[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66330-66334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27767]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2018-0069]


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 an extension and revisions of OMB-approved information 
collections, and one new information collection.
    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, 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], or you may submit your comments online 
through www.regulations.gov, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2018-
0069].
    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 
February 25, 2019. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by writing to the above email address.
    1. Employer Verification of Records for Children Under Age Seven--
20 CFR 404.801-404.803, 404.821-404.822--0960-0505. SSA discovered as 
many as 70 percent of the wage reports we receive for children under 
age seven are actually the earnings of someone other than the child. To 
ensure we credit the correct person with the reported earnings, SSA 
verifies wage reports for children under age seven with the children's 
employers before posting to the earnings record. SSA uses Form SSA-
L3231-C1, Request for Employer Information, for this purpose. The 
respondents are employers who report earnings for children under age 
seven.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                 Average burden  Estimated total
           Modality of completion                Number of       Frequency of     per response    annual burden
                                                respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-L3231-C1................................          11,823                1               10            1,971
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Request for Reinstatement (Title XVI)--20 CFR 416.999-416.999d--
0960-0744. SSA uses Form SSA-372 to: (1) Inform previously entitled 
beneficiaries of the expedited reinstatement (EXR) requirements of 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under Title XVI of the 
Social Security Act (Act); and (2) document their requests for EXR. SSA 
requires this application for reinstatement of benefits for respondents 
to obtain SSI disability payments for EXR. When an SSA claims 
representative learns of individuals whose medical conditions no longer 
permit them to perform substantial gainful activity as defined in the 
Act, the claims representative gives the form to the previously 
entitled individuals (or mails it to those who request EXR over the 
phone). SSA employees collect

[[Page 66331]]

this information whenever an individual files for EXR payments. The 
respondents are applicants for EXR of SSI disability payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 Average burden  Estimated total
           Modality of completion                Number of       Frequency of     per response    annual burden
                                                respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-372.....................................           2,000                1                2               67
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for 
clearance. Your comments regarding these 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 January 25, 2019. Individuals can obtain copies of 
the OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
    1. The Department of the Treasury's Pay.gov Collection Application 
for Benefit Overpayments--20 CFR 404.501, 404.502, 404.521, and 
404.527--0960-NEW. SSA will use the new internet Pay.gov Application 
for Overpayments to offer a new repayment option to beneficiaries and 
recipients to recover overpayments they incurred. Pay.gov is an online 
collection portal developed and maintained by the Department of the 
Treasury (Treasury). The internet remittance portal will offer 
beneficiaries and recipients another option to repay overpayments via 
credit card; debit card; and automated clearing house (ACH). The SSA 
application located on SocialSecurity.gov will request the overpaid 
individuals' Social Security Numbers (SSN) and dollar amount they wish 
to repay on their overpayment prior to sending them to Treasury's 
Pay.gov application which will request and process the payment 
information on SSA's behalf. The information SSA will collect is used 
to reconcile the Pay.gov transactions, and update the overpaid 
individuals' balances on their records. The respondents are individuals 
who have Title II or XVI overpayments, and who wish to voluntarily 
repay the overpayment online through SocialSecurity.gov.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                         Average burden  Estimated total
                       Modality of completion                           Number of       Frequency of      Number of       per response    annual burden
                                                                       respondents        response        responses        (minutes)         (hours)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Application for Pay.gov...................................         424,126               12        5,089,512               10          848,252
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Surveys in Accordance with E.O. 12862 for the Social Security 
Administration--0960-0526. Under the auspices of Executive Order 12862, 
Setting Customer Service Standards, SSA conducts multiple customer 
satisfaction surveys each year. These voluntary customer satisfaction 
assessments include paper, internet, and telephone surveys; mailed 
questionnaires; and customer comment cards. The purpose of these 
questionnaires is to assess customer satisfaction with the timeliness, 
appropriateness, access, and overall quality of existing SSA services 
and proposed modifications or new versions of services. The respondents 
are recipients of SSA services (including most members of the public), 
professionals, and individuals who work on behalf of SSA beneficiaries.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                     Number of                                        Burden
                                                    respondents                                     (burden for
                                                    (burden for    Frequency of      Range of     all activities
                                                  all activities     response     response times    within that
                                                    within that                      (minutes)    year; reported
                                                       year)                                         in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..........................................       5,843,298               1            3-30       1,004,460
Year 2..........................................       5,868,843               1            3-30       1,371,074
Year 3..........................................       5,949,054               1            3-30       1,012,482
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................      17,661,195  ..............  ..............       3,388,016
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Pain Report Child--20 CFR 404.1512 and 416.912--0960-0540. 
Before SSA can make a disability determination for a child, we require 
evidence from SSI applicants or claimants to prove their disability. 
Form SSA-3371-BK provides disability interviewers, and SSI applicants 
or claimants in self-help situations, with a convenient way to record 
information about claimants' pain or other symptoms. The State 
disability determination services adjudicators and administrative law 
judges then use the information from Form SSA-3371-BK to assess the 
effects of symptoms on function for purposes of determining disability 
under the Act. The respondents are applicants for, or claimants of, SSI 
payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 66332]]



