[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8331-8333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1450]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed 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, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 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 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, 
Fax: 202-395-6974.
    (SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports 
Clearance Officer, 1333 Annex Building, 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. Claimant's Recent Medical Treatment--20 CFR 404.1512 & 416.912--
0960-0292. The information collected on Form HA-4631 is used to 
facilitate processing an applicant's old age, survivors, and disability 
insurance (Title II) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI; Title XVI) 
claims. The form elicits from the claimant an updated list of medical 
treatment. This enables the Administrative Law Judge hearing the case, 
to fully inquire into past and current medical treatment the claimant 
received/receives and the effect on the claimant's physical and mental 
status. The respondents are applicants for Title II and Title XVI 
benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 320,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 53,333 hours.
    2. The Mental Health Treatment Study (MHTS)--0960--NEW.

Background

    As a result of advances in medical treatment, assistive devices, 
changes in the way those with disabilities are viewed, and legislation 
designed to assure access to employment, SSA is taking on an 
increasingly active role in assisting beneficiaries who want to return 
to work. As a result, SSA plans to develop the MHTS under Section 234 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 434), which gives the 
Commissioner of

[[Page 8332]]

Social Security the authority to carry out experiments and 
demonstration projects designed to determine the relative advantages 
and disadvantages of interventions that facilitate a beneficiary's 
return to work. Part of the agency's role involves finding ways to 
promote work and increase independence among disability beneficiaries.
    SSA received additional support for this study in February 2001, 
through President Bush's New Freedom Initiative--a comprehensive 
program whose primary goal is to promote the full participation of 
individuals with disabilities in all areas of society. The aim of the 
Initiative is to help Americans with disabilities by increasing their 
access to effective technologies, expanding educational opportunities, 
increasing the ability of Americans with disabilities to integrate into 
the workforce, and promoting increased access into daily community 
life. This initiative provided SSA with the support necessary to 
address the need to expand educational and employment opportunities for 
beneficiaries in an effort to provide supports and services that will 
enable them to maximize their self-sufficiency and potentially enter or 
reenter the workforce.

MHTS Collection

    The MHTS is a randomized study designed to test the degree to which 
eliminating programmatic work disincentives, establishing an accurate 
diagnosis and delivering appropriate mental health and supported 
employment will lead to improved functioning and competitive employment 
among Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with a 
primary impairment of schizophrenia or affective disorder. Study 
outcomes will assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of the 
intervention, including identification of specific factors within the 
interventions that result in positive employment outcomes. This 
information will enable SSA to further develop ways to improve services 
to current and future beneficiaries. The information will also be used 
to guide any potential changes to program rules to allow for better 
coordination among other Federal and State programs. Interested 
beneficiaries will be initially screened to confirm their ability to 
participate in the study. The actual study is scheduled to be conducted 
over a 2-year period with initial measurement through a baseline 
survey, followed by quarterly progress surveys and a final follow-up 
survey. For study purposes, participants will be divided into two 
groups: (A) Treatment Group and (B) Control Group. The respondents to 
the study are SSDI beneficiaries who meet the study criteria and elect 
to participate.
    Type of Request: New information collection.

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                                                                                                        Total
                                               Total                                     Frequency      annual
               Questionnaire                 number of        Burden per response       of response     burden
                                            respondents                                                 hours
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Screener..................................        3,050  4 minutes....................            1          203
-------------------------------------------
 
                                             Treatment Group Surveys
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Baseline..................................        1,500  30 minutes...................            1          750
Quarterly.................................        1,500  25 minutes...................            7        4,375
Follow-up.................................        1,500  20 minutes...................            1          500
                                                                                                    ------------
    Total.................................  ...........  .............................  ...........        5,625
-------------------------------------------
 
                                              Control Group Surveys
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Baseline..................................        1,500  30 minutes...................            1          750
Quarterly.................................        1,500  10 minutes...................            7        1,750
Follow-up.................................        1,500  20 minutes...................            1          500
                                                                                                    ------------
    Total.................................  ...........  .............................  ...........        3,000
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             Total Estimated Burden for All Study Activities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Total
                                    Number of    Number of      annual
           Participant             respondents  surveys per     burden
                                                 respondent     hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screener Survey..................        3,050            1          203
Treatment Group (T)..............        1,500            9        5,625
Control Group (C)................        1,500            9        3,000
                                  -------------             ------------
    Total........................        6,050  ...........        8,828
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
    1. Partnership Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.1080-.1082--0960-0025. 
Form SSA-7104 is used to establish several aspects of eligibility for 
Social Security benefits, including the accuracy of reported 
partnership earnings, the accuracy of retirement allegations, and lag 
earnings where they are needed for insured status. The respondents are 
applicants for Social Security Old Age, Survivors, and Disability 
Insurance Benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 12,350.

[[Page 8333]]

    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,175 hours.
    2. Letter to Employer Requesting Information about Wages Earned by 
a Beneficiary--20 CFR 404.703 and 404.801--0960-0034. Form SSA-L725 is 
used by SSA to establish the exact wages earned by a Social Security 
beneficiary in situations where SSA has incomplete or questionable wage 
data. In turn, this information is used to determine if the 
beneficiary's current SSA payments are accurate. The respondents are 
employers of wage earners whose earnings records are incomplete or have 
been questioned.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 150,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 40 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 100,000 hours.
    3. Statement of Living Arrangements, In-Kind Support and 
Maintenance--20 CFR, 416.1130-.1148--0960-0174. Form SSA-8006 provides 
a national uniform vehicle for collecting information from SSI 
applicants and recipients about whether they receive income from in-
kind support and maintenance. Responses are used to determine 
eligibility for SSI benefits. The respondents are individuals applying 
for SSI or those whose eligibility is being reevaluated.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 173,380.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 7 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 20,228 hours.
    4. Supplemental Security Income-Quality Review Case Analysis--20 
CFR 416.1103(f)--0960-0133. Form SSA-8508-BK is used in a personal 
interview with a sample of SSI recipients and covers all elements of 
SSI eligibility. The information is used to assess the effectiveness of 
SSI policies and procedures and to determine payment accuracy rates. 
The respondents are SSI recipients.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 4,500.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 4,500 hours.
    5. 20 CFR 429, Subpart 100, Filing Claims Under the Federal Tort 
Claims Act--20 CFR 429.101-429.110--0960-0667. SSA uses the information 
collected to investigate and determine whether to make an award, 
compromise, or settlement under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The 
information is only used by those Agency employees who need the 
information in the scope of their official duties. The respondents are 
individuals/entities making a claim under the FTCA.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                                 Annual     Frequency    burden per     annual
                           Section                             number of   of response    response      burden
                                                               responses                 (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
429.102; 429.103............................................            1            1            1            1
429.104(a)..................................................           30            1            5            3
429.104(b)..................................................           25            1            5            2
429.104(c)..................................................            2            1            5            1
429.106(b)..................................................           10            1           10            2
                                                             -------------                          ------------
    Totals..................................................           68  ...........  ...........            9
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    Dated: February 8, 2006.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-1450 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P