[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34180-34181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9146]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request, 
Comment Request, Notice of Office of Management and Budget Approval

    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 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 thispublication. 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. Application for Widow's or Widower's Insurance Benefits--20 CFR 
404.335-404.338, 404.603--0960-0004. SSA uses the information collected 
on the SSA-10-BK to determine whether the applicant meets the statutory 
and regulatory conditions for entitlement to widow(er)'s Social 
Security Title II benefits. The respondents are applicants for widow's 
or widower's insurance benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                              Number of
            Collection method                respondents         Estimated completion time         Burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal Interview (Modernized Claims             324,482  14-15 minutes........................          78,416
 System).
Paper....................................          17,078  15 minutes...........................           4,270
                                          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals...............................         341,560  .....................................          82,686
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Waiver of Right to Appear-Disability Hearing--20 CFR 404.913-
404.914, 404.916(b)(5), 416.1413-416.1414, 416.1416(b)(5)--0960-0534. 
The SSA-773-U4 is used by claimants or their representatives to 
officially waive the right to appear at a disability hearing. The 
disability hearing officer uses the signed form as a basis for not 
holding a hearing and for preparing a written decision based solely on 
the evidence of the record. The respondents are claimants for 
disability under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act, or their 
representatives, who wish to officially waive their right to appear at 
a disability hearing.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10 hours.
    3. Childhood Disability Evaluation Form--20 CFR 416.924(g)--0960-
0568. The information collected on the SSA-538-F6 is used by SSA and 
the State Disability Determination Services (DDSs) to record medical 
and functional findings concerning the severity of impairments of 
children claiming Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits based on 
disability. The SSA-538-F6 is used for initial determinations of SSI 
eligibility; appeals; and in initial continuing disability reviews. The 
respondents are DDSs which make disability determinations on behalf of 
SSA under Title XVI of the Social Security Act.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 750,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 312,500 hours.
    4. Medical Consultant's Review of Physical Residual Functional 
Capacity Assessment--20 CFR 404.1545-.1546, 404.1640, 404.1643, 
404.1645, 416.945-.946--0960-0680. The SSA-392 is used by SSA's 
regional review component to facilitate the medical consultant's review 
of the Physical Residual Functional Capacity Assessment form (RFC). The 
SSA-392 records the reviewing medical consultant's assessment of the 
RFC prepared by the adjudicating component. The medical consultant only 
completes an SSA-392 when the adjudicating component's RFC is in the 
claims file. The SSA-392 is required for each RFC completed. 
Respondents are medical consultants who review the adjudicating 
component's completion of the RFC for quality purposes.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 256.
    Frequency of Response: 359.
    Number of Responses: 91,904.
    Average Burden per Response: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 18,380 hours.
    5. You Can Make Your Payment By Credit Card--0960-0462. The SSA-
4588 and SSA-4589 are used by SSA to update an individual's record to 
reflect that a payment has been made on their overpayment and to 
effectuate payment through the appropriate credit card company. The 
SSA-4588 is sent to

[[Page 34181]]

overpaid individuals with an initial notice of overpayment, and the 
SSA-4589 is sent to overpaid individuals who have been previously 
notified of their debt. The SSA-4588 is sent out only once to the 
debtor, with the official first notice of overpayment, while the SSA-
4589 is sent on a monthly basis until the debt is repaid. Respondents 
are Title II beneficiaries and Title XVI recipients who have 
outstanding overpayments.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,000 hours.
    6. Continuing Education Information Collection under Non-Attorney 
Demonstration Project--0960-NEW. Section 303 of the Social Security 
Protection Act of 2004 (SSPA) provides for a 5-year demonstration 
project to be conducted by SSA under which the direct payment of SSA 
approved fees is extended to certain non-attorney claimant 
representatives. Under the demonstration project, to be eligible for 
direct payment of fees, a non-attorney representative must fulfill a 
series of statutory requirements. One of these steps is to demonstrate 
completion of relevant continuing education courses. Through the 
services of a private contractor, SSA must collect the requested 
information to determine if a non-attorney representative has met this 
statutory requirement to be eligible for direct payment of fees for his 
or her claimant representation services. The information collection is 
needed to comply with the legislation. The respondents are non-attorney 
representatives who apply for direct payment of fees.
    Type of Request: Collection in use without OMB number.
    Number of Respondents: 300.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 150 hours.
    II. The information collection listed below has been submitted to 
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collection 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 package by 
calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-0454, or by 
writing to the address listed above.
    Instructions for Completion of Federal Assistance 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.
    Average Burden Per Response: 14 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11,200 hours.
    III. Notice of Office of Management and Budget Approval
    Administrative Review Process for Adjudicating Disability, Parts 
404, 405, 416 and 422. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, SSA 
is providing notice of the Office of Management and Budget's approval 
of the information collections contained in 20 CFR parts, 404, 416 and 
422. The OMB number for this collection is 0960-0710, expiring March 
31, 2009.

    Dated: June 6, 2006.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-9146 Filed 6-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P