[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23764-23767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11715]


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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 requiring clearance by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Public Law (Pub. L.) 
104-13, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. 
This notice includes revisions and extensions of OMB-approved 
information collections and a new collection.
    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 ways to minimize the 
burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Mail, e-mail, or 
fax your comments and recommendations on the information collection(s) 
to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance Officer to the 
addresses or fax numbers shown 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,
1332 Annex Building,
6401 Security Blvd.,
Baltimore, MD 21235,
Fax: 410-965-6400,
E-mail address: [email protected].
    I. The information collection below is pending at SSA. SSA will 
submit it to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. To be 
sure we consider your comments, we must receive them no later than July 
20, 2009. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instrument by 
calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-3758 or by writing 
to the e-mail address we list above.
    1. Questionnaire about Special Veterans Benefits--0960-NEW. SSA 
will use the information collected on the SSA-2010 to determine 
continuing eligibility for Special Veterans Benefits and to determine 
how much (if any) of a foreign pension may be used to reduce or 
increase the amount of Social Security Special Veterans retirement 
benefits. The respondents will complete the SSA-2010 biannually so SSA 
can determine if benefits should be increased, decreased, suspended, or 
terminated, based on the data collected. The respondents are 
beneficiaries receiving Social Security Special Veterans retirement 
benefits.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2,500.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 833 hours.
    2. Request for Reconsideration--Disability Cessation--20 CFR 
404.909, 416.1409--0960-0349. Claimants or their representatives use 
Form SSA-789-U4 to request that SSA reconsider a determination and to 
indicate whether they wish to appear at a disability hearing. The 
claimants can also use this form to submit any additional information/
evidence for use in the reconsidered determination and to indicate if 
they will need an interpreter for the hearing. SSA will use the 
information on the completed form either to 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: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 13 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,500 hours.
    3. Function Report Adult--Third Party--20 CFR 404.1512 & 416.912--
0960-0635. Disability Determination Services (DDS) use the information 
from the SSA-3380-BK to determine eligibility for SSI and Social 
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims. The information is an 
evidentiary source DDSs evaluators use to determine eligibility for SSI 
and SSDI claims. The respondents are third parties familiar with the 
functional limitations (or lack thereof) of claimants who apply for 
Social Security benefits and SSI disability payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 23765]]



