[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 108 (Monday, June 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32231-32233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13530]


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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.
    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(s) to the 
OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Director 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: Director, Center 
for Reports Clearance, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., 
Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 410-965-0454, E-mail address: 
[email protected].

    I. The information collections below are pending at SSA. SSA will 
submit them 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 
August 6, 2010. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by calling the SSA Director for Reports Clearance at 410-
965-0454 or by writing to the above e-mail address.
    1. Certificate of Coverage Request--20 CFR 404.1913--0960-0554. The 
United States has agreements with 21 foreign countries to eliminate 
double Social Security coverage and taxation where, except for the 
provisions of the agreement, a worker would be subject to coverage and 
taxes in both countries. These agreements contain rules for determining 
the country under whose laws the worker's period of employment is 
covered, and to which country the worker will pay taxes. The agreements 
further dictate 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

[[Page 32232]]

coverage. The certificate serves as proof of exemption from coverage 
and taxation under the system of the other country. The information we 
collect assists us in determining a worker's coverage and in issuing a 
U.S. certificate of coverage as appropriate. Respondents are workers 
and employers wishing to establish exemption from foreign Social 
Security taxes.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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

    2. Incorporation by Reference of Oral Findings of Fact and 
Rationale in Wholly Favorable Written Decisions (Bench Decision 
Regulation)--20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453--0960-0694. If an 
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) makes a wholly favorable oral decision 
that includes all the findings and rationale for the decision for a 
claimant of Title II or Title XVI payments at an administrative appeals 
hearing, the records from the oral hearing preclude the need for a 
written decision. This is known as the incorporation-by-reference 
process. These regulations also state that if the involved parties want 
a record of the oral decision, they may submit a written request for 
these records. Therefore, SSA uses the identifying information 
collected under the aegis of sections 20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453 to 
determine how to send interested individuals written records of a 
favorable incorporation-by-reference oral decision made at an 
administrative review hearing. Since there is no prescribed form to 
request a written record of the decision, the involved parties send SSA 
their contact information and reference the hearing for which they 
would like a record. The respondents are applicants for Disability 
Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or 
their representatives to whom SSA gave a wholly favorable oral decision 
under the regulations cited above.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2,500.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 208 hours.
    3. Cost Reimbursable Research Request--20 CFR 401.165--0960-0754. 
Qualified researchers need SSA administrative data for a variety of 
projects. To request SSA's program data for research, a researcher must 
submit a completed research application, Form SSA-9901 (How to Request 
SSA Program Data for Research) for SSA's evaluation. In the 
application, the requesting researcher must provide basic project 
information and describe the way in which the proposed project will 
further SSA's mission to promote the economic security of the Nation's 
people through its administration of the Old Age, Survivors, and 
Disability Insurance Programs, and/or the SSI Program. SSA reviews the 
application, and once we approve it, the researcher signs Form SSA-
9903, SSA Agreement Regarding Conditions for Use of SSA Data, which 
outlines the conditions and safeguards for the research project data 
exchange. The researcher may use the data for research and statistical 
purposes only and must complete Form SSA-9902, Confidentiality 
Agreement. SSA recovers all expenses incurred in providing this 
information as part of this reimbursable service. The respondents are 
Federal and state government agencies and/or their contractors, private 
entities, and colleges/universities.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 240 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 60 hours.
    4. Request to Decision Review Board to Vacate the Administrative 
Law Judge Dismissal of Hearing--20 CFR 405.427--0960-0755. When an ALJ 
dismisses a hearing for a claim for Title II or Title XVI disability 
payments, the claimant may request to vacate or stop this decision by 
completing and submitting Form SSA-525 to the SSA Decision Review Board 
(Board). The Board uses this information to: (1) Establish the 
continued involvement of the requestor in the claim; (2) consider the 
requestor's arguments for vacating the dismissal; and (3) vacate or 
decline to vacate the ALJ's dismissal order. The respondents are Social 
Security disability or SSI claimants who are requesting the Board to 
vacate their dismissal order.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,000 hours.
    5. Authorization to Release Medical Report to Physician--20 CFR 
401.55 & 401.100--0960-0761. When evidence provided by a disability 
claimant is inadequate for SSA to determine the disability, SSA 
requests a consultative examination (CE) for additional information or 
clarification. If the claimant, his/her court appointed representative, 
or a parent of a minor child wants the CE report sent to the claimant's 
treating physician, he/she completes Form SSA-91 and sends it to SSA 
for processing. SSA uses the information on the SSA-91 to release the 
CE report to the authorized physician. Respondents are applicants for 
disability claims.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 7,922.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 660 hours.
    6. Authorization for SSA to Disclose Tax Information for Your 
Appeal of Your Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment 
Premium Amount--20 CFR 418.1350--0960-0762. Medicare Part B 
beneficiaries who wish to appeal SSA's reconsideration of their Income-
Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) must ensure the relevant 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) income tax data is available to the 
Health and Human Services ALJ who will consider their appeal. Through 
Form SSA-54, SSA obtains beneficiary authorization to disclose the IRS 
beneficiary tax data to the ALJ. The respondents are Medicare Part B 
recipients who want to appeal SSA's reconsideration of their IRMAA 
amount.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 6,000.

