[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66262-66265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26148]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No: SSA-2019-0051]
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 revisions and extensions of OMB-approved information
collections, and one new 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-2019-0051].
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 3, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection
instruments by writing to the above email address.
Statement Regarding the Inferred Death of an Individual by Reason
of Continued and Unexplained Absence--20 CFR 404.720 & 404.721--0960-
NEW. Section 202(d)-(i) of the Social Security Act (Act) provides for
the payment of various monthly survivor benefits, and a lump sum death
payment, to certain survivors upon the death of an individual who dies
while fully or currently insured. In cases where insured wage earners
have been absent from their homes for at least seven years, and there
is no evidence these individuals are alive, SSA may presume they are
deceased and pay their survivors the appropriate benefits. SSA uses the
information from Form SSA-723 to determine if we may presume a missing
wage earner is deceased, and, if so, establish a date of presumed
death. The respondents are relatives, friends, neighbors, or
acquaintances of the presumed deceased wage earner, or the person who
is filing for survivors benefits.
[[Page 66263]]
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) * **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-723........................................... 3,000 1 30 1,500 * 22.50 ** 33,750
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* We based this figure on average U.S. citizen's hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
** 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.
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 2, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of
the OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
1. Incorporation by Reference of Oral Findings of Fact and
Rationale in Wholly Favorable Written Decisions (Bench Decision
Regulation)--20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453--0960-0694. If an
administrative law judge (ALJ) makes a wholly favorable oral decision,
including all the findings and rationale for the decision for a
claimant of Title II or Title XVI payments, at an administrative
appeals hearing, the ALJ sends a Notice of Decision (Form HA-82), as
the records from the oral hearing preclude the need for a written
decision. We call this the incorporation-by-reference process. In
addition, the regulations for this process state that if the involved
parties want a record of the oral decision, they may submit a written
request for these records. SSA collects identifying information under
the aegis of Sections 20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453 of the Code of
Federal Regulations to determine how to send interested individuals
written records of a favorable incorporation-by-reference oral decision
made at an administrative review hearing. Since there is no prescribed
form to request a written record of the decision, the involved parties
send SSA their contact information and reference the hearing for which
they would like a record. The respondents are applicants for Social
Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) payments, or their representatives, to whom SSA gave a
wholly favorable oral decision under the regulations cited above.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved 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) * **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-82............................................. 2,500 1 5 208 * 10.22 ** 2,126
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* We based this figure on average DI payments, as reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data.
** 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. Request for Waiver of Special Veterans Benefits (SVB)
Overpayment Recovery or Change in Repayment Rate--20 CFR 408.900-
408.950--0960-0698. Title VIII of the Act requires SSA to pay a monthly
benefit to qualified World War II veterans who reside outside the
United States. When an overpayment in this SVB occurs, the beneficiary
can request a waiver of recovery of the overpayment or a change in the
repayment rate. SSA uses the SSA-2032-BK to obtain the information
necessary to establish whether the claimant meets the waiver of
recovery provisions of the overpayment, and to determine the repayment
rate if we do not waive repayment. Respondents are SVB beneficiaries
who have overpayments on their Title VIII record and wish to file a
claim for waiver of recovery or change in repayment rate.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved 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) * **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-2032-BK....................................... 134 1 120 268 * 7.67 ** 2,056
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* We based this figure on average SVB payments, as per SSA's data.
** 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.
3. Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security
(PABSS)--20 CFR 435.51-435.52--0960-0768. The PABSS projects are part
of Social Security's strategy to increase the number of SSDI or SSI
recipients
[[Page 66264]]
who return to work and achieve financial independence and self-
sufficiency as the result of receiving support, representation,
advocacy, or other services. PABSS provides: (1) Information and advice
about obtaining vocational rehabilitation and employment services; and
(2) advocacy or other services a beneficiary with a disability may need
to secure, maintain, or regain gainful employment. The PABSS Annual
Program Performance Report collects statistical information from each
of the PABSS projects in an effort to manage and capture program
performance and quantitative data. Social Security uses the information
to evaluate the efficiency of the program, and to ensure beneficiaries
are receiving quality services. The project data is valuable to Social
Security in its analysis of and future planning for the SSDI and SSI
programs. The respondents are the 57 PABSS project sites, and
recipients of SSDI and SSI programs.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved 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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PABSS Program Grantees.................................. 57 1 60 57 * 42.66 ** 2,432
Beneficiaries........................................... 8,284 1 30 4,142 * 10.22 ** 42,331
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Totals.............................................. 8,341 .............. .............. 4,199 .............. ** $44,763
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* We based these figures on average Computer Systems Analyst hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and average DI payments, as
reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data.
** 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.
4. Methods for Conducting Personal Conferences When Waiver of
Recovery of a Title II or Title XVI Overpayment Cannot Be Approved--20
CFR 404.506(e)(3), 404.506(f)(8), 416.557(c)(3), and 416.557(d)(8)--
0960-0769. SSA conducts personal conferences when we cannot approve a
waiver of recovery of a Title II or Title XVI overpayment. The Act and
our regulatory citations require SSA to give overpaid Social Security
beneficiaries and SSI recipients the right to request a waiver of
recovery and automatically schedule a personal conference if we cannot
approve their request for waiver of overpayment. We conduct these
conferences face-to-face, via telephone, or through video
teleconferences. Social Security beneficiaries and SSI recipients, or
their representatives, may provide documents to demonstrate they are
without fault in causing the overpayment, and do not have the ability
to repay the debt. They may submit these documents by completing Form
SSA-632, Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery (OMB No. 0960-
0037); Form SSA-795, Statement of Claimant or Other Person (OMB No.
0960-0045); or through a personal statement submitted by mail,
telephone, personal contact, or other suitable method, such as fax or
email. This information collection satisfies the requirements for
request for waiver of recovery of an overpayment, and allows
individuals to pursue further levels of administrative appeal via
personal conference. Respondents are Social Security beneficiaries and
SSI recipients, or their representatives, seeking reconsideration of an
SSA waiver decision.
Type of Request: Revision on an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated theoretical Total annual
Modality of Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost opportunity
completion respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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Title II, 30,271 1 45 22,703 * 22.50 ** 510,818
Personal
Conference,
404.506(e)(3)
and
404.506(f)(8):
Submittal of
documents,
additional
mitigating
financial
information,
and
verifications
for
consideration
at personal
conferences.
Title XVI, 51,192 1 45 38,394 * 10.22 ** 392,387
Personal
Conference,
416.557(c)(3)
and
416.557(d)(8):
Submittal of
documents,
additional
mitigating
financial
information,
and
verifications
at personal
conferences.
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Totals 81,463 .............. .............. 61,097 .............. ** 903,205
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* We based these figures on average U.S. citizen's hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics
data; and average DI payments, as reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data.
** 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.
[[Page 66265]]
Dated: November 27, 2019.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-26148 Filed 12-2-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P