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                                                                                 Average burden  Estimated total
           Modality of completion                Number of       Frequency of     per response    annual burden
                                                respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-3371....................................         250,000                1               15           62,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. Replacement of Forms SSA-1099/SSA-1042S--20 CFR 401.45--0960-
0583. Title II beneficiaries use Forms SSA-1099 and SSA-1042S, Social 
Security Benefit Statement, to determine if their Social Security 
benefits are taxable, and the amount they need to report to the 
Internal Revenue Service. In cases where the original forms are 
unavailable (e.g., lost, stolen, mutilated), an individual may use 
SSA's automated telephone application to request a replacement SSA-1099 
and SSA-1042S. SSA uses the information from the automated telephone 
requests to verify the identity of the requestor and to provide 
replacement copies of the forms. SSA accepts information in other ways, 
however; the automated telephone options reduce requests to the 
National 800 Number Network (N8NN) and visits to local Social Security 
field offices (FO). The respondents are Title II beneficiaries who wish 
to request a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S via telephone.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Estimated
                                                     Number of     Frequency of   Average burden   total annual
             Modality of completion                 respondents      response      per response       burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automated Telephone Requestors..................         238,286               1               2           7,943
N8NN............................................         458,442               1               3          22,922
Calls to local FOs..............................         870,811               1               3          43,541
Other (program service centers).................          69,207               1               3           3,460
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................       1,636,746  ..............  ..............          77,866
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5. The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program--20 CFR 411--
0960-0644. SSA's Ticket to Work (TTW) Program transitions Social 
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI recipients toward 
independence by allowing them to receive Social Security payments while 
maintaining employment under the auspices of the program. SSA uses 
service providers, called Employment Networks (ENs), to supervise 
participant progress through the stages of TTW Program participation, 
such as job searches and interviews; progress reviews; and changes in 
ticket status. ENs can be private for-profit and nonprofit 
organizations, as well as state vocational rehabilitation agencies 
(VRs). SSA and the ENs utilize the TTW program manager to operate the 
TTW Program and exchange information about participants. For example, 
the ENs use the program manager to provide updates on tasks such as 
selecting a payment system, or requesting payments for helping the 
beneficiary achieve certain work goals. Since the ENs are not PRA-
exempt, the multiple information collections within the TTW program 
manager require OMB approval. Most of the categories of information are 
necessary for SSA to: (1) Comply with the Ticket to Work legislation; 
and (2) provide proper oversight of the program. SSA collects this 
information through several modalities, including forms, electronic 
exchanges, and written documentation. The respondents are the ENs or 
state VRs, SSDI beneficiaries, and blind or disabled SSI recipients 
working under the auspices of the TTW Program.
    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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(2)--Interactive Voice                6,428               1             2.5             268
 Recognition Telephone..........................
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(2)--Portal................          25,713               1            1.25             536
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(3); 411.325(a);                        948               1              15             237
 411.150(b)(3)--SSA-1365........................
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(3); 411.325(a);                      3,792               1              11             695
 411.150(b)(3)--SSA-1365 Portal.................
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(3); 411.325(a);                     21,600               1              60          21,600
 411.150(b)(3)--SSA-1370........................
(a) 20 CFR 411.140(d)(3); 411.325(a);                      5,868               1              10             978
 411.150(b)(3)--SSA-1370 Portal.................
(a) 20 CFR 411.166; 411.170(b)--Electronic File           40,324               1               5           3,360
 Submission.....................................
(b) 20 CFR 411.145; 411.325.....................           2,494               1              15             624
(b) 20 CFR 411.145; 411.325--Portal.............           7,481               1              11           1,372
(b) 20 CFR 411.535(a)(1)(iii)--Data Sharing/               8,505               1               5             709
 Portal.........................................
(c) 20 CFR 411.192(b)&(c).......................               6               1              30               3
(c) 20 CFR 411.200(b)--SSA-1375.................         120,000               1              15          30,000
(c) 20 CFR 411.200(b)--Portal...................          64,824               1               5           5,402
(c) 20 CFR 411.210(b)...........................              41               1              30              21
(c) 20 CFR 411.200(b) Wise Webinar Registration            4,812               1               3             241
 Page...........................................
(d) 20 CFR 411.365; 411.505; 411.515............               6               1              10               1
(e) 20 CFR 411.325(d); 411.415*.................               1               1             480               8
(f) 20 CFR 411.575--SSA[dash]1389;                         2,805               1              40           1,870
 SSA[dash]1391; SSA[dash]1398; SSA[dash]1399....
(f) 20 CFR 411.575--Portal......................          42,075               1              22          15,428
(f) 20 CFR 411.560--SSA[dash]1401...............             100               1              20              33

[[Page 66333]]

 
(g) 20 CFR 411.325(f)...........................           1,371               1              45           1,028
(h) 20 CFR 411.435; 411.615; 411.625............               2               1             120               4
(i) 20 CFR 411.320--SSA[dash]1394...............              52               1              10               9
(i) 20 CFR 411.320--SSA[dash]1394 Portal........             158               1               5              13
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................         359,406  ..............  ..............          84,440
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Note: We have not received any responses since 2011.

