[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 149 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41612-41614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20658]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Information Collection Activities

    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.

Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection Requests and 
Comment Requests

    I. The information collection(s) listed below require(s) 
extension(s) of the current OMB approval(s) or are proposed new 
collection(s):
    1. Manchaca Ruling Compliance Survey--0960-NEW. In accordance with 
the terms of the United States District Court ruling on MANCHACA et al. 
v. Chater, the Social Security Administration (SSA) must inform social 
security and supplemental security income (SSI) applicants/recipients 
about benefits under the food stamp program and make available food 
stamp applications to these individuals. SSA is also required to 
complete food stamp applications for SSI applicants/recipients when all 
members of the individual's household are receiving SSI benefits. The 
terms of the settlement agreement include a provision that SSA is to 
conduct a study in the State of Texas, locus of the class action 
litigation, to determine the Agency's effectiveness in promoting the 
goals of joint processing and the extent of the Agency's compliance 
with food stamp procedures. As part of the study, SSA will survey a 
random sample of social security and SSI applicants/recipients to 
determine public understanding of SSA's role in the food stamp process. 
The study will determine the level of the respondent's awareness of 
food stamp processing in SSA field offices in Texas, and the degree to 
which field offices have complied with the food stamp application 
procedures. The information will be included in a report which will be 
provided to the Commissioner of SSA, the court and the plaintiffs.
    Number of Respondents: 450.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 112.5 hours.
    2. Verification of Identity of Internet Requestors of Information 
from SSA Records--0960-NEW. SSA has established a process for verifying 
the identity of individual's who use the Internet to request 
information from SSA records. The electronic screens request specific 
information which will allow the public to establish their identity 
with SSA. These screens must be completed in order for the requestor to 
use certain Internet applications, such as a Request for a Personal 
Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement, a Request for a Replacement 
Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/SSA-1042S), etc. SSA will use the 
information to verify the requester's identity by comparing it to the 
information already in SSA's records. The respondents are members of 
the public who request information from SSA through the Internet.
    Number of Respondents: 540,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 3.5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 31,500 hours.
    3. Electronic Request for Benefit Verification Information--SSA 
provides verification of benefits, when requested, to individuals 
receiving social security or SSI benefits. In order to provide to the 
public an easy and convenient means of requesting benefit information, 
SSA has developed an electronic request form which will allow persons 
to request the information through the Internet. The information 
collected on the electronic screens will be used by SSA to process the 
request for a benefit verification statement. To ensure appropriate 
confidentiality, the statement will be mailed to the recipient/
beneficiary address shown in SSA's records. The respondents are social 
security or SSI recipient/beneficiaries who request benefit 
verification information using the Internet.
    Number of Respondents: 133,920.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: \1/2\ minute.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,116 hours.

    4. Information Collections Conducted by State Disability 
Determination Services (DDS) on Behalf of SSA--0960-0555. The State 
DDS's collect certain information to administer SSA's disability 
program. The information collected is as follows: (1) Medical evidence 
requirements (MER)--DDSs use MER information to determine a person's 
physical and/or mental status prior to making a disability 
determination; (2) CE providers-- DDSs use the CE provider information 
to verify a medical provider's credentials and license before hiring 
them to conduct consultative exams; (3) consultative exams (CE) --DDSs 
use CE information to make disability determinations when the 
claimant's own medical sources cannot or will not provide the 
information; DDSs use the information obtained from claimants under the 
CE process to obtain release of medical information to personal 
physicians and to confirm scheduled CE appointments; (4) activities of 
daily living--this information, together with medical evidence, are 
part of the evidentiary documentation used by the DDS's in evaluating a 
person's disability, and (5) pain information--this information is used 
by the DDSs to assess the effects of symptoms on functionality for 
determining disability. The respondents are medical providers and 
disability claimants.

[[Page 41613]]

(1) MER: (Respondents--Medical Providers)
    Number of Responses: 9.181 million
    Frequency of Response: Unknown.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes
    Estimate Annual Burden: 2,295,250
(2) CE Providers (Respondents--Medical Providers)
    Number of Responses: 6,300.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,100 hours.
(3) CE: (Respondents--Medical Providers)
    Number of Responses: 3 million.
    Frequency of Response: Unknown.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1.5 million.
CE: (Respondents--Claimants)

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                                                    Appointment letter                 Medical release form     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Responses....................  750,000................................  1.5 million.                  
Frequency of Response..................  2......................................  2.                            
Average Burden Per Response............  5 minutes..............................  5 minutes.                    
Estimated Annual Burden................  125,000 hours..........................  250,000 hours.                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(4) ADL: (Respondents--Claimants)
    ADL
    Number of Responses: 2,264,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 566,000 hours.
(5) Pain: (Respondents--Claimants)
    Number of Responses: 1,000,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Average Burden: 250,000 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: 
Frederick W. Brickenkamp, 6401 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. Medical Report (General)--0960-0052. The information on Form 
SSA-3826 is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to 
determine the claimant's physical status prior to making a disability 
determination and to document disability claims folders with the 
medical evidence. The respondents are physicians, hospitals, directors 
and medical records librarians.
    Number of Respondents: 750,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 375,000 hours.
    2. Payment of Certain Travel Expenses--0960-0434. SSA uses the 
information required by 20 CFR, Secs. 404.999(d) and 416.1499 to 
reimburse a claimant who has been required to travel over 75 miles to 
appear at a medical examination or a disability hearing. The 
respondents are claimants who travel more than 75 miles in order to 
attend a medical examination or a disability hearing.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333 hours.
    3. Social Security Request for Information--0960-0531. The 
information on Form SSA-6231 is used by SSA to complete or to clarify 
data on Forms SSA-623 or SSA-6230, previously provided by 
representative payees. The respondents are representative payees who 
furnished incomplete or unclear information.
    Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 25,000 hours.
    4. Statement Regarding Student's Attendance--0960-0113. The 
information on Form SSA-2434 is used to determine student entitlement 
status for the children of coal miners, the children of their widows or 
the brothers of deceased coal miners eligible for black lung benefits. 
The respondents are dependents of deceased coal miners as cited above, 
who are attending school and about to attain age 18.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8 hours.
    5. Request for the Correction of Earning Records--0960-0029. Form 
SSA-7008 is used by individual wage earners to request that SSA review, 
and if necessary, correct the Agency's master record of their earnings. 
The respondents are individuals who question SSA's record of their 
earnings.
    Number of Respondents: 375,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 62,500 hours.
    6. Plan for Achieving Self Support--0960-0559. The information on 
form SSA-545 is collected by SSA when a Supplemental Security Income 
(SSI) applicant/recipient desires to use available income and resources 
to obtain education and/or training in order to become self-supportive. 
The information is used to evaluate the recipient's plan for achieving 
self-support to determine whether the plan may be approved under the 
provisions of the SSI program. The respondents are SSI applicants/
recipients who are blind or disabled.
    Number of Respondents: 7,000.
    Frequency of Response: Varies per individual.
    Average Burden Per Response: 120 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11,000 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

[[Page 41614]]

Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 
20503
(SSA)
Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. Brickenkamp, 
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) 965-4145 or write to him at 
the address listed above.

    Dated: July 28, 1998.
Judith T. Hasche,
Deputy Office Director, OPUM, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-20658 Filed 8-3-98; 8:45 am]
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