[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 190 (Monday, October 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58041-58043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16171]


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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

[[Page 58042]]

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. Certification of Period of Temporary Institutionalization and 
Need to Maintain Home--20 CFR 416.212(b)(1)--0960-0516. SSA is required 
by law to collect the information necessary to establish eligibility 
for continued Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 
temporarily institutionalized individuals. Sections 1611(e)(1)(G)&(H) 
of the Social Security Act require the Commissioner to establish 
procedures for determining that a physician has certified that the 
period of confinement is not likely to exceed 3 months, and for 
determining that the recipient needs to continue to maintain and 
provide for the expense of a home or living arrangement.
    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.
    2. Representative Payee Report--20 CFR 404.2035, 404.2065, 416.635, 
and 416.665--0960-0068. SSA uses forms SSA-623 and SSA-6230 to 
determine if (1) payments sent to individual representative payees have 
been used for Social Security beneficiaries' current maintenance and 
personal needs and (2) the representative payee continues to be a 
capable representative concerned with the beneficiary's welfare. The 
respondents are individual representative payees for recipients of 
Social Security benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision to an OMB-approved information collection
    Number of Respondents: 5,500,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,375,000 hours.
    3. Representative Payee Report--20 CFR 404.265 and 416.665--0960-
0691. Form SSA-6234 is used to collect information from organizational 
representative payees, such as institutions, to determine if (1) 
payments sent to these representative payees have been used for Social 
Security beneficiaries' current maintenance and personal needs; (2) the 
representative payees continue to be capable representatives concerned 
with beneficiaries' welfare; and (3) the representative payee 
organization is charging the beneficiary a fee, and if so, the amount 
of the fee. The respondents are organizational representative payees.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 750,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 187,500.
    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. Annual Earnings Test Direct Mail Follow-Up Program Notices--20 
CFR 404.452-404.455--0960-0369. The Mid-Year Mailer (MYM) is used to 
ensure that Retirement Survivors Insurance (RSI) payments are correct. 
Beneficiaries under full retirement age (FRA) use Forms SSA-L9778, 
L9779, and L9781 to update their current year estimate and their 
estimate for the following year. MYM Forms SSA-L9784 and L9785 are 
designed to request earnings estimates in the year of FRA for the 
period prior to the month of FRA. Only one individually tailored Form 
is sent per respondent. Respondents are RSI beneficiaries with earnings 
over the exempt amount.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 225,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 37,500 hours.
    2. Internet Request for Replacement of Forms SSA-1099/SSA-1042S--20 
CFR 401.45--0960-0583. The information collected will be used by SSA to 
verify identity and to provide replacement copies of Forms SSA-1099/
SSA-1042S needed to prepare Federal tax returns. This internet option 
to request a replacement SSA-1099/SSA-1042S will eliminate the need for 
a phone call to the national 800 number or a visit to a local field 
office. The respondents are beneficiaries who are requesting a 
replacement SSA-1099/SSA-1042S.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 21,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 1.5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 525 hours.
    3. SSA Survey of Online Services Internet Panel--0960-NEW. SSA 
plans to conduct an online panel survey with pre-retirement 
individuals. The survey will ask a number of questions about 
participants' experiences with SSA's Internet-based services. The 
results of the survey will be used to assess awareness of SSA Internet-
based services and to identify ways to increase awareness of these 
services in the pre-retirement population. The respondents are 
individuals ages 50-67 who are employed and who have agreed to be 
contacted via e-maill for online surveys.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 250 hours.
    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.

[[Page 58043]]

    Type of Request: New information collection.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated
        Method of information  collection           respondents      response        response     annual  burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
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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.

    Dated: September 26, 2006.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-16171 Filed 9-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P