[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51048-51049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21323]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Public Law 104-13, the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, SSA is providing notice of its information collections that 
require submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). SSA is 
soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate; 
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.
    I. The information collections listed below will be submitted to 
OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, comments 
and recommendations regarding the information collections would be most 
useful if received by the Agency within 60 days from the date of this 
publication. Comments should be directed to the SSA Reports Clearance 
Officer at the address listed at the end of this publication. You can 
obtain a copy of the collection instruments by calling the SSA Reports 
Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4145, or by writing to him at the 
address listed at the end of this publication.
    1. Representative Payee Report-Special Veterans Benefits--0960-
0621.
    The information collected on form SSA-2001 is used to determine 
whether payments certified to the representative payee have been used 
properly and whether the representative payee continues to demonstrate 
strong concern for the beneficiary's best interests. The form will be 
completed annually by all representative payees receiving special 
veterans benefits (SVB) payments on behalf of beneficiaries outside the 
United States. It will also be required at anytime SSA has reason to 
believe that the representative payee could be misusing the payments. 
Respondents are representative payees of veterans receiving SVB 
Payments under title VIII.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 33 hours.
    Background Information: In November 1999, Congress passed the 
Foster Care Independence Act, and on December 14, 1999, the President 
signed it into law (Pub. L. 106-169). An important part of this 
legislation, section 251, creates a new title VIII of the Social 
Security Act. Title VIII

[[Page 51049]]

provides for a program of special benefits for certain World War II 
veterans.
    As a part of the title VIII administration, Section 807(a) of P.L. 
106-169, also provides that, if the Social Security Administration 
determines that it is not in the best interest of the beneficiary to 
receive benefits directly, payments may be certified to a relative, 
another person or an organization interested in or concerned about the 
welfare of the beneficiary. These individuals or organizations are 
called representative payees.
    2. Annual Earning Test--Direct Mail Follow-up Program Notices--
0960-0369. In 1997, as part of the initiative to reinvent government, 
SSA began to use the information reported on W-2's and self-employment 
tax returns to adjust benefits under the earnings test rather than have 
beneficiaries make a separate report, which often showed the same 
information. As a result, Beneficiaries under full retirement age (FRA) 
complete forms SSA-L9778-SM-SUP, SSA-L9779-SM-SUP and SSA-L9781-SM 
under this information collection.
    With the passage of the ``Senior Citizen'' Freedom to Work Act of 
2000 the annual earnings test (AET) at FRA was eliminated. As a result 
SSA designed 2 new Midyear Mailer Forms SSA-L9784-SM and SSA-L9785-SM 
to request an earnings estimate (in the year of FRA) for the period 
prior to the month of FRA. Social Security benefits may be adjusted 
based on the information provided and this information is needed to 
comply with the law. Consequently, the Midyear Mailer program has 
become an even more important tool in helping SSA to ensure that Social 
Security payments are correct. Respondents are beneficiaries who must 
update their current year estimate of earnings, give SSA an estimate of 
earnings for the following year and an earnings estimate (in the year 
of FRA) for the period prior to the month of FRA.
    Number of Respondents: 225,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 37,500 hours.
    3. Student Statement Regarding School Attendance--0960-0105. The 
information collected on Form SSA-1372 is needed to determine whether 
children of an insured worker are eligible for benefits as a student. 
The respondents are student claimants for Social Security benefits and 
their respective schools.
    Number of respondents: 200,000.
    Number of Response: 1.
    Average burden per response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 33,333 hours.
    II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to 
OMB for clearance. Written comments and recommendations on the 
information collections would be most useful if received within 30 days 
from the date of this publication. Comments should be directed to the 
SSA Reports Clearance Officer and the OMB Desk Officer at the addresses 
listed at the end of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB 
clearance packages by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on 
(410) 965-4145, or by writing to him.
    1. Subpart T--State Supplementation Provisions; Agreement; 
Payments, 20 CFR 416.2099--0960-0240. Section 1618 of the Social 
Security Act contains pass-along provisions of the Social Security 
amendments. These provisions require States that supplement the Federal 
SSI benefits pass along Federal cost-of-living increases to individuals 
who are eligible for State supplementary payments. If a State fails to 
keep payments at the required level, it becomes ineligible for Medicaid 
reimbursement under title XIX of the Social Security Act. Regulation at 
20 CFR 416.2099 requires the States to report mandatory minimum and 
optional supplementary payment data to SSA. The information is used to 
determine compliance with the law and regulations. The respondents are 
States that supplement Federal SSI payments.
    Number of respondents: 26.
    Number of Responses: 15 states report quarterly, 11 states report 
annually.
    Average burden per response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 71 hours.
    2. Application for Search of Census Records for Proof of Age--0960-
0097. The information collected on Form SSA-1535-U3 is required to 
provide the Census Bureau with sufficient identifying information, 
which will allow an accurate search of census records to establish 
proof of age for an individual applying for Social Security Benefits. 
It is used for individuals who must establish age as a factor of 
entitlement. The respondents are individuals applying for Social 
Security Benefits.
    Number of respondents: 18,000.
    Number of Response: 1.
    Average burden per response: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,600.

(SSA Address) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. 
Brickenkamp, 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, 
MD 21235
(OMB Address) Office of Management and Budget, OIRA, Attn: Desk Officer 
for SSA, New Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW., 
Washington, DC 20503

    Dated: August 16, 2000.
Nicholas E. Tagliareni,
Director, Center for Publications Management, Social Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-21323 Filed 8-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4190-29-U