[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 7648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3304]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Emergency 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 a new form for which we are requesting emergency 
OMB clearance.
    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 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 to the OMB 
Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance Officer to the following 
addresses or fax numbers.
(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, 1340 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, 
Fax: 410-965-8783, E-mail address: [email protected].

SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for Emergency 
Clearance. SSA is requesting Emergency Clearance from OMB no later than 
March 1, 2010. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instrument by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer or by writing 
to the above e-mail address.

Request for Accommodation in Communication Method--0960-NEW.

Background

    In a recent legal action, American Council of the Blind, et al. v. 
Michael Astrue and Social Security Administration (No. C 05-04696 WHA 
(N.D. Cal.)), class plaintiffs representing blind or visually impaired 
Social Security applicants, beneficiaries, recipients, and 
representative payees challenged the adequacy of the modes of 
communication used by SSA in its notices and other communications. 
Prior to the district court's order of October 20, 2009, in American 
Council of the Blind, SSA had offered three modes of communications for 
blind and visually impaired Social Security beneficiaries: (1) A 
standard print notice by first-class mail; (2) a standard print notice 
by first-class mail with a follow-up telephone call; and (3) certified 
mail. In American Council of the Blind, the district court required SSA 
to begin offering two new modes of communication to blind or visually 
impaired applicants, beneficiaries, recipients, and representative 
payees: Braille and Microsoft Word files (on data compact discs).

Current Information Collection

    In accordance with the court order, beginning January 1, 2010, 
affected parties can call a designated SSA number and tell the agency 
which of the following five methods of communication they want the 
agency to use for their notices and other communications: (1) Standard 
print notice by first-class mail, (2) standard print mail with a 
follow-up telephone call, (3) certified mail, (4) Braille, or (5) 
Microsoft Word. This call did not require OMB clearance.
    However, there may be respondents who want SSA to use another 
communication method. SSA has created form SSA-9000, the Request for 
Accommodation in Communication Method, for these situations. This form 
will ask respondents to describe the type of accommodation they want, 
to disclose the condition they have that necessitates the need for a 
different type of accommodation, and to explain why none of the five 
methods described above are sufficient for their needs.
    Since we must make this form available shortly due to court-ordered 
deadlines, we are requesting emergency clearance. The respondents are 
Social Security applicants, beneficiaries, recipients, and 
representative payees who are blind or visually impaired and are asking 
SSA to send them notices and other communications in an alternative 
method besides the five modalities described in this Notice.
    Type of Request: Emergency clearance of a new information 
collection.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Response
 Method of information collection   Number of       time        Burden
                                   respondents   (minutes)     (hours)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal interview (over the             2,000           10          333
 phone or in-person).............
Form (taken or mailed from field           500           15          125
 office).........................
                                  --------------------------------------
                                         2,500  ...........          458
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    Dated: February 16, 2010.
Faye Lipsky,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-3304 Filed 2-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P