[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 146 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43270-43274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12255]


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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, 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 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. Employment Relationship Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.1007--0960-
0040. Form SSA-7160-F4 is used in developing the question of employer-
employee relationships, except where the worker is an officer of a 
corporation. This form gathers the information needed for developing 
the employment relationship, and determining whether a beneficiary is 
self-employed or an employee. Respondents are beneficiaries questioning 
their status as employees and employers.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 16,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,667 hours.
    2. State Supplementation Provisions: Agreement; Payments--20 CFR 
416.2095-416.2098, 416.2099--0960-0240. Section 1618 of the Social 
Security Act contains pass-along provisions of the Social Security 
amendments. These provisions require that States which supplement the 
Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments also pass along 
Federal cost-of-living increases to individuals who are eligible for 
State supplemental payments. If a State fails to keep payments at the 
required level, it becomes ineligible for Medicaid reimbursement under 
Title XIX of the Social Security Act. In order to make sure the States 
are keeping the payments, they submit their payment amounts to SSA. 
Seven of the participating States may use a total-expenditures method, 
in which they send their total expenditures to SSA four times per year 
to prove that they are maintaining the regulated cost-of-living 
increase. The remaining twenty three States send SSA one annual report 
which shows that they have maintained the cost-of-living increase as 
per the regulations. Respondents are State agencies administering 
supplemental programs.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 30.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency     Average       annual
                      Reporting method                        respondents  of response   burden per     burden
                                                                                          response      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Expenditures..........................................            7            4           60           28
Maintenance of Payment Levels...............................           23            1           60           23
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total...................................................           30  ...........  ...........           51
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Burden: 51 hours.
    3. Vocational Rehabilitation Provider Claim--20 CFR 404.2108(b), 
404.2117(c)(1) and (2), 404.2101(b) and (c), 404.2121(a), 416.2208(b), 
416.2217(c)(1) and (2), 416.2201(b) and (c), 416.2221(a)--0960-0310. 
SSA refers certain disability beneficiaries to State Vocational 
Rehabilitation (VR) agencies for vocational rehabilitation services. 
Under Social Security regulations, the State VR agencies must report 
certain information to SSA as follows:
    (a) The State VR agencies use the SSA-199 to make claims for 
reimbursement of the costs incurred from providing VR services for the 
beneficiaries. The information collected on the SSA-199 is used by SSA 
to determine whether or not, and how much, to pay the VR agencies under 
SSA's VR program (20 CFR 404.2108(b) and 416.2208(b).
    (b) SSA requires the VR agencies to certify their adherence to cost 
containment policies and procedures to ensure that the costs we 
reimburse are in accordance with these cost containment policies (20 
CFR 404.2117(c) and 416.2217(c).
    (c) SSA requires the VR agencies to prepare causality statements 
for validation review. This enables SSA to assess the appropriateness 
of its reimbursement policies, and when/where changes should be 
considered to ensure that maximum benefits from VR services are secured 
at the appropriate level of cost to the trust/general funds.
    Respondents are State VR agencies who offer Vocational and 
Employment services for SSA beneficiaries.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 80.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,320 hours.

[[Page 43271]]



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                                                                                                      Estimated
                                                  Number of    Frequency      Total       Average       annual
                  CFR sections                   respondents  of response   responses    burden per     burden
                                                                                          response      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) SSA-199, 404.2108(b) & 416.2208(b).........           80        * 160       12,800           23        4,907
(b) 404.2117(c) & 416.2217(c)..................           80         ** 1           80           60           80
(c) 404.2121(a) & 416.2221(a)..................           80         ** 3          240          100          400
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................           80  ...........       13,120  ...........        5,387
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* Each year.
** Per year.

