[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47553-47554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19460]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2015-0026]


Modifications to the Disability Determination Procedures; 
Extension of Testing of Some Disability Redesign Features

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of the extension of tests involving modifications to the 
disability determination procedures.

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SUMMARY: We are announcing the extension of tests involving 
modifications to disability determination procedures authorized by 20 
CFR 404.906 and 416.1406. These rules authorize us to test several 
modifications to the disability determination procedures for 
adjudicating claims for disability insurance benefits under title II of 
the Social Security Act (Act) and for supplemental security income 
payments based on disability under title XVI of the Act.

DATES: We are extending our selection of cases to be included in these 
tests from September 25, 2015 until no later than September 23, 2016. 
If we decide to continue selection of cases for these tests beyond this 
date, we will publish another notice in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Williams, Office of Disability 
Policy, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, MD

[[Page 47554]]

21235-6401, (410) 965-0608, for information about this notice. For 
information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our national 
toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 or TTY 1-800-325-0778, or visit our 
Internet site, Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Our current rules authorize us to test, 
individually or in any combination, certain modifications to the 
disability determination procedures. 20 CFR 404.906 and 416.1406. We 
conducted several tests under the authority of these rules. In the 
``single decisionmaker'' test, a disability examiner may make the 
initial disability determination in most cases without obtaining the 
signature of a medical or psychological consultant.
    We also conducted a separate test, which we call the ``prototype,'' 
in 10 States. 64 FR 47218. Currently, the prototype combines the single 
decisionmaker approach described above with the elimination of the 
reconsideration level of our administrative review process.
    We extended the period for selecting claims for these tests several 
times. Most recently, we extended the time from September 26, 2014 to 
September 25, 2015. 79 FR 39453. We are extending case selection for 
the prototype and the single decisionmaker tests until September 23, 
2016. If we decide to continue selection of cases for these tests 
beyond this date, we will publish another notice in the Federal 
Register.

Virginia Reno,
Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-19460 Filed 8-6-15; 8:45 am]
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