[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64177-64178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25120]



[[Page 64177]]

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2019-0049]


Agency Information Collection Activities: 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 revisions, extensions, and corrections 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, 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-2019-0049].
    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 December 20, 2019. Individuals can obtain copies of 
the OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].

1. Ohio Direct Referral Demonstration (ODRD)--0960-NEW

Background

    SSA is requesting clearance to collect data necessary to conduct a 
random assignment evaluation of volunteers in Ohio who enroll in Ohio 
Direct Referral Demonstration (ODRD). SSA and Opportunities for 
Ohioan's with Disabilities (OOD) will conduct the ODRD to test the 
effectiveness of providing direct referrals to vocational 
rehabilitation services for 18 and 19 year-olds who are, or may become, 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability 
Insurance (SSDI) recipients. The participants in the demonstration will 
be individuals ages 18 and 19 at the time of enrollment, who are either 
(1) applying for SSDI or SSI or (2) undergoing an age-18 
redetermination of SSI eligibility. The ODRD is a joint effort by SSA 
and OOD's Division of Disability Determination (DDD), and Ohio's Bureau 
of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR). ODRD builds off other work by SSA 
exploring ways to improve the adult employment outcomes and financial 
independence for SSI recipients and SSI and SSDI applicants who are in 
the process of transitioning to adulthood. ODRD tests the effects of a 
direct referral to vocational rehabilitation services for individuals 
aged 18 or 19 who are in the process of applying for, or undergoing an 
evaluation to, retain SSDI benefits or SSI payments. We will use the 
data collected to answer the following questions:
     What effect did the intervention have on receipt of Ohio's 
BVR services?
     What effect did the intervention have on employment 
outcomes, such as job placement and earnings?
     What is the length of time from application to eligibility 
decision?
     What general vocational rehabilitation outcomes did 
participants achieve?
     What was the number of closed cases resulting in 
employment and what was the number of cases closed for other reasons?

Ohio Direct Referral Demonstration (ODRD) Project

    Currently, SSA is seeking OMB clearance for the data collection 
related to enrollment and evaluation of the ODRD. Using SSA claims 
records, which DDD will access to perform disability determinations for 
SSA, DDD will attempt to recruit at least 750 participants.
    As required under SSA's demonstration authority, DDD will obtain 
signed, informed consent from individuals who want to participate in 
the demonstration. Recruitment for the ODRD will require two forms: (1) 
A new Invitation to Participate and Consent form, and (2) Form SSA-
3288, Consent for Release of Information (OMB # 0960-0566). ODD will 
send the new Invitation to Participate and Consent form to young adult 
disability recipients, whose claim we sent to the DDD for a continuing 
disability review, and applicants to see if they are interested in 
participating in the demonstration. The ODRD Invitation to Participate 
and Consent forms will meet the informed consent requirements in the 
Social Security Act and SSA regulations. Specifically, they include 
language explaining the study as well as potential benefits and harms. 
SSA will use administrative records systems and BVR data to evaluate 
the effect of the demonstration.
    This is a onetime collection of information, and there are no 
surveys or additional data collections for the ODRD. This collection is 
voluntary, and participation in this demonstration will have no impact 
on respondents' disability determination, benefits, or SSI payments. In 
addition, participation in the ODRD is revocable at any time. SSA and 
OOD will remove participants who revoke consent from the demonstration. 
Upon notification of revocation of participation, SSA and OOD will no 
longer use, transmit, or request information about the participant who 
revoked participation in any ODRD data exchange or analysis. 
Participation in the ODRD will have no effect on DDD's usual process 
for deciding eligibility for SSI payments or SSDI benefits.
    The respondents are individuals aged 18 or 19 who are in the 
process of applying for, or undergoing an evaluation, to obtain or 
retain SSDI benefits or SSI payments.
    Type of Request: This is a new information collection.

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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                          Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)      amount      cost (dollars)
                                                                                                                            (dollars) *         **
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Invitation to Participate and Consent Form--Participant              645               1               6              65          * 8.55          ** 556
 Only (no Representative Payee..........................
Invitation to Participate and Consent Form--                         105               1               6              11         * 33.50          ** 369
 Representative Payee (on behalf of the Participant)....
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................             750  ..............  ..............              76  ..............          ** 925
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* We based this figure on average U.S. minimum wage (for the participants ages 18-19 who may be working); and the average family income in Ohio (for the
  Representative Payees).
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
  these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
  respondents to complete the application.

2. The Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act 
of 2018, Section 103(b) Questionnaire--0960-NEW

Background

    SSA pays monthly benefits to members of the public who qualify 
under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program 
and who are eligible for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
program. Some claimants who qualify for monthly payments under these 
programs are unable to manage their benefit payments. When SSA deems 
program participants incapable of managing, or directing the management 
of their benefits, SSA sends the payments to a representative payee on 
the beneficiary's behalf. The representative payee is a person or 
organization designated by SSA to manage OASDI or SSI payments to meet 
the individual's basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Explanation of Proposed Information Collection Tool

    To help ensure that appointed representatives are acting in the 
best interests of the claimants whom they represent, Section 103(b) of 
the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act 
(SPSSBA), Public Law 115-165, requires SSA to assess the administrative 
feasibility of improving information sharing about claimants with 
representative payees, with State agencies that provide Adult 
Protective Services. Specifically, Section 103(b) of the SPSSBA asks us 
to evaluate the following:
     The assessment of an individual's need for a 
representative payee in connection with benefits to which the 
individual is entitled under Title II or Title XVI of the Social 
Security Act; and
     Oversight of the individuals and organizations who are 
serving as representative payees.
    To conduct this evaluation, SSA created the Strengthening 
Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, Section 
103(b) Questionnaire. The Questionnaire will assess the representative 
payee data available from each State and determine if the State is 
willing to share the data it collects. We will email this one-time 
questionnaire to State agencies or non-governmental entities that 
provide Adult Protective Services, and let them know that participation 
in the questionnaire is voluntary. We estimate we will receive one 
response per respondent, and one respondent per agency. We expect to 
complete this study by June 30, 2022, so we can submit the required 
report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate in 
accordance with the SPSSBA. The Respondents are State agencies and non-
governmental entities that provide Adult Protective Services to 
disability claimants under our OASDI and SSI programs.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

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                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                       Average burden  Estimated total    Theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of       Frequency of     per response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount       cost (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emailed Questionnaire.............................              57                1               12               11          * 12.15           ** 134
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* We based this figure on average State Governmental Information Clerks hourly salary.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
  these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
  respondents to complete the application.


    Date: November 15, 2019.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-25120 Filed 11-19-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4191-02-P