    4. Medicare Part B Income-Related Premium--Life-Changing Event 
Form--0960-NEW. As per the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, 
beginning in January 2007 selected beneficiaries of Medicare Part B 
insurance will have to pay a new income-related monthly adjustment 
amount (IRMAA). The amount of the IRMAA is based on income tax return 
data obtained from the Internal Revenue Service. If affected Medicare 
Part B beneficiaries believe that more recent tax data should be used 
because a life-changing event has occurred that significantly reduces 
their income, they can report these changes to SSA and ask for a new 
initial determination of their IRMAA. SSA believes that most 
respondents will go to a field office and do this in person; however 
some respondents may choose to contact SSA by mail and they can use 
form SSA-44, the Medicare Part B Income-Related Premium--Life-Changing 
Event form. The respondents are Medicare Part B beneficiaries who want 
SSA to use more recent income data in determining the amount of their 
IRMAA.
    Type of Request: New information collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency    burden per     annual
              Method of information collection                respondents  of response    response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal Interview..........................................       68,490            1           60       68,490
Form........................................................        7,610            1           90       11,415
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total...................................................       76,100  ...........  ...........       79,905
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    Total Burden Hours: 79,905 hours.
    4. Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security 
(PABSS)--Program Performance Report--0960-NEW.

Background

    In August of 2004, SSA announced its intention to award grants to 
establish community-based protection and advocacy projects in every 
State and U.S. Territory, as authorized under section 1150 of the 
Social Security Act. Potential awardees were protection and advocacy 
organizations established under Title I of the Developmental 
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act which submitted a timely 
application conforming to the requirements in the notice. The projects 
funded under this grant are part of SSA's strategy to increase the 
number of beneficiaries who return to work and achieve self-sufficiency 
as the result of receiving advocacy or other services. The overall goal 
of the program is to provide information and advice about obtaining 
vocational rehabilitation and employment services and to provide 
advocacy or other services that a beneficiary with a disability may 
need to secure, maintain, or regain gainful employment.

Collection Activity

    The PABSS Program Performance Report collects statistical 
information from the various Protection and Advocacy (P&A) projects to 
manage program performance. SSA uses the information to evaluate the 
efficacy of the program and to ensure that those dollars appropriated 
for PABSS services are being spent on SSA beneficiaries. The project 
data will be valuable to SSA in its analysis of and future planning for 
the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI programs. The 
respondents to this collection are the 57 designated P&A project system 
sites in each of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, and the 
U.S. Territories.
    Type of Request: New information collection.

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                                                                                              Average    Estimated
                                                   Number of                 Frequency of   burden per     annual
              Title of collection                   annual      Respondents    response      response      burden
                                                                                              (hours)      hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------
PABSS Program Performance Report...............           57             2             1           114
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    5. Pilot Program for Participating in Administrative Law Judge 
Hearings by Using Privately Owned Video Teleconferencing (VTC) 
Equipment.

Background

    On February 3, 2003, the Commissioner of Social Security published 
a final rule allowing SSA to conduct hearings before administrative law 
judges (ALJs) at which a party or parties to the hearing and/or a 
witness or witnesses may appear before the ALJ by video 
teleconferencing (68 FR No. 22, 5210). In that final rule we noted that 
dialing into SSA's VTC network from private facilities, such as 
facilities owned by a law firm, could be possible at a future date. 
Appearances by video

[[Page 43272]]

teleconference are also central to the rules for the new disability 
determination process (final rule published March 31, 2006 71 FR No. 
62, 16423). Pursuant to these rules, SSA is now preparing to pilot a 
program wherein private representatives and their clients may appear at 
ALJ hearings using privately owned video equipment.