    6. Promoting Opportunity Demonstration--0960-0809. Section 823 of 
the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 required SSA to carry out the 
Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD) to test a new benefit offset 
formula for SSDI beneficiaries. Therefore, SSA is undertaking POD, a 
demonstration to evaluate the affect the new policy will have on SSDI 
beneficiaries and their families in several critical areas. We 
previously obtained OMB approval for this demonstration, and are in the 
midst of implementing the project. In this information collection 
request, we are seeking approval to add new questions to our follow-up 
surveys. Respondents are SSDI beneficiaries, who will provide written 
consent before agreeing to participate in the study and before we 
randomly assign them to one of the study treatment groups.
    Note: We revised the burden information for this collection since 
we published the first Federal Register Notice on October 22, 2018 at 
83 FR 53352. As part of our revisions to this collection, we are 
replacing the End of the Year Reporting Form with a new version which 
we will pre-fill with annual information based on the respondents' 
monthly earnings reporting. Since we will not require respondents to 
submit the new End of Year Reporting documentation unless they need to 
make corrections, we are updating the burden accordingly.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Estimated
                                     Number of     Frequency of      Number of    Average burden   total annual
     Modality of completion         respondents      response        responses     per response       burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Informed Consent Form...........          16,500               1          16,500              10           2,750
Baseline Survey.................          16,500               1          16,500              20           5,500
12-Month Follow Up Survey.......           6,000               1           6,000              32           3.200
24-Month Follow Up Survey.......          12,000               1          12,000              27           5,400
Interviews with Site Staff......              40               4             160              66             176
Onsite Audit of Sample of Case                 8               2              16              20               5
 Files..........................
Semi-Structured Interviews with              144               1             144              60             144
 Treatment Group Subjects.......
Monthly Earnings and Impairment-           1,820              12          21,840              10           3,640
 Related Expenses Reporting Form
 (Paper)........................
Monthly Earnings and Impairment-             780              12           9,360               5             780
 Related Expenses Reporting Form
 (Internet).....................
End of Year Reporting                      2,615               1           2,615               8             348
 Documentation..................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................          56,407  ..............          85,135  ..............          21,943
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    7. Protecting the Public and Our Personnel To Ensure Operational 
Effectiveness (RIN 0960-AH35), Regulation 3729I--20 CFR 422.905, 
422.906--0960-0796. SSA published regulations for the process we follow 
when we restrict individuals from receiving in-person services in our 
field offices and provide them, instead, with alternative services. We 
published these rules to create a safer environment for our personnel 
and members of the public who use our facilities, while ensuring we 
continue to serve the American people with as little disruption to our 
operations as possible. Under our regulations at 20 CFR 422.905, an 
individual for whom we restrict access to our facilities has the 
opportunity to appeal our decision within 60 days of the date of the 
restrictive access and alternative service notice. To appeal, 
restricted individuals must submit a written request stating why they 
believe SSA should rescind the restriction and allow them to conduct 
business with us on a face-to-face basis in one of our offices. There 
is no printed form for this request; rather, restricted individuals 
create their own written statement of appeal, and submit it to a sole 
decision-maker in the regional office of the region where the 
restriction originated. The individuals may also provide additional 
documentation to support their appeal. Under 20 CFR 422.906, if the 
individual does not appeal the decision within the 60 days; if we 
restricted the individual prior to the effective date of this 
regulation; or if the appeal results in a denial, the individual has 
another opportunity to request review of the restriction after a three-
year period. To submit this request for review, restricted individuals 
may re-submit a written appeal of the decision. The same criteria apply 
as for the original appeal: (1) It must be in writing; (2) it must go 
to a sole decision-maker in the regional office of the region where the 
restriction originated for review; and (3) it may accompany supporting 
documentation. We make this periodic review available to all restricted 
individuals once every three years. Respondents for this collection are 
individuals appealing their restrictions from in-person services at SSA 
field offices.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 66334]]



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                                                                                                     Estimated
                                                     Number of     Frequency of   Average burden   total annual
               Regulation section                   respondents      response      per response       burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 CFR 422.905..................................              75               1              15              19
20 CFR 422.906..................................              75               1              20              25
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................             150  ..............  ..............              44
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    Dated: December 18, 2018.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-27767 Filed 12-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4191-02-P