08/14/00a: Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of computer matching between the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Postal Service [SFA]


[Federal Register: August 14, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 49555-49556]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14au00-65]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of computer matching between the U.S. Department of
Education and the U.S. Postal Service.

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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, a notice is hereby given of the computer
matching program between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the
U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The following notice represents the
approval of a new computer matching agreement by the ED and USPS Data
Integrity Boards to implement the matching program on the effective
date as indicated in paragraph E of this notice.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, 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, the
following information is provided:

A. Participating Agencies

    The USPS is the recipient agency and will perform the computer
match with debtor records provided by ED, the source agency in this
matching program.

B. Purposes of the Matching Program

    This matching program will compare USPS payroll and ED delinquent
debtor files for the purposes of identifying postal employees who may
owe delinquent debts to the federal government under programs
administered by the ED. The pay of an employee identified and verified
as a delinquent debtor may be offset under the provisions of the Debt
Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365) when voluntary payment is not
made.

C. Legal Authorities Authorizing Operation of the Match

    This matching program will be undertaken under the authority of the
Debt Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365) which authorizes federal
agencies to offset a federal employee's salary as a means of satisfying
delinquent debts owed to the United States.

D. Categories of Individuals Involved and Identification of Records
Used

    The following systems of records, maintained by the participant
agencies under 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), will be used to disclose records for this matching program:
    1. USPS' ``Finance Records--Payroll System, USPS 050-020,''
containing records for approximately 800,000 employees. (Disclosure
will be made pursuant to routine use No. 24 of USPS 050-020, which last
appeared in the Federal Register on December 4, 1992 (57 FR 57515).)
    2. ED's ``Title IV Program Files'' (18-11-05), containing debt
records for approximately 3,000,000 borrowers. (A notice of this system
was last published in the Federal Register on June 4, 1999 (64 FR
30106).)

E. Beginning and Ending Dates of the Matching Program

    The matching program will become effective 40 days after a copy of
the agreement, as approved by the Data Integrity Board of each agency,
is sent to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, or 30 days
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever
date is later. The matching program will continue for 18 months after
the effective date. The agreement may be extended for one additional
year beyond that period, if within 90 days prior to the actual
expiration date of the matching agreement, the Data Integrity Boards of
both the USPS and ED find that the computer matching program will be
conducted without change and each party certifies that the matching
program has been conducted in compliance with the matching agreement.

F. Address for Receipt of Comments and 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 USPS, contact John R. Adams,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5114 ROB-
3, Washington, DC 20202-5320. Telephone: (202) 205-5311. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[[Page 49556]]

    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this notice in room 5114 ROB-3, Seventh and D Streets,
SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Comments

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
record for this notice. If you want to schedule an appointment for this
type of aid, you may call (202) 205-8113 or (202) 260-9895. If you use
a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate 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
portable document format (PDF) on the Internet at the following sites:

http://cfco.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions
about using the 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.

    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

    Dated: August 4, 2000.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 00-20599 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
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