The VTC Activity

    SSA plans to expand its Video Teleconferencing program of 
Administrative Law Judge hearings by allowing these hearings to be 
conducted from private representative sites that have been certified by 
the agency. Representatives who are interested in participating in the 
pilot program or the permanent program will need to provide some basic 
information about their location, the area they serve and their 
expected workload. Because private video sites are being used, the 
pilot guidelines provide for site inspections, certain on-the-record 
certifications and other claimant safeguards to help ensure that no 
claimants are disadvantaged by participating in their hearing from a 
private site. Respondents to this collection will be the claimant's 
representatives who elect to participate in the pilot.
    The pilot is structured to begin with 10 private video sites 
expanding to 30 private sites after a six month evaluation period. 
There will be a second evaluation period after the 30 sites have 
operated for a six month period. SSA will then make final decisions 
regarding operating procedures for a permanent program.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Total Burden Hours for all Collections: 717 burden hours (shown 
below).

                                                     Phase-I
                                             [10 sites for 6 months]
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                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency    burden per     annual
                     Collection activity                      respondents  of response    response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expression of Interest/Initial Contact......................          100            1           15           25
Certifications Made in the Opening Statement of the Hearing.           10          100           10          167
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Totals..................................................          110  ...........  ...........          192
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                                                    Phase-II
                                             [30 sites for 6 months]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency     Average       annual
                     Collection activity                      respondents  of response   burden per     burden
                                                                                          response      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expression of Interest/Initial Contact......................          100            1           15           25
Certifications Made in the Opening Statement of the Hearing.           30          100           10          500
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Totals..................................................          130  ...........  ...........          525
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. Request for Reconsideration--Disability Cessation--20 CFR 
404.909, 416.1409--0960-0349. Form SSA-789-U4 is used by claimants to 
request reconsideration of a determination and to indicate whether or 
not they wish to appear at a disability hearing. This form can also be 
used to submit any additional information/evidence for use in the 
reconsidered determination and to indicate if an interpreter is needed 
for the hearing. SSA will use this information to either arrange for a 
hearing or to prepare a decision based on the evidence of record. The 
respondents are applicants or claimants for Social Security benefits or 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 49,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 13 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,617 hours.
    2. Psychiatric Review Technique--20 CFR 404.1520a, 416.920a--0960-
0413. Form SSA-2506-BK assists the State Disability Determination 
Services (DDSs) in evaluating mental impairments by helping to: 
organize and present the mental findings in a clear, concise and 
consistent manner; consider and evaluate all aspects of the mental 
impairment relevant to the individual's ability to perform work-related 
mental functions; and identify additional evidence needed to determine 
impairment severity. The respondents are the 52 State DDSs 
administering the Title II and Title XVI programs.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 52.
    Frequency of Response: 20,595.
    Total Annual Responses: 1,070,940.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 267,735 hours.
    3. Request for Internet Services-Password Authentication--20 CFR 
401.45--0960-0632. Password Authentication is used to establish a 
password process for verifying the identity of individuals who choose 
to use the Internet and Automated Telephone Response for conducting 
business with SSA. Services are password protected when it is necessary 
due to the nature of the information being transmitted or because the 
requestor requires a higher level of protection. The password process 
allows requestors to establish their identities with SSA and create a

[[Page 43273]]

password which they can then use to access their own personal 
information. The respondents are individuals electing to do business 
with SSA through an electronic medium.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 1,630,771.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 271,795 hours.
    4. Function Report--Adult--Third Party--20 CFR 404.1512, 416.912--
0960-0635. The information collected on the SSA-3380-BK is needed to 
make determinations on SSI and Social Security Disability (SSDI) 
claims. This information is necessary for case development and 
adjudication, and is used by State DDS evaluators as an evidentiary 
source used in the disability evaluation process. The respondents are 
third parties familiar with the functional limitations (or lack 
thereof) of claimants who apply for SSDI benefits and SSI payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,000,000 hours.
    5. Disability Hearing Officer's Decision--Title XVI Disabled Child 
(DC) Continuing Disability Review--20 CFR 404.913-.914, 404.917, 
416.994a, 416.1413-.1414, 416.1417--0960-0657. Form SSA-1209-BK is used 
by the disability hearing officer conducting the disability hearing to 
prepare and issue a written reconsidered determination--specifically 
for evaluating Title XVI childhood disability cases. The form provides 
the framework for addressing the crucial elements of the case in a 
sequential and logical fashion, and the completed form is the official 
document of the decision. Respondents are disability hearing officers 
in State DDSs.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 35,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 75 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 43,750 hours.
    6. Representative Payment Policies Regulation--20 CFR 404.2011, 
404.2025, 416.611, 416.625--0960-0679. In cases where SSA determines 
that it is not in a beneficiary's best interest to receive payments 
directly as it may cause substantial harm, the beneficiaries may 
dispute this decision. If they do, they provide SSA with information 
which SSA will take into consideration when reevaluating the decision. 
Representative payees must also provide SSA with information regarding 
their relationship, responsibility, and how payments were used for the 
beneficiary. Respondents are beneficiaries and representative payees.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 363 hours.