[[Page 32233]]

    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,500 hours.
    7. Appointment of Representative--20 CFR 404.1707, 404.1720, 
404.1725, 410.684 and 416.1507--0960-0527. Correction Notice: SSA 
inadvertently published this information collection request on May 13, 
2010 at 75 FR 27036, although we were not yet ready to solicit public 
comment. We will publish this request again at a future date.
    II. SSA has submitted the information collections listed 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 August 6, 2010. You can obtain a copy of the 
OMB clearance packages by calling the SSA Director for Reports 
Clearance at 410-965-0454 or by writing to the above e-mail address.
    1. Wage Reports and Pension Information--20 CFR 422.122(b)--0960-
0547. Pension plan administrators annually file plan information with 
the IRS, who then forwards the information to SSA. SSA maintains and 
organizes this information by plan numbers, plan participant's name, 
and Social Security number. Under Section 1131(a) of the Social 
Security Act, pension plan participants are entitled to request this 
information from SSA. The Wage Reports and Pension Information 
regulation, 20 CFR 422.122(b) of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
stipulates that before SSA disseminates this information, the requestor 
must first submit a written request with identifying information to 
SSA. The respondents are requestors of pension plan information.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 300 hours.
    2. Request for Reconsideration--20 CFR 404.907-404.921, 416.1407-
416.1421, 408.1009--0960-0622. SSA uses Form SSA-561-U2 to initiate and 
document the reconsideration process for determining an individual's 
eligibility or entitlement to Social Security benefits (Title II), SSI 
payments (Title XVI), Special Veterans Benefits (Title VIII), Medicare 
(Title XVIII), and for initial determinations regarding Medicare Part B 
income-related premium subsidy reductions. The respondents are 
individuals filing for reconsideration.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated
                Collection method                   respondents      response        response      annual burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper & Modernized Claims System................         730,850               1               8          97,447
i561............................................         730,850               1              20         243,617
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................       1,461,700  ..............  ..............         341,064
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Identifying Information for Possible Direct Payment of 
Authorized Fees--0960-0730. SSA collects information from claimants' 
appointed representatives on Form SSA-1695 to process and facilitate 
direct payment of authorized fees to a financial institution. SSA also 
needs this information to issue a Form 1099-MISC, if applicable. 
Finally, SSA uses Form SSA-1695 to establish a link between each claim 
for benefits and the data that we collect on the SSA-1699 for our 
appointed representative database. The respondents are attorneys and 
other individuals who represent claimants for benefits before SSA.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Frequency of Response: 40.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 66,667 hours.

Elizabeth Davidson,
Center Director, Center for Reports Clearance, Social Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-13530 Filed 6-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P