[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 52 (Monday, March 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12076-12077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6234]



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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
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 Pub. 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 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, DC 20503.
    (SSA),Social Security Administration, DCFAM,Attn: SSA Reports 
Clearance Officer,1-A-21 Operations Bldg.,6401 Security 
Blvd.,Baltimore, MD 21235.
    I. The information collections listed below will be submitted to 
OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, your 
comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from the date of 
this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection instruments 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-0454, or by 
writing to her at the address listed above.

1. Government Pension Questionnaire--0960-0160

    The Social Security Act and Regulations provide that an individual 
receiving spouse's benefits and concurrently receiving a Government 
pension, based on the individual's own earnings, may have the Social 
Security benefit amount reduced by two-thirds of the pension amount. 
The data collected on Form SSA-3885 is used by the Social Security 
Administration (SSA) to determine if the individual's Social Security 
benefit will be reduced, the amount of reduction, the effective date of 
the reduction and if one of the exceptions in 20 CFR 404.408a applies. 
The respondents are individuals who are receiving (or will receive) 
Social Security spouse's benefits and also receive their own Government 
pension.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 12.5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,250 hours.

2. Application for Benefits Under a U.S. International Social 
Security Agreement--0960-0448

    The information collected on form SSA-2490 is used by SSA to 
determine a claimant's eligibility for U.S. Social Security benefits 
under the provisions of an international social security agreement. It 
is also used to take an application for benefits from a foreign country 
under an agreement. The respondents are individuals who are applying 
for benefits from either the United States and/or a foreign country 
with which the United States has an agreement. The United States 
currently has 17 such agreements.
    Number of Respondents: 22,000.
    Frequency of response: 1.
    Average Burden per response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11,000 hours.

3. Request for Workers' Compensation/Public Disability 
Information--0960-0098

    Form SSA-1709 is used by SSA to request and/or to verify 
information about worker's compensation or public disability benefits 
given to Social Security disability insurance benefit recipients so 
that their monthly benefit adjustments are properly made. The 
respondents are State and local governments and/or businesses that 
administer workers' compensation or other disability benefits.
    Number of Respondents: 140,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 35,000 hours.
    II. 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-
0454, or by writing to her at the address listed above.

1. Authorization To Obtain Earnings Data From the Social Security 
Administration--0960-0602

    The information requested on Form SSA-581 is necessary for 
identification of the earnings record, verification of the signature 
authorizing access to the earnings record and for disposition of the 
response. The respondents are individuals and various private/public 
organizations/agencies that need detailed earnings information.
    Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,000 hours.

2. Statement Regarding Contributions--0960-0020

    Form SSA-783 is used to make a determination and obtain information 
about the source of support for a child applicant who must meet a 
dependency requirement for entitlement to benefits. The respondents are 
persons giving information about a child's sources of support for 
entitlement to child's benefits.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 17 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,500 hours.

3. Online Authentication Information Collection Form--TEST--0960--
NEW

Background

    The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998 directed 
federal agencies to develop electronic service delivery instruments as 
an alternative to traditional paper based methods. The Social Security 
Administration plans to expand its Internet services to enable citizens 
to complete the application process as well as to process their 
requests for post-entitlement transactions online. A major requirement 
for filing applications and for processing transactional requests is 
SSA's ability to adequately authenticate the citizen. SSA cannot 
disclose information unless it is under the provisions of the Freedom 
of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Because these 
transactions will be taking place online, SSA must authenticate 
citizens by asking for information that would positively identify the 
requester of the information as the proper party. This information will 
be validated against identifying information residing in databases 
outside of SSA. SSA will conduct a test of the Treasury Department's 
``Pay.Gov'' authentication engine as a possible tool for out-of-band 
authentication.

The Collection

    The Social Security Administration will use the data collected on 
the Online

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Authentication Information Collection Form--TEST, to evaluate the 
Treasury Department's Pay.Gov authentication engine as a possible tool 
for SSA to validate out-of-band online applicants. The respondents for 
this test are members of the general public who elect to complete the 
form for testing.
    Number of Respondents: 161.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 13 hours.

    Dated: March 11, 2002.
Liz Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-6234 Filed 3-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-U