[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28585-28587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11334]


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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 three revisions and one extension of OMB-approved information 
collections.
    SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden

[[Page 28586]]

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, email, 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, Email address: [email protected].

(SSA)
Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 
3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 
410-966-2830, Email 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 July 
15, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments 
by writing to the above email address.
    1. Electronic Benefit Verification Information (BEVE) and Internet 
Benefit Verficiation (iBEVE)--20 CFR 401.40--0960-0595. The electronic 
proof of income (POI) verification information service, BEVE, provides 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, Social Security, and 
Medicare beneficiaries, the convenience of requesting a POI statement 
through the Internet. Beneficiaries and SSI recipients often require 
POI to obtain housing, food stamps, or other public services. After 
verifying the requester's identity, SSA uses the information from BEVE 
to provide the POI statement. The iBEVE Internet application allows the 
same BEVE service the public uses to access POI and benefit 
information. However, the iBEVE service allows the public instant 
online access to their POI and benefit information (unlike the BEVE 
service that mails the information via U.S. Postal Service). iBEVE 
users are required to pass SSA's Public Credentialing and 
Authentication Process (OMB No. 0960-0789) prior to entering into the 
iBEVE Internet application. The respondents are Social Security and 
Medicare beneficiaries, and SSI recipients.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency  of    burden per       Estimated
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response        response      total annual
                                                                                     (minutes)    burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEVE............................................         870,958               1               5          72,580
iBEVE...........................................       1,007,744               1               4          67,183
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................       1,878,702  ..............  ..............         139,763
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Medicare Part D Subsidies Regulations--20 CFR 418.3625, 
418.3645, 418.3665(a), and 418.3670--0960-0702. The Medicare 
Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 
established the Medicare Part D program for voluntary prescription drug 
coverage of premium, deductible, and co-payment costs for certain low-
income individuals. The MMA also mandated the provision of subsidies 
for those individuals who qualify for the program and who meet 
eligibility criteria for help with premium, deductible, or co-payment 
costs. This law requires SSA to make eligibility determinations and to 
provide a process for appealing SSA's determinations. Regulation 
sections 418.3625(c), 418.3645, 418.3665(a), and 418.3670 contain 
public reporting requirements pertaining to administrative review 
hearings. Respondents are applicants for the Medicare Part D subsidies 
who request an administrative review hearing.
    Type of Request: Extension of an existing OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average        Estimated
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response        response         burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
418.3625(c).....................................             150               1               5              13
418.3645........................................              10               1              20               3
418.3665(a).....................................             300               1               5              25
418.3670........................................               0               1              10               0
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................             460  ..............  ..............              41
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for 
clearance. Your comments regarding the information collections would be 
most useful if OMB and SSA receive them 30 days from the date of this 
publication. To be sure we consider your comments, we must receive them 
no later than June 16, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB 
clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
    1. Statement Regarding Marriage--20 CFR 404.726--0960-0017. 
According to section 216(h)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (Act), SSA 
must apply state law when determining an individual's marital status. 
Some state laws recognize marriages without a ceremony (i.e., common-
law marriages). In such cases, SSA provides the same spouse or 
widow(er) benefits to the common-law spouses as it does to ceremonially 
married spouses. To determine common-law spouses, SSA must elicit 
information from blood relatives or other persons who are knowledgeable 
about the alleged common-law relationship. SSA uses Form SSA-753, 
Statement Regarding Marriage, to collect information from third parties 
to verify the applicant's statements about intent,

[[Page 28587]]

cohabitation, and holding out to the public as married, which are the 
basic tenets of a common-law marriage. SSA uses the information to 
determine if a valid marital relationship exists, and if the common-law 
spouse is entitled to Social Security spouse or widow(er) benefits. The 
respondents are third parties who can confirm or deny the alleged 
common-law marriage.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average        Estimated
                                                     Number of     Frequency  of    burden per     total annual
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response        response         burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-753.........................................          40,000               1               9           6,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Request for Review of Hearing Decision/Order-20 CFR 404.967-
404.981, 416.1467-416.1481-0960-0277. Claimants have a statutory right 
under the Act and current regulations to request review of an 
administrative law judge's (ALJ) hearing decision or dismissal of a 
hearing request on Title II and Title XVI claims. Claimants may request 
Appeals Council review by filing a written request using Form HA-520. 
SSA uses the information to establish the claimant filed the request 
for review within the prescribed time, and to ensure the claimant 
completed the requisite steps permitting the Appeals Council review. 
The Appeals Council uses the information to: (1) Document the 
claimant's reason(s) for disagreeing with the ALJ's decision or 
dismissal; (2) determine whether the claimant has additional evidence 
to submit; and (3) determine whether the claimant has a representative 
or wants to appoint one. The respondents are claimants requesting 
review of an ALJ's decision or dismissal of hearing.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                     Estimated
                                                     Number of     Frequency of   Average burden   total annual
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response      per response       burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-520..........................................         171,000               1              10          28,500
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    Dated: May 13, 2014.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-11334 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P