SORN 09-90-0102

System name: Federal Personnel/HHS or HHS Funded Benefit and Loan Program Temporary Matching File, HHS/OS/OIG.

Security classification: None.

System location: Office of the Inspector General, DHHS, Room 5262, North Building, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.

Categories of individuals covered by the system: Federal personnel (employees, retirees, and survivors) who are also included in HHS or HHS funded benefit and loan program record files.

Categories of records in the system: Federal personnel records including name, social security number, date of birth, sex, work status, pay grade, duty station, OPM claim number, health benefit enrollment code, retirement date, annuity rate, pay status of case, correspondence address, zip code, and HHS or HHS funded benefit and loan program records including name, social security number, date of birth, address, and data used to determine eligibility.

Authority for maintenance of the system: Pub. L. 94-505.

Purpose(s): This system of records is maintained to facilitate the comparison of records to identify those federal employees, federal retirees, or their survivors who may also be receiving assistance under an HHS or HHS funded benefit or loan program. These records will then be used for the purpose of reviewing eligibility and identifying any debts owed under these programs.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:

These records may be used as follows:

1. In the event that a system of records maintained by this agency to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, the relevant records in the system of records may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, foreign, State or local, charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, or rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto where such responsibility rests outside of OIG.

2. A record from this system of records may be disclosed as a “routine use'' to a Federal, State or local agency maintaining civil, criminal or other relevant enforcement records or other pertinent records, such as current licenses, if necessary to obtain a record relevant to an agency decision concerning the hiring or retention of an employee or disciplinary or other administrative action concerning an employee, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit.

3. A record from this system of records may be disclosed to a Federal agency in connection with the hiring or retention of an employee or disciplinary or other administrative action concerning 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 agency, to the

extent that the record is relevant and necessary to the agency's decision on the matter.

4. 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.

5. In the event of litigation where the defendant is (a) the Department, any component of the Department, or any employee of the Department, or any employee of the Department in his or her official capacity; (b) the United States where the Department determines that the claim, if successful, is likely to directly affect the operations of the department or any of its components; or (c) any Department employee in his or her individual capacity where the Justice Department has agreed to represent such employee, the Department may disclose such records as it deems desirable or necessary to the Department of Justice to enable that Department to effectively represent such party, provided such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.

6. A record from this system may be disclosed as a “routine use'' to a Federal, State, or local agency maintaining pertinent records if necessary to obtain a record relevant to a Department decision concerning the determination of initial or continuing eligibility for program benefits.

7. Disclosures may be made to the Office of Personnel Management or the Merit Systems Protection Board (including the Office of the Special Counsel) of information relevant and necessary to carrying

out their functions.

8. Disclosures may be made to third party contacts where the party contacted may have information needed to establish or verify relevant information.

9. Disclosures may be made to Federal, State, and local agencies or to other agencies administrating federally funded programs where necessary to take action with regard to individuals not entitled to

program benefits or individuals delinquent on loan payments under federally funded programs.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage: The records are stored on computer tape files and computer printed listings.

Retrievability: The records are retrieved by computer using Social Security Number as the principal matching criterion.

Safeguards: Direct access is restricted to authorized staff members of the Office of the Inspector General. Access within HHS is limited to those employees who are directly involved in the matching program on a need-to-know basis. Computer files and printed listing are maintained in security type safes or lock bar file cabinets. They are safeguarded in accordance with the provisions of the National Bureau of Standards Federal Information Processing Standards 41 and 31, and the HHS Information Processing Standards, HHS ADP Systems Manual, Part 6, “ADP Systems Security.'' All computer tapes are password protected prohibiting unauthorized access.

Retention and disposal: In instances of computer matching of files, only those records which meet predetermined criteria are maintained. All records which do not meet these criteria are destroyed. All original source computer tapes will be returned within 60 days. All records obtained as a result of the matching program will be degaussed as soon as possible within 6 months except for those records which are necessary to the completion of pending law enforcement activities or administrative activities of the matching program. Paper listings will be either shredded or burned.

System manager(s) and address: Inspector General/Deputy Inspector General, Room 5246, North

Building, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.

Notification procedure: Contact: Richard McGowan, Public Affairs Officer, Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 5267, North Building, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.

Record access procedures: Same as notification procedure. Requesters should also reasonably specify the record contents being sought.

Contesting record procedures: Contact the official at the address specified under notification procedure above, and reasonably identify the record and specify the information to be contested, the corrective action sought and the reasons for the correction with supporting justification.

Record source categories: Records are furnished from the Central Personnel Data File (CPDF)

maintained by the Office of Personnel Management, from other Federal agency personnel records systems, and from HHS or HHS-funded program records systems.

Systems exempted from certain provisions of the act: None.