[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55450-55451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28099]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection Requests 
and Comment Requests

    This notice lists information collection packages that will require 
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as 
information collection packages submitted to OMB for clearance, in 
compliance with Pub.L. 104-13 effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.
    I. The information collection(s) listed below require(s) 
extension(s) of the current OMB approval(s) or are proposed new 
collection(s):
    1. Application for a Social Security Card--0960-0066. The 
information collected on Form SS-5 by the Social Security 
Administration (SSA) is used to assign a Social Security Number and 
issue a card. The Social Security Number is used by SSA to keep an 
accurate record of each individual's earnings for the payment of 
benefits and for administrative purposes as an identifier for health-
maintenance and income-maintenance programs, such as the Retirement, 
Survivors and Disability Insurance Programs, the Supplemental Security 
Income (SSI) Program and other programs administered by the Federal 
government including Black Lung, Medicare and veterans compensation and 
pension programs. The Social Security Number is also used by the 
Internal Revenue Service as a taxpayer identification number for those 
individuals who are eligible to be assigned a Social Security Number. 
The respondents are applicants for a Social Security Card.
    Number of Respondents: 16 million.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 8\1/2\ minutes--9 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,275,000 hours.
    2. Request to Resolve Questionable Quarters of Coverage (SSA-512); 
Request for Quarters of Coverage History Based on Relationship (SSA-
513)--0960-0575. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act states that aliens admitted for lawful residence who 
have worked and earned 40 qualifying quarters of coverage (QCs) for 
Social Security purposes can generally receive State benefits. QCs can 
also be allocated to a spouse and/or to a child under age 18, if needed 
to obtain 40 qualifying QCs for the alien. Form SSA-512 is used by the 
States to request clarification from SSA on questionable QCs. Form SSA-
513 is used by States to request QC information for an alien's spouse 
or parent in cases where the spouse or parent does not sign a consent 
form giving permission to access his/her social security records. The 
respondents are State agencies which require QC information in order to 
determine eligibility for benefits.

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                                                         SSA-512                             SSA-513            
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Number of Responses.....................  200,000..............................  350,000.                       
Frequency of Response...................  1....................................  1.                             
Average Burden Per Response.............  2 minutes............................  2 minutes.                     
Estimated Annual Burden.................  6,667 hours..........................  11,667 hours.                  
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[[Page 55451]]

    3. Questionnaire for Children Claiming SSI Benefits--0960-0499. The 
information collected on form SSA-3881 is used by SSA to evaluate 
disability in children who apply for SSI payments. The respondents are 
individuals who apply for SSI benefits for a disabled child.
    Number of Respondents: 978,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 489,000 hours.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the information 
collection(s) should be sent within 60 days from the date of this 
publication, directly to the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the 
following address:
    Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Nicholas E. 
Tagliareni, 401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., Baltimore, MD 
21235.
    In addition to your comments on the accuracy of the Agency's burden 
estimate, we are soliciting comments on the need for the information; 
its practical utility; ways to enhance its quality, utility and 
clarity; and on ways to minimize burden on respondents, including the 
use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    II. The information collection(s) listed below have been submitted 
to OMB:
    1. Beneficiary Recontact Report--0960-0536. SSA uses Form SSA-1587-
OCR--SM to ensure that eligibility for benefits continues after 
entitlement is established for children ages 15 thru 17. Studies show 
that children who marry fail to report the marriage (which is a 
terminating event). SSA asks children ages 15, 16 and 17 information 
about marital status to detect overpayments and to avoid continuing 
payments to those no longer entitled. The respondents are applicants 
for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits, who are ages 
15 thru 17.
    Number of Respondents: 835,492.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 41,775 hours.
    2. Waiver of Right to Appear, Disability Hearing--0960-0534. Form 
SSA-773-U4 is used by claimants to request waiver of their right to 
appear at a disability hearing. The information collected will be used 
to document that claimants understand their right to appear and the 
effects of their decision to waive that right. The respondents are 
claimants who (under Title II & XVI of the Social Security Act) wish to 
waive their right to appear at a disability hearing.
    Number of Respondents: 194.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 48 hours.
    3. Railroad Employment Questionnaire--0960-0078. Form SSA-671 is 
used to secure sufficient information for required coordination with 
the Railroad Retirement Board for Social Security claims processing. 
The form is completed whenever claimants indicate that they have been 
employed in the railroad industry. The respondents are retired 
employees of the railroad industry or their dependents.
    Number of Respondents: 125,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes..
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,417 hours.
    4. Employment Relationship Questionnaire--0960-0040. Form SSA-7160 
covers all possible employment situations, and is used by SSA to 
determine an individual's work status. The information is required to 
maintain accurate earnings records for workers under the Social 
Security system. The respondents are applicants for Social Security 
benefits.
    Number of Respondents: 47,500.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 19,792 hours.
    5. Questionnaire About Employment or Self-Employment Outside the 
United States--0960-0050. The information on Form SSA-7163 is needed to 
determine whether work performed outside the United States by 
beneficiaries is cause for deductions from their monthly benefits; to 
determine whether the foreign work test or the regular work test is 
applicable; and to determine the months, if any, for which deductions 
should be imposed. The respondents are beneficiaries who live and work 
outside the United States.
    Number of Respondents: 20,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 4,000 hours.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the information 
collection(s) should be directed within 30 days to the OMB Desk Officer 
and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the following addresses:

(OMB)

    Office of Management and Budget, OIRA, Attn: Laura Oliven, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW, Washington, 
D.C. 20503.

(SSA)

    Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Nicholas E. 
Tagliareni, 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 
21235.
    To receive a copy of any of the forms or clearance packages, call 
the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4125 or write to him at 
the address listed above.

    Dated: October 16, 1997.
Nicholas E. Tagliareni,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-28099 Filed 10-23-97; 8:45 am]
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