[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 150 (Monday, August 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43674-43676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15152]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, faxed or emailed 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, E-mail address: [email protected].
    (SSA), Social Security Administration, DCBFM, Attn: Reports 
Clearance Officer, 1333 Annex Building,

[[Page 43675]]

 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 410-965-6400, E-mail 
address: [email protected].
    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. Travel Expense Reimbursement--20 CFR 404.999(d) and 416.1499--
0960-0434. The Social Security Act provides for travel expense 
reimbursement by the State agency or Federal agency for claimant travel 
incidental to medical examinations and to parties, their 
representatives, and all reasonably necessary witnesses. Reimbursement 
is applicable to travel exceeding 75 miles to attend medical 
examinations, reconsideration interviews and proceedings before an 
administrative law judge. Reimbursement procedures require the claimant 
to provide (1) A list of expenses incurred, and (2) receipts of such 
expense. State and Federal personnel review the listings and receipts 
to verify the amount to be reimbursed to the claimant. The respondents 
are claimants for Title II benefits and Title XVI payments.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333 hours.
    2. Disability Hearing Officer's Report of Disability Hearing--20 
CFR 404.917, 416.1407, 416.1417--0960-0440. Form SSA-1205-BK is used by 
the Disability Hearing Officer conducting the disability interview in 
preparation for a written reconsidered determination--specifically for 
evaluating Title II and Title XVI adult disability claims. The form 
provides the framework for addressing crucial elements in the case and 
is used in formulating the completed official document of the decision. 
Respondents are Disability Hearing Officers.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 35,600.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 35,600 hours.
    3. Beneficiary Recontact Report--20 CFR 404.703 and 404.705--0960-
0536. SSA needs to ensure that eligibility for benefits continues after 
entitlement is established. Studies show that payees of children who 
marry fail to report the marriage, which is a terminating event. SSA 
asks children ages 15, 16, and 17 information about marital status to 
detect overpayments and avoid continuing payment to those no longer 
entitled. Form SSA-1587-OCR-SM is used to obtain information regarding 
marital status from those children who have representative payees. 
Respondents are recipients of survivor mother/father Social Security 
benefits who have representative payees.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 982,357.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 49,118 hours.
    4. Certificate of Coverage Request--20 CFR 404.1913--0960-0554. The 
United States has Social Security agreements with 21 countries. These 
agreements eliminate double Social Security coverage and taxation 
where, except for the provisions of the agreement, a period of work 
would be subject to coverage and taxes in both countries. The 
individual agreements contain rules for determining the country under 
whose laws the period of work will be covered and to whose system taxes 
will be paid. The agreements further provide that, upon the request of 
the worker or employer, the country under whose system the period of 
work is covered will issue a certificate of coverage. The certificate 
serves as proof of exemption from coverage and taxation under the 
system of the other country. The information collected is needed to 
determine if a period of work is covered by the U.S. Social Security 
system under an agreement and to issue a U.S. certificate of coverage. 
Respondents are workers and employers wishing to establish exemption 
from foreign social security taxes.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 25,000 hours.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Average burden
               Type of respondent                    Number of     Frequency of    per response    Total annual
                                                    respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals.....................................          30,000               1              30          15,000
Private Sector..................................          20,000               1              30          10,000
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          50,000  ..............  ..............          25,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5. Race & Ethnicity Qualitative Research--0960-NEW.

Collection Background

    Currently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not have a 
reliable, statistically valid means of capturing race/ethnicity data in 
our core business processes. While race/ethnicity data is collected on 
the Form SS-5, Application for Social Security Card, it is not provided 
to SSA through other means of enumerating individuals; e.g., the 
Enumeration at Birth and Enumeration at Entry processes. Consequently, 
we intend to collect this information in other SSA application 
processes.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandated that Federal 
agencies collecting race and ethnicity information must use consistent 
standards established by OMB. Adding race/ethnicity as questions to 
SSA's applications for benefits will enable SSA to improve its 
administrative data.

Race & Ethnicity Qualitative Research

    Before SSA collects race/ethnicity data, we plan to conduct several 
voluntary focus groups with members of the public to assess their 
opinions, reactions and recommendations on a proposed form that will be 
used to collect the information. The questions and race and ethnicity 
categories will follow the standards developed by OMB. The information 
from this research will be used to develop a comprehensive collection 
form. The respondents are members of the public

[[Page 43676]]

who volunteer to participate in the RECS questions focus groups.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 96 (8 focus groups, 12 participants).
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 90 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 144 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 Officer at 410-965-0454, 
or by writing to the address listed above.
    1. Child Care Dropout Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.211(e)(4)--0960-
0474. Information colleted on this form is used by SSA to determine if 
an individual qualifies for a child care exclusion in computing the 
individual's disability benefit amount. Respondents are applicants for 
disability benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 167 hours.

    Dated: July 30, 2007.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
 [FR Doc. E7-15152 Filed 8-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P