[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 225 (Thursday, November 21, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70286-70289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29570]


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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. The 
information collection packages that may be included in this notice are 
for new information collections, revisions to OMB-approved information 
collections and extensions (no change) of OMB-approved information 
collections.
    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. The information can be mailed and/or faxed to the individuals 
at the addresses and fax numbers listed below:

(OMB), Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, 
DC 20503, Fax: 202-395-6974.
(SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1338 Annex Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, 
Fax: 410-965-6400.

    I. The information collections listed below are pending at SSA and 
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 the address listed above.
    1. Internet Social Security Disability Report-Child--20 CFR 
404.1512 and 416.912--0960-NEW. SSA is developing an Internet Social 
Security Disability Report--Child. This Internet application, I3820, 
will collect information about a child who is applying for disabled 
child's benefits. It will solicit the details of the child's condition, 
how the condition affects the child's day-to-day life, and his or her 
medical treatment sources and/or other medical sources of evidence. 
Respondents will provide information on the disabled child by 
completing a series of screens on a personal computer. The information 
will then be transmitted to SSA electronically. However, until such 
time as SSA develops an acceptable electronic signature process and 
implements a Disability Determination Services (DDS) electronic 
disability process, applicants will also print, sign and mail a text 
formatted summary of the answers given on I3820. They will also print, 
sign and mail copies of the medical release form (SSA-827). The 
information collected on I3820 will be used by the State DDS's to 
develop medical evidence and to assess the alleged disability. The 
respondents will be applicants for child's disability benefits who opt 
to file via the Internet.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 52,300.
    Frequency of Response: 1
    Average Burden Per Response: 2 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 104,600 Hours.

[[Page 70287]]

    2. Work Activity Report--Employee--0960-0059. Form SSA-821-BK 
collects information that determines whether individuals have worked in 
employment after becoming disabled and, if so, whether the work is 
substantial gainful activity. The data is reviewed and evaluated to 
determine if the recipient continues to meet the disability 
requirements of the law. The respondents are title II beneficiaries and 
title XVI recipients.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 300,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 45 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 225,000 hours.
    3. Permanent Residence Under Color of Law--20 CFR 416.1615 and 
416.1618-0960-0451. Under Public Law (Pub. L.) 104-193, effective 
August 22, 1996, a noncitizen must be a ``qualified alien'' and meet 
certain additional requirements in order to be eligible for SSI. This 
law also established an exception to the new requirements for certain 
``nonqualified aliens'' (i.e., noncitizens who are not qualified 
aliens) who were receiving SSI on August 22, 1996. The exception 
allowed nonqualified aliens to remain on the rolls until September 30, 
1997, at which time benefits would be suspended if the aliens had not 
acquired qualified alien status. Pub. L. 105-33 extended the suspension 
date to September 30, 1998 and Pub. L. 105-306, enacted October 28, 
1998, provided that nonqualified aliens who are receiving SSI on August 
22, 1996 would remain eligible after September 30, 1998 as long as 
other requirements were met (e.g., income and resources, etc.). SSI 
eligibility for this group of aliens, ``grandfathered nonqualified 
aliens,'' will continue to be determined based on the rules governing 
alien eligibility in effect prior to August 22, 1996, i.e., the PRUCOL 
standard. Under this standard, PRUCOL aliens must present evidence of 
their status to SSA at the time of application and periodically 
thereafter. SSA will verify the validity of the evidence of PRUCOL 
aliens with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Based on the 
INS response, SSA will determine whether the individual is eligible for 
SSI payments. The respondents are alien applicants for and recipients 
of SSI payments.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 9,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 750 hours.
    4. Instructions for Completion of Federal Assistance Application--
0960-0184.
    The information on Form SSA-96 will be used to assist the 
Commissioner in selecting grant proposals for funding based on their 
technical merits. The information will also assist in evaluating the 
soundness of the design of the proposed activities, the possibilities 
of obtaining productive results, the adequacy of resources to conduct 
the activities and the relationship to other similar activities that 
have been or are being conducted. The respondents are State and local 
Governments, State-designated protection and advocacy groups, colleges 
and universities and profit and nonprofit private organizations.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency of Response: 8.
    Average Burden Per Response: 14 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 22,400 hours.
    5. Certificate of Election for Reduced Spouse's Benefits--0960-
0398. SSA uses the information on the certificate of election, 
collected on form SSA-25, as the spouse's request for reduced benefits 
for the month of filing, and for months preceding the month of filing, 
as designated by the spouse (but not to exceed 12 months). The spouse 
must file a certificate of election with SSA to elect reduced benefits, 
if an entitled spouse (age 62-64) no longer has an entitled child in 
care. The respondents are individuals or households.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,000 hours.
    6. Annual Registration Statement Identifying Separated Participants 
with Deferred Benefits, Schedule SSA--0960-0606. Schedule SSA is a form 
filed annually as part of a series of pension plan documents required 
by Section 6057 of the IRS Code. Administrators of pension benefit 
plans are required to report specific information on future plan 
benefits for those participants who left plan coverage during the year. 
SSA maintains the information until a claim for Social Security 
benefits has been approved. At that time, SSA notifies the beneficiary 
of his/her potential eligibility for payments from the private pension 
plan. The respondents are administrators of pension benefit plans or 
their service providers employed to prepare the Schedule SSA on behalf 
of the pension benefit plan. Below are the estimates of the cost and 
hour burdens for completing and filing Schedule SSA(s). We have used an 
average to estimate the hour burden. However, the burden may be greater 
or smaller depending on whether the respondent is a large or small 
pension benefit plan and how many Schedule SSA's are filed in a given 
year.
    Type of request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 88,000.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Average Burden Per Respondent: 2.5 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 220,000 hours.
    Estimated Annual Cost Burden for All Respondents: $12,194,400.
    7. Internet Report of Continuing Disability Interview--20 CFR 
404.1589 and 20 CFR 416.989--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. As a result, the 
Social Security Administration is actively expanding its Internet 
services to enable citizens to complete the application process as well 
as to process their requests for post-entitlement transactions online. 
One of the initiatives in this process is the development of the 
Internet version of the current paper-based form entitled Report of 
Continuing Disability Interview, SSA-454-BK, which is used by the 
agency in the continuing disability review (CDR) process.

