[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 48 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12765-12767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2289]


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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 Public Law 
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, approval of existing 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, Fax: 202-395-6974. 
(SSA), Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1333 Amex 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. Request for Workers' Compensation/Public Disability Benefit 
Information--20 CFR 404.408(e)--0960-0098. Section 224 of the Social 
Security Act provides for an offset of disability insurance benefits 
when workers' compensation (WC) or public disability benefits (PDB) is 
also being received. The SSA-1709 is used to request and/or verify 
information regarding WC/PDB given to Social Security disability 
recipients so that the proper adjustment is made to their monthly 
benefits. The respondents are Federal, State, and local agencies 
administering WC/PDB, insurance carriers, and public or private self-
insured companies.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 120,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 30,000 hours.
    2. Request for Reconsideration--20 CFR 404.907-404.921, 416.1407-
416.1421--0960-0622. The information collected on Form SSA-561-U2 is 
used by SSA to document and initiate the reconsideration process for 
determining entitlement to Social Security benefits (Title II), 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments (Title XVI), and Special 
Veterans Benefits (Title VIII). The respondents are individuals filing 
for reconsideration.

[[Page 12766]]

    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 1,455,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 8 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 194,000 hours.
    3. Statement of Employer--20 CFR 404.801-803--0960-0030. The 
information collected on Form SSA-7011-F4 is needed to substantiate 
allegations of wages paid to workers when wages do not appear in SSA's 
records of earnings and the worker has no proof of said earnings. SSA 
can use the information to process claims for benefits and resolve 
discrepancies in the worker's earnings record. The respondents are 
certain employers who can verify wage allegations made by the wage 
earner.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 925,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 308,333 hours.
    4. Claimant Statement About Loan of Food or Shelter; Statement 
About Food or Shelter Provided to Another--20 CFR 416.1130-416.1148--
0960-0529. Forms SSA-5062 and SSA-L5063 are used to obtain statements 
about food and/or shelter provided to an SSI claimant or recipient. SSA 
uses this information to determine whether food and/or shelter are bona 
fide loans or should be counted as income for SSI purposes. This 
determination can affect eligibility for SSI and the amount of SSI 
benefits payable. The respondents are claimants/recipients for SSI 
benefits and individuals that provide loans of food and/or shelter to 
SSI claimants/recipients.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 131,080.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 21,847 hours.
    5. Instructions for Completion of Federal Assistant Application--
0960-0184.
    The information on Form SSA-96 will be used to assist SSA 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: 400.
    Frequency of Response: 2 hours.
    Average Burden per Response: 14 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11,200 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 Office at 410-965-0454, 
or by writing to the address listed above.
    1. Permanent Residence Under Color of the Law (PRUCOL)--20 CFR 
416.1615 and 416.1618--0960-0451. Under Public Law 104-193, which was 
effective August 22, 1996, a non-citizen must be a ``qualified alien'' 
and meet certain additional requirements in order to be eligible for 
Supplemental Security income (SSI). This law also established an 
exception to the new requirements for certain ``nonqualified aliens'' 
(i.e., non-citizens who are not qualified aliens). Nonqualified aliens 
who were receiving SSI on August 22, 1996 were allowed to remain on the 
rolls until September 30, 1997, at which time benefits would be 
suspended if the aliens had not acquired alien status. Public Law 105-
33 extended the suspension date to September 30, 1998. Public Law 105-
306, enacted October 28, 1998, provided that nonqualified aliens who 
were receiving SSI on Ausut 22, 1996 would remain eligible for SSI 
after September 30, 1998 provided all other requirements for 
eligibility 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.
    As discussed in SSA regulations at 20 CFR 416.1615 and 416.1618, a 
PRUCOL alien must present evidence of his/her alien status at 
application and periodically thereafter as part of the eligibility 
determination process for SSI. SSA verifies the validity of the 
evidence of PRUCOL for grandfathered nonqualified aliens with the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Based on the DHS response, SSA 
will determine whether the individual is PRUCOL. Without this 
information, SSA would not be able to determine whether the individual 
is eligible for SSI payments. The respondents are individuals who have 
alien status and live in the United States.
    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.
    2. Request for Evidence from Doctor or Hospital--20 CFR 404.1512, 
404.1513(a), (b) & (e), 404.1514, 416.912, 416.913(a), (b) & (e), 
41694--0960-NEW. Claimants are required to provide medical evidence of 
their impairments(s) in pursuing a disability claim. SSA uses the forms 
listed below to request medical evidence from sources (doctors and 
hospitals) where the claimant has been treated, see or otherwise 
evaluated. Respondents are doctors and hospitals where the claimant has 
been evaluated.
    Type of Request: Collection in Use Without OMB Number.

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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of     Frequency of      Number of      burden per       Estimated
            Form type               respondents      response        responses       response      annual burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
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Request for Evidence from a               10,000              20         200,000              15          50,000
 Doctor (J1)....................
Request for Evidence from a               10,000              20         200,000              15          50,000
 Hospital (J2)..................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................          20,000  ..............         400,000  ..............         100,000
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[[Page 12767]]

    Estimated Annual Burden: 1000,000 hours.
    3. Request for School Records--20 CFR Part 416, Subpart I, 416906, 
416.913, 416.946, 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1--0960-NEW. School records 
are pertinent evidence in a childhood claim for disability benefits. 
ALJs send a letter to schools which the claimant has attended 
requesting the claimant's school records. These records are evaluated 
for evidence relative to the claimant's impairments or ability to do 
age-appropriate activities. Respondents are the school(s) which the 
claimant has attended.
    Type of Request: Collection in Use Without OMB Number.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Frequency of Response: 6.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 30,000 hours.
    4. Homeless Outreach Project and Evaluation (HOPE)--0960-0704.

Background

    Congress passed the McKinney Act of 1987 in recognition of an in an 
effort to address situations and conditions facing people without 
permanent shelter. The Act funded 15 emergency services and nine 
individual titles to authorize the provision of specific programs by 
Federal agencies. The Act also established the Interagency Council on 
Homelessness (ICH) composed of leaders from 15 Federal agencies who are 
in charge of coordinating efforts to assist people who are homeless. 
During the past decade, SSA and other ICH agencies have compiled 
important data about people who are homeless and have carried out 
evaluations of services which have generated evidence about ``best'' or 
``promising practices'' well suited to combating homelessness.
    In fiscal year 2003, President George W. Bush announced an 
initiative to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. As a result, SSA 
developed Project HOPE and in May 2004 awarded34 Cooperative Agreements 
to organizations which provide outreach, support services and benefit 
application assistance to the chronically homeless and other 
underserved populations. An additional 7 cooperative agreements were 
awarded in November 2004 for a total of 41. The goal of Project HOPE is 
to improve both the quantity and quality of applications for disability 
benefits. Project HOPE gives focused support to Cooperative (co-op) 
awardees via a training program and ongoing technical assistance.

Evaluation of Project HOPE

    SSA uses the project HOPE evaluation to determine the effectiveness 
and the efficiency of the program. To obtain the information needed for 
the evaluation, SSA has developed an interactive Web site that is used 
by co-op awardees to input client and program data, and by SSA to 
communicate project-wide announcements to the awardees. The respondents 
are HOPE grantees/non-profit social services organizations serving 
people who are homeless and disabled.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 41.
    Frequency of Response: 12.
    Average Burden per Response: 65 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 533 hours.

    Dated: March 6, 2006.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-2289 Filed 3-10-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-M