report withholding information and
to effect payment of taxes withheld to IRS and to create W-2's.
- Relevant information from this system of records, including
social security number, date of birth, home address, and the amount
of contributions, interfund transfers, or other financial informaiton
may be disclosed to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board in
order to effect employee participation in the Thrift Savings Plan.g
- Relevant information from this system of records concerning
residents and interns employed at VA Medical Centers, including
names, social security numbers, occupational titles, and dates of
service, may be disclosed to the Health Care Financing Administration
(HCFA) as part of an ongoing computer matching program. The purpose
of this computer matching program is to help assure that no intern or
resident is counted as more than one full-time equivalent in
accordance with program regulations governing Medicare education
costs.
- Information from this system of records may be disclosed in
response to legal processes, including interrogatories, served on the
Agency in connection with garnishment proceedings against current or
former VA employees under 5 U.S.C. 5520a.
- Relevant information from this system of records may be
disclosed to individuals, organizations, private or public agencies,
etc., with whom VA has a contract or agreement to perform such
services as VA may deem practicable for the purposes of laws
administered by VA, in order for the contractor to perform the
services of the contract or agreement. In accordance with the
provisions of the contract or agreement, the contractor may disclose
relevant information from this system of records to a third party.
This includes the situation where relevant information may be
disclosed to a third party upon the presentation or submission to the
contractor by that third party of specific authorization or access
data (e.g., an authorization code or number), which is obtained from
VA or the VA contractor only by the individual employee to whom the
information pertains. The employee's release of the specific
authorization or access data to a third party indicates the
employee's authorization for the disclosure of such information to
that third party.
- The names, social security numbers, home addresses, dates of
birth, dates of hire, quarterly earnings, employer identifying
information, and State of hire of employees may be disclosed to the
Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for Children and
Families, Department of Health and Human Services Federal Parent
Locator System (FPLS) for the purpose of locating individuals to
establish paternity, establishing and modifying orders of child
support, identifying sources of income, and for other child support
enforcement actions as required by the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (Welfare Reform Law, Pub. L. 104-
193).
- Information from this system of records may be released to
the Social Security Administration for verifying social security
numbers in connection with the operation of the Federal Parent
Locator System (FPLS) by the Office of Child Support Enforcement.
- Information from this system of records may be released to
the Department of the Treasury for purposes of administering the
Earned Income Tax Credit Program (Section 32, Internal Revenue Code
of 1986) and verifying a claim with respect to employment in a tax
return.
- To disclose information to the Federal Labor Relations
Authority (including its General Counsel when requested in connection
with the investigation and resolution of allegations of unfair labor
practices, in connection with the resolution of exceptions to
arbitrator awards when a question of material fact is raised, in
connection with matters before the Federal Service Impasses Panel,
and to investigate representation petitions and conduct or supervise
representation elections.
- VA may disclose information from this system of records to a
court administrative entity, or custodial parent of a child in order
to provide documentation of payroll deductions for child healthcare
insurance coverage in accordance with a court or administrative order
as required by 5 U.S.C. 8905(h), as enacted by Public Law 106-394 and
in accordance with the procedures stated in the applicable Office of
Personnel Management Benefits Administration and Payroll Office
Letters. VA may also disclose information from this system of redords
to healthcare insurance carriers in order to enroll employees and
their children in healthcare insurance plans in accordance with
Public Law 106-394.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing,
retaining, and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Paper documents, microfiche, magnetic media.
Retrievability:
VA personnel records are filed by name. Automated
data processing records are indexed by social security number within
station.
Safeguards:
Physical Security:
Access to Payroll Folder Files is
restricted to fiscal officers and employees of the Payroll Section.
Access to Official Personnel Folder Files is restricted to personnel
officers and employees authorized access under Federal Personnel
Manual and VA Manual, MP-5, Personnel Policy. Personnel and Fiscal
offices are locked after working hours and are protected from outside
access by the Federal Protective Service and other security officers.
Access to data by means of on-line (query) data base or down-loading
with a Decentralizing Hospital Computer Program (DHCP) is restricted
to authorized employees by means of unique user identification and
passwords. User identifications and passwords will be seven (7)
characters in length. These codes are to be mailed in a sealed
envelope to an employee's business address and will be opened only by
the addressed employee. No user identification or password will be
given to an employee except those authorized access under Federal
Personnel Manual and VA Manual, MP-5, Personnel Policy.
Retention and disposal:
Payroll Folder File - Retired to the
National Personnel Records Center three years after close of calendar
year following transfer or separation of employee and after audit
clearance of related pay records - disposed of 56 years after date of
last entry on card. Official Personnel Service Folder File - Retired
to the National Personnel Records Center 30 days after separation -
disposed of 75 years after birth of employee.
System manager(s) and address:
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Management (047), DVA
Central Office, Washington, DC 20420.
Notification procedure:
Individuals seeking information concerning
the existence of a record pertaining to themselves must submit a
written request to the VA station of employment. Addresses of
stations may be found in VA Appendix 1 at the end of this document.
Inquiries should include the employee's full name, social security
number, office and return address.
Record access procedures:
Employees or representatives designated
in writing seeking information regarding access to and contesting of
VA records may write, call or visit the VA office of employment.
Contesting record procedures: (See Record Access Procedures above.)
Record source categories: Personnel records information received
from employees, VA officials, other Government and State Agencies.
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