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                                                                                  Average burden     Estimated
                Respondent types                     Number of     Frequency of    per response    annual burden
                                                    respondents      response        (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals.....................................         500,000               1              61         508,333
Private Sector..................................         500,000               1              61         508,333
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................       1,000,000  ..............  ..............       1,016,666
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. Disability Hearing Officer's Decision--Title XVI Disabled Child 
Continuing Disability Review--20 CFR 404.913-404.914, 404.917, 
416.994a, 416.1413-416.1414, 416.1417--0960-0657. Disability Hearing 
Officers (DHO) use the SSA-1209-BK to prepare and issue the disability 
determination for Title XVI disabled child continuing disability 
reviews. The form provides the framework for addressing the crucial 
elements of the case in a sequential and logical fashion. The completed 
form is the official document of the decision. A copy becomes the 
personalized portion of the notice to the claimant/representative. The 
respondents are DHOs in State DDSs.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 267.
    Frequency of Response: 79.
    Total Number of Responses: 21,093.
    Average Burden per Response: 85 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 29,882 hours.
    5. Medical Consultant's Review of Mental Residual Functional 
Capacity Assessment--20 CFR 404.1520a, 404.1640, 404.1643, 404.1645, 
416.920a--0960-0678. SSA uses Form SSA-392-SUP to facilitate the 
medical/psychological consultant's review of the Mental Residual 
Functional Capacity Form, SSA-4734-SUP. The SSA-392-SUP records the 
reviewing medical/psychological consultant's assessment of the SSA-
4734-SUP. It also documents whether the reviewer agrees or disagrees 
with how the adjudicator completed the SSA-4734-SUP. Medical/
psychological consultants prepare the SSA-392-SUP for each SSA-4734-SUP 
an adjudicator completes. The respondents are medical/psychological 
consultants who conduct a quality review of adjudicating components' 
completion of SSA's medical assessment forms.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Responses: 45,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 9,000 hours.
    6. Representative Payment Policies Regulation--20 CFR 404.2011, 
404.2025, 416.611, 416.625--0960-0679. When SSA determines it is not in 
a beneficiary's best interest to receive payments directly, as it may 
cause substantial harm, the beneficiary may dispute SSA's decision. If 
the beneficiary disputes the decision, he or she provides SSA with 
information the agency will use to re-evaluate the decision. In 
addition, after SSA selects a representative payee, the payee must 
provide SSA information on his or her continuing relationship and 
responsibility for the beneficiary he or she represents and explain how 
he or she used the beneficiary's payments. Respondents are 
beneficiaries and representative payees.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                          Number of         Frequency of      Average burden    Estimated annual
             CFR section                 respondents          response         per response          burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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    7. Function Report Adult--20 CFR 404.1512 & 416.912--0960-0681. 
State DDSs use Form SSA-3373-BK to collect information about a 
disability applicant's or recipient's impairment-related limitations 
and ability to function. The information is an evidentiary source DDSs 
evaluators use to determine eligibility for SSI and SSDI claims. The 
respondents are Title II and Title XVI applicants (or current 
recipients undergoing redeterminations) for disability benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 4,005,367.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 61 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 4,072,123 hours.
    II. SSA has submitted the information collections we list below to 
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would 
be most useful if OMB and SSA receive them within 30 days from the date 
of this publication. To be sure we consider your comments, we must 
receive them no later than June 19, 2009. You can obtain a copy of the 
OMB clearance packages by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 
410-965-3758 or by writing to the above e-mail address.
    1. Surveys in Accordance with E.O. 12862 for the Social Security 
Administration--0960-0526. Under the auspices of E.O.12862, Setting 
Customer Service Standards, SSA conducts multiple customer satisfaction 
surveys each year. These voluntary customer satisfaction assessments 
include paper, Internet, and telephone surveys; mailed questionnaires, 
focus groups, and customer comment cards. The purpose of these 
questionnaires is to assess customer satisfaction with the timeliness, 
appropriateness, access, and overall quality of existing SSA services 
and proposed modifications/new versions of services. The respondents 
are recipients of SSA services (including most members of the public), 
professionals, and individuals who work on behalf of SSA beneficiaries.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 23766]]



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                                                                                                 Burden (burden
                                          Number of                                                 for all
                                         respondents        Frequency of         Range of      activities within
                                       (burden for all        response        response times       that year;
                                      activities within                         (minutes)         reported in
                                          that year)                                                 hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1 (June 2009-May 2010).........          1,400,001                  1               5-90            123,000
Year 2 (June 2010-May 2011).........          1,400,351                  1               5-90            123,058
Year 3 (June 2011-June 2012)........          1,400,001                  1               5-90            123,000
                                     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..........................          4,200,353  .................  .................            369,058
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    2. Youth Transition Process Demonstration Evaluation Data 
Collection--0960-0687.

Background

    The purpose of the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) project is 
to help young people with disabilities make the transition from school 
to work. While participating in the project, youth can continue to work 
and/or continue their education because SSA waives certain disability 
program rules and offers services to youth who are receiving disability 
benefits or have a high probability of receiving them. We are currently 
implementing YTD projects in eight sites across the country. The 
evaluation will produce empirical evidence on the effects of the 
waivers and project services including educational attainment, 
employment, earnings, and receipt of benefits by youth with 
disabilities, but also on the Social Security Trust Fund and Federal 
income tax revenues. This project is authorized by Sections 1110 and 
234 of the Social Security Act.

Project Description

    Given the importance of estimating YTD effects as accurately as 
possible, we will evaluate the project using rigorous analytic methods 
based on randomly assigning youth to a treatment or control group. We 
will conduct several data collections. These include (1) baseline 
interviews with youth and their parents or guardians prior to random 
assignment; (2) follow-up interviews at 12 and 36 months after random 
assignment; (3) interviews and/or roundtable discussions with local 
program administrators, program supervisors, and service delivery 
staff; and (4) focus groups of youths, their parents, and service 
providers. The respondents are youths with disabilities enrolled in the 
project; their parents or guardians; program staff; and service 
providers.
    Type of Request: Revision of an existing OMB Clearance.