The Collection

    SSA will use the Internet Report of Continuing Disability Interview 
(I454) to collect information from individuals receiving disability 
benefits or their representatives. The information collected will be 
used to determine whether a person who receives Social Security 
benefits and/or SSI, based on disability or blindness continues to be 
disabled. The report will update the record of the disabled individual, 
providing information on recent medical treatment, vocational and 
educational experiences, work activity and evaluations of the potential 
for return to work. On the basis of the responses, additional medical 
and other evidence is developed to assist SSA in determining whether 
their disability continues or has ended, and if so when

[[Page 70288]]

the disability ended. Respondents to I454 are disabled individuals 
scheduled for CDRs.
    Type of request: New information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 85,200.
    Frequency of Response: 1 per respondent.
    Average Burden Per Response: 120 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 170,400 hours.
    8. Integrated Registration for Employers and Submitters (IRES)--
0960-0626.
    The IRES authentication system is a free service designed to allow 
employers to access SSA's electronic wage reporting services, and to 
replace the use of a handwritten signature with an electronic 
signature. Employer representatives use an IRES generated PIN and 
password as their electronic signature. IRES was designed to be more 
efficient, reducing the costs to both employers and SSA, and will 
facilitate the filing of wage data electronically. SSA's paramount 
interest in the development of IRES was to ensure that the new 
electronic method of identifying wage report submitters provides the 
same security features as the current paper-based method. Security 
features include message integrity, originator authentication, non-
repudiation and confidentiality. The PIN and password will be issued to 
an individual designated by the employer after SSA authenticates the 
company and contact information provided by the individual. SSA uses 
the IRES in conjunction with SSA's wage reporting processes. It is used 
as the gateway for electronic wage reporting and the online employee 
verification service. IRES will also be used when SSA implements 
additional electronic services such as electronic notices and error 
information, and to authenticate representatives of organizational 
representative payees in a limited Proof of Concept study. Also, the 
PIN will be used in the Annual Wage Reporting diskette process to 
replace the signature on IRS paper form 6559. SSA has received approval 
from IRS to use an alternative signature. Respondents to IRES will be 
Employers and Submitters who utilize SSA's electronic wage reporting 
and online employee verification services.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 250,040.
    Number of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,335 hours.
    9. Report of New Information in Disability Cases--20 CFR 404.460, 
404.468, 404.408 & 404.1588--0960-0071. The information collected on 
Form SSA-612 is used to update the disability records of respondents, 
based on changes reported. The form is used to gather information on a 
number of topics that can affect the beneficiary's or the applicant's 
entitlement to disability benefits. This includes, but is not limited 
to, information about a return to work, improvement in the medical 
condition, workers' compensation settlements or representative payee 
issues. The respondents are applicants for and recipients of Title II 
disability benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 27,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,250 hours.
    10. Vocational Rehabilitation ``301'' Program Development--20 CFR, 
404.408, 404.460 & 404.468, Subpart E and 20 CFR, 404.1588, Subpart P--
0960-0282. SSA uses Form SSA-4290 to collect information to determine 
whether an individual, whose disability or blindness has ceased, is 
eligible for continued benefit payments because of participation in an 
approved program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment 
services or other support services. The respondents are State 
vocational rehabilitation agencies, other public or private providers 
of vocational rehabilitation services and employment services or other 
support services.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 8,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,000 hours.
    11. Statement for Determining Continuing Eligibility for 
Supplemental Security Income Payments--Adult, Form SSA-3988-TEST; 
Statement for Determining Continuing Eligibility for Supplemental 
Security Income Payments--Child, Form SSA-3989-TEST--20 CFR Subpart B--
416.204--0960-0643.