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                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency    burden per     annual
                         CFR section                          respondents  of response    response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
404.2011(a) (1), 416.611(a) (1).............................          250            1           15           63
404.2025, 416.625...........................................        3,000            1            6          300
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Totals..................................................        3,250  ...........  ...........          363
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    7. Statement of Reclamation Action--31 CFR 210--0960-NEW. Form SSA-
1713 collects information regarding whether, how and when a Canadian 
bank was able to return erroneous payments made after the death of a 
beneficiary who elected to have payments sent to Canada. The SSA-1713 
is sent with the SSA-1712, an SSA-generated cover sheet which provides 
the Canadian bank with information regarding the deceased beneficiary. 
In this way, SSA can reclaim funds which were erroneously paid. The 
respondents are Canadian financial institutions to which Social 
Security payments have been made.
    Type of Request: Existing Information Collection in Use Without an 
OMB Number.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1 hour.
    8. Statement for Determining Continuing Eligibility, Supplemental 
Security Income Payment--20 CFR, Subpart D, 416.204--0960-0145. SSA 
uses form SSA-8202-BK to conduct low- and middle-error-profile (LEP-
MEP) telephone or face-to-face redetermination (RZ) interviews with SSI 
recipients and representative payees. The information collected during 
the interview is used to determine whether SSI recipients have met and 
continue to meet all statutory and regulatory requirements for SSI 
eligibility and whether they have been, and are still receiving, the 
correct payment amount. Form SSA-8202-OCR-SM (Optical Character 
Recognition Self-Mailer) collects information similar to that collected 
on Form SSA-8202-BK. However, it is used exclusively in LEP RZ cases on 
a 6-year cycle.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved collection.

 
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                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency    burden per     annual
                            Forms                             respondents  of response    response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-8202-F6.................................................    1,000,000            1           21      350,000
SSA-8202-OCR-SM.............................................      700,000            1           11      128,333
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Totals..................................................    1,700,000  ...........  ...........      478,333
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 43274]]

    9. Statement for Determining Continuing Eligibility, Supplemental 
Security Income Payment(s)--20 CFR Subpart B, 416.204--0960-0416. SSA 
uses the information collected on form SSA-8203-BK for high-error-
profile (HEP) redeterminations of disability to determine whether SSI 
recipients have met and continue to meet all statutory and regulatory 
requirements for SSI eligibility and whether they have been, and are 
still receiving, the correct payment amount. The information is 
normally completed in field offices by personal contact (face-to-face 
or telephone interview) using the automated Modernized SSI Claim System 
(MSSICS). The respondents are recipients of Title XVI benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          Average     Estimated
                                                               Number of    Frequency    burden per     annual
                      Collection method                       respondents  of response    response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSICS.....................................................      109,012            1           20       36,337
MISSICS/Signature Proxy.....................................       36,338            1           19       11,507
Paper.......................................................       25,650            1           20        8,550
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Totals..................................................      171,000  ...........  ...........       56,394
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: July 26, 2006.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-12255 Filed 7-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P