[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19276-19277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9122]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that will require clearance by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with P.L. 104-13 
effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the information 
collection(s) should be submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA 
Reports Clearance Officer and at the following addresses: (OMB), Office 
of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New Executive 
Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20503; 
(SSA), Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. 
Brickenkamp 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 
21235.
    The information collections listed below have been submitted to OMB 
for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would be 
most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date 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 at the address listed above.
    1. Beneficiary Interview and Auditor's Observations Form-0960-0630. 
The information collected through the Beneficiary Interview and 
Auditor's Observations form, SSA-322, will be used by SSA's Office of 
the Inspector General to interview beneficiaries and/or their 
caregivers to determine whether representative payees are complying 
with their duties and responsibilities. Respondents to this collection 
will be randomly selected Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients 
and Social Security beneficiaries that have representative payees.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 50 hours.
    2. Pain Report--Child--0960-0540. The information collected on form 
SSA-3371-BK will be used to obtain the types of information specified 
in the regulations and to provide disability interviewers (and 
applicants/claimants in self-help situations) with a convenient means 
of recording the information obtained. This information is used by the 
State disability determination services (DDS) adjudicators and 
administrative law judges to assess the effects of symptoms on 
functionality for determining disability under the Social Security Act. 
The respondents are applicants for SSI benefits.
    Number of Respondents: 250,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 62,500 hours.
    3. Modified Benefit Formula Questionnaire--Foreign Pension--0960-
0561. The information collected on form SSA-308 is used by SSA to 
determine exactly how much (if any) of the foreign pension may be used 
to reduce the amount of the Social Security retirement or disability 
benefits under the modified benefit formula. The respondents are 
applicants for Social Security retirement/disability benefits.
    Number of Responses: 50,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333 hours.
    4. Physical Residual Functional Capacity Assessment; Mental 
Residual Functional Capacity Assessment--0960-0431. The information 
collected on form SSA-4734 is needed by SSA to assist in the 
adjudication of disability claims involving physical and/or mental 
impairments. The form assists the State DDS to evaluate impairment(s) 
by providing a standardized data collection format to present findings 
in a clear, concise and consistent manner. The respondents are State 
DDSs administering Social Security and SSI disability programs.
    Number of Responses: 1,130,772.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 376,924 hours.
    5. Earnings Record Information--0960-0505. The information on Form 
SSA-L3231-C1 is used by SSA to ensure that the proper person is 
credited with earnings reported for a minor under age 7. The 
respondents are businesses reporting earnings for children under age 7.
    Number of Respondents: 20,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,333 hours.
    6. Employer Verification of Earnings After Death--0960-0472. The 
information collected on Form SSA-L4112 is used by SSA to determine 
whether wages reported by an employer

[[Page 19277]]

are correct, when SSA records indicate that the wage earner is 
deceased. The respondents are employers who report wages for a deceased 
employee.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333 hours.
    7. Site Review Questionnaire for Volume Payees, SSA-637; Site 
Review Questionnaire for Fee-for Service Payees, SSA-638; Site Review--
Beneficiary Interview Form, SSA-639--0960-NEW. Titles II and XVI of the 
Social Security Act provide for the payment of Social Security and SSI 
benefits to a relative, another person, or an organization when the 
best interests of the beneficiary will be served. Social Security 
regulations outline the duties and responsibilities of representative 
payees and require a written report accounting for these benefits.
    To ensure that benefits are being used properly for beneficiaries, 
SSA will conduct triennial site reviews for fee-for-service payees and 
volume payees (organizations serving 100 or more beneficiaries). The 
reviews include a face-to-face meeting with the payee and appropriate 
staff and examination/verification of a sample of beneficiary records 
and supporting documentation, and may include beneficiary or custodian 
interviews. The information gathered using forms SSA-637, SSA-638 and 
SSA-639 will be used to ensure compliance with representative payment 
policies and procedures. It will enable SSA to identify poor payee 
performance and initiate corrective action as appropriate. The 
respondents are individuals who receive a fee for service, 
organizations serving as representative payees for 100 or more Social 
Security and SSI beneficiaries, and beneficiaries or custodians. 
Following is an estimate of the annual public reporting burden:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Fee-for-
                                         Volume  service  Beneficiaries/
                                         payees   payees    custodians
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of respondents..................     347      333       2,040
Frequency of response..................       1        1           1
Average burden per response (minutes)..      60       60          10
Estimated annual burden (hours)........     347      333         340
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    Dated: April 6, 2001.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-9122 Filed 4-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-U