Background

    The Social Security Act mandates periodic redeterminations of the 
non-medical factors that relate to the SSI recipients' continuing 
eligibility for SSI payments. Recent SSA studies have indicated that as 
many as two-thirds of all scheduled redeterminations completed, with 
the assistance of a SSA employee, did not result in any change in 
circumstances that affected payment. Therefore, SSA is planning to 
increase the number of respondents and revise the test methodology of 
the currently approved test forms. The expansion of the test is needed 
to further validate whether the test redetermination process actually 
results in significant operational savings and a decrease in recipient 
inconvenience, while still timely obtaining the accurate data needed to 
determine continuing eligibility through the process.

The Collection

    A test of forms SSA-3988-TEST and SSA-3989-TEST will be used to 
determine whether SSI recipients have met and continue to meet all 
statutory and regulatory non-medical requirements for SSI eligibility, 
and whether they have been and are still receiving the correct payment 
amount. The SSA-3988-TEST and SSA-3989-TEST are designed as self-help 
forms that will be mailed to recipients or to their representative 
payees for completion and return to SSA. The objectives of the expanded 
test are to determine the public's ability to understand and accurately 
complete the test forms. The respondents are recipients of SSI benefits 
or their representatives. In addition, SSA wants to determine the 
public's ability to understand and accurately complete a supplemental 
SSA-3988, which will be directed to a sample of beneficiaries that 
continue to receive Medicaid, but whose earnings from work are too high 
to allow payment of SSI benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                               Average burden
                                             Respondents      Frequency of      per response    Estimated annual
                                                                response           (min.)        burden  (hours)
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SSA-3988-TEST...........................            46,500                 1                20            15,500
SSA-3988-SUP-TEST2......................             2,000                 1                21               700

[[Page 70289]]

 
SSA-3989-TEST...........................             8,500                 1                20             2,833
                                         -------------------
    Total burden........................  ................  ................  ................            19,033
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    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 at 410-965-0454, 
or by writing to the address listed above.
    Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security 
Administration--20 CFR Subpart O, 404.1512 and Subpart I, 416.912--
0960-0623. SSA must obtain sufficient medical evidence to make 
eligibility determinations for the Social Security disability benefits 
and SSI payments. For SSA to obtain medical evidence, an applicant must 
authorize his or her medical source(s) to release the information to 
SSA. The applicant may use one of the forms SSA-827, SSA-827 OP1 or 
SSA-827 OP2 to provide consent for the release of information. 
Generally, the State DDS completes the form(s) based on information 
provided by the applicant, and sends the form(s) to the designated 
medical source(s). The respondents are applicants for Social Security 
disability benefits and SSI payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 3,853,928.
    Frequency of Response: 4.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,569,285 hours.

    Dated: November 15, 2002.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-29570 Filed 11-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P