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                                                                                                                      Average burden
            Data collection year                        Collection                Number of        Responses per       per response      Total response
                                                                                 respondents         respondent          (hours)         burden (hours)
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2009........................................  Baseline......................              1,895                  1               0.55              1,042
                                              Informed Consent..............              1,895                  1              0.083                157
                                              12 Month Follow-up............              1,518                  1               0.83              1,260
                                              In-depth Interviews...........                120                  1               0.42                 50
                                              Focus Group...................                150                  1                1.5                225
                                              Program Staff/Service Provider                 80                  1                  1                 80
                                              36 Month Follow-up............                364                  1               0.83                302
                                             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total 2009..............................  ..............................              6,022  .................  .................              3,116
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    3. The Mental Health Treatment Study (MHTS)--0960-0726.

Background

    Because of advances in medical treatment, assistive devices, 
changes in the way we view those with disabilities, and legislation 
designed to assure access to employment, SSA is taking on an 
increasingly active role in assisting Social Security disability 
beneficiaries who want to return to work. As a result, SSA developed 
the MHTS under Section 234 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 434), 
which gives the Commissioner of Social Security the authority to carry 
out experiments and demonstration projects designed to determine the 
relative advantages and disadvantages of interventions that facilitate 
a beneficiary's return to work. Part of the agency's role involves 
finding ways to promote work and increase independence among disability 
beneficiaries. SSA received additional support for this study in 
February 2001, through President Bush's New Freedom Initiative-a 
comprehensive program whose primary goal is to promote the full 
participation of individuals with disabilities in all areas of society. 
The aim of the initiative is to help Americans with disabilities by 
increasing their access to effective technologies, expanding 
educational opportunities, increasing the ability of Americans with 
disabilities to integrate into the workforce, and promoting increased 
access into daily community life. This initiative provided SSA with the 
support that will enable beneficiaries to maximize their self-
sufficiency and potentially enter or reenter the workforce.

MHTS Collection

    The MHTS implemented a randomized trial study that will evaluate 
the effect of the intervention on employment and functional outcomes 
for SSDI beneficiaries with a primary mental impairment of 
schizophrenia or affective disorder. SSA is currently implementing the 
MHTS in 22 demonstration sites across the United States, with one site 
having two locations. The study participants are SSDI beneficiaries 
with varying clinical and demographic characteristics, employment 
histories, and, sometimes, additional medical impairments. The study 
design has two arms: treatment (special services), and control (regular 
services) groups. SSA randomly assigned study participants to the 
treatment or control group. Each treatment or control recipient will 
participate for a total of 24 months following enrollment. The 
treatment intervention activities include the following: diagnostic 
psychiatric assessment, comprehensive medical

[[Page 23767]]

assessment, systematic medication management, supporting employment, 
individualized clinical treatment, supplemental health insurance, 
coordination and payment of recipients' claims, as well as quality 
assurance mechanisms and adherence to treatment guidelines, with 
subsequent training to improve deficiencies as identified.
    The comprehensive assessment of the MHTS outcomes will identify 
which, if any, of the interventions resulted in successful employment 
and functioning outcomes, and identify the characteristics of the 
interventions that contributed to the success. This information enables 
SSA to develop better ways to improve services to current and future 
recipients. SSA also uses this information to guide any potential 
changes to program rules to allow for better coordination among other 
Federal and state programs.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                     Number of                                      Burden per
          Questionnaire             respondents    Frequency of      Number of       response      Total annual
                                        \1\          response        responses       (minutes)    burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Screener Estimated Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screener Survey.................           2,265               1           2,265               4             151
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Estimated Burden for Treatment Group
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................           1,121               1           1,121              47             878
Quarterly.......................           1,121               7           7,847              18           2,354
Follow-up.......................           1,121               1           1,121              30             561
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................  ..............  ..............          10,089  ..............           3,793
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                                       Estimated Burden for Control Group
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................           1,117               1           1,117              47             875
Quarterly.......................           1,117               7           7,819               7             912
Follow-up.......................           1,117               1           1,117              30             559
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................  ..............  ..............          10,053  ..............           2,346
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Total Estimated Burden for All Study Activities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screener Survey.................           2,265               1           2,265  ..............             151
Treatment Group.................           1,121               9          10,089  ..............           3,793
Control Group...................           1,117               9          10,053  ..............           2,346
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................  ..............  ..............          22,407  ..............          6,290
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\1\ The number of respondents may reduce over time due to study withdrawals.


    Dated: May 14, 2009.
John Biles,
Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports Clearance, Social 
Security Administration.
 [FR Doc. E9-11715 Filed 5-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P