[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31671-31673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13409]


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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 104-13, the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. This notice 
includes a request for a new information collection and revisions 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 Officer at 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, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, 
Fax: 410-965-6400, 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 1, 2011. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-
8783 or by writing to the above e-mail address.
    1. Social Security's Public Credentialing and Authentication 
Process--20 CFR 401.45--0960-NEW. Social Security is introducing a 
stronger citizen authentication process that will enable a new user to 
experience and access more electronic services.
    Background:
    Authentication is the foundation for secure, online transactions. 
Identity authentication is the process of determining with confidence 
that people are who they claim to be during a remote, automated 
session. It comprises three distinct factors: something you know, 
something you

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have, and something you are. Single-factor authentication uses one of 
these factors, and multi-factor authentication uses two or more of 
these factors.
    SSA's New Authentication Process:
    Social Security's new process features credential issuance, account 
management, and single- and multi-factor authentication. With this 
process, we are working toward offering consistent authentication 
across Social Security's secured online services, and eventually to 
Social Security's automated telephone services. We will allow our users 
to maintain one User ID, consisting of a self-selected Username and 
Password, to access multiple Social Security electronic services. This 
new process: 1) enables the authentication of users of Social 
Security's sensitive electronic services, and 2) streamlines access to 
those services.
    Social Security is developing a new authentication strategy that 
will:
     Issue a single User Identification (ID) for personal, 
business, and governmental transactions;
     Offer a variety of authentication options to meet the 
changing needs of the public;
     Partner with an external data provider to help us verify 
the identity of our online customers;
     Comply with relevant standards;
     Offer access to some of Social Security's more sensitive 
workloads online, while providing a high level of confidence in the 
identity of the person requesting access to these services;
     Offer an in-person process for those who are uncomfortable 
with or unable to use the Internet registration process; and
     Balance security with ease of use.
    New Authentication Process Features:
    SSA's new process will include the following key components: (1) 
Registration and identity verification, (2) enhancement of the User ID, 
and (3) authentication. The registration process is a one-time activity 
for the respondents. The respondent provides some personal information, 
and we use this to verify respondent identity. Respondents then select 
their User ID (Username & Password). Respondents will log in with this 
User ID each time they access SSA's online services. SSA will also 
allow respondents to increase the security of their credential by 
adding a second authentication factor.
    Information SSA Will Request As Part of the Process:
    SSA will ask for respondents' personal information, which may 
include:
     Name
     Social Security Number (SSN)
     Date of Birth
     Address--mailing and residential
     Telephone number
     Email address
     Financial information
     Cell phone number
     Responses to an identity quiz (multiple choice format 
questions keyed to specific data identity thieves will not be able to 
answer)
     Password reset questions
    This collection of information, or a subset of it, is required for 
respondents who want to conduct business with Social Security via the 
Internet or our automated 800 number. We will collect this information 
via the Internet on SSA's public-facing website. We also offer an in-
person identification verification process for individuals who cannot 
or are not willing to register online. We do not ask for financial 
information with the in-person process. In addition, if individuals opt 
for the enhanced or upgraded account, they will also receive a text 
message on their cell phones (this serves as the second factor for 
authentication) each time they log into SSA's online services.
    Advantages of the New Authentication Strategy:
    This new authentication strategy will provide a user-friendly way 
for the public to conduct extended business with Social Security online 
instead of visiting the local servicing office or requesting 
information over the phone. Individuals will have real-time access to 
their sensitive Social Security information in a safe and secured web 
environment.
    Burden Information:
    The respondents for this information collection request are 
individuals who choose to use the Internet or Automated Telephone 
Response System to conduct business with SSA.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per     Total annual
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response        response      burden hours
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Requestors.............................      17,900,000               1               8       2,386,667
In-Person (Intranet) Requestors.................       5,800,000               1               8         773,333
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................      23,700,000  ..............  ..............       3,160,000
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    2. Help America Vote Act--0960-0706. H.R. 3295, the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002, mandates that States verify the identities of newly 
registered voters. When newly registered voters do not have drivers' 
licenses or State-issued ID cards, they must supply the last four 
digits of their Social Security Number to their local State election 
agencies for verification. The election agencies forward this 
information to their State Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), who 
inputs the data into the American Association of MVAs, a central 
consolidation system that routes the voter data to SSA's Help America 
Vote Verification (HAVV) system. Once SSA's HAVV system has confirmed 
the identity of the voter, the information will return along the same 
route in reverse until it reaches the State election agency. The 
official respondents for this collection are the State MVAs.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2,352,204.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 78,407 hours.
    II. SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for 
clearance. Your comments regarding the information collection 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 July 1, 2011. Individuals can obtain copies of the 
OMB clearance package by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 
410-965-8783 or by writing to the above e-mail address.
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI)--Quality Review Case Analysis--
0960-0133. To assess the SSI program and ensure the accuracy of its 
payments, SSA conducts legally mandated periodic SSI case analysis 
quality reviews. SSA uses Form SSA-8505 to conduct these reviews, 
collecting information on operating efficiency, the quality of 
underlying policies, and the

[[Page 31673]]

effect of incorrect payments. SSA also uses the data to determine SSI 
program payment accuracy rates, which is a performance measure for the 
agency's service delivery goals. The respondents are recipients of SSI 
payments selected for quality reviews.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated
                      Form                          respondents      response        response      annual burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-8508-BK (paper interview)...................             225               1              60             225
SSA-8508-BK (electronic)........................           4,275               1              60           4,275
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................           4,500  ..............  ..............           4,500
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    Dated: May 25, 2011.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports Clearance, Social 
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-13409 Filed 5-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P