[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19563-19566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07183]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2020-0015]


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 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-2020-0015].
    I. The information collection below is pending at SSA. SSA will 
submit it 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 June 
8, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instrument by 
writing to the above email address.
    Authorization to Obtain Earnings Data From the Social Security 
Administration--0960-0602. On occasion, public and private 
organizations and agencies need to obtain detailed earnings information 
about specific Social Security number (SSN) holding wage earners for 
business purposes (e.g. pension funds, State agencies, etc.). 
Respondents use Form SSA-581 to identify the SSN holder whose 
information they are requesting, and provide authorization from the SSN 
holder, when applicable. SSA uses the information provided on Form SSA-
581 to: (1) Identify the wage earner; (2) establish the period of 
earnings information requested; (3) verify the wage earner authorized 
SSA to release this information to the requesting party; and (4) 
produce the Itemized Statement of Earnings (SSA-1826). The respondents 
are private businesses, state or local agencies, and other federal 
agencies. 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) *           **
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SSA-581...........................................          24,000                1                2              800         * $30.29       ** $24,232
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* We based this figure on average Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists hourly wage data from the BLS website. Since most respondents are
  from the private sector, and wages for private sector are comparable to those of the state and local governments, we did not differentiate between the
  two.
** 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 May 7, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the 
OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
    1. Request for Corrections of Earnings Record--20 CFR 404.820 and 
20 CFR 422.125--0960-0029. Individuals alleging inaccurate earnings 
records in SSA's files use paper Form SSA-7008, or a personal interview 
during which SSA employees key their answers into our electronic 
Earnings Modernization Item Correction system, to provide the 
information SSA needs to check

[[Page 19564]]

earnings posted, and, as necessary, initiate development to resolve any 
inaccuracies. The respondents are individuals who request correction of 
earnings posted to their Social Security earnings record.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                                      Average                                      Total annual
                                                                                                      Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual    Average wait     opportunity
                     Modality of completion                          Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity    time in field   cost for wait
                                                                    respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost           office           time
                                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **    (minutes) ***   (dollars) **
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SSA-7008........................................................          28,734               1              28          13,409        * $22.50     ** $301,702          *** 24         ** $540
In-person or telephone interview................................         337,500               1              10          56,250         * 22.50    ** 1,265,625          *** 24          ** 540
                                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................         366,234  ..............  ..............          69,659  ..............    ** 1,567,328  ..............        ** 1,080
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* We based this figure on average U.S. worker's hourly wages, 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.
*** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information data.

    2. Application for a Social Security Number Card, the Social 
Security Number Application Process (SSNAP), and internet SSN 
Replacement Card (iSSNRC) Application--20 CFR 422.103-422.110-0960-
0066. SSA collects information on the SS-5 (used in the United States) 
and SS-5-FS (used outside the United States) to issue original or 
replacement Social Security cards. SSA also enters the application data 
into the SSNAP application when issuing a card via telephone or in 
person. In addition, hospitals collect the same information on SSA's 
behalf for newborn children through the Enumeration-at-Birth process. 
In this process, parents of newborns provide hospital birth 
registration clerks with information required to register these 
newborns. Hospitals send this information to State Bureaus of Vital 
Statistics (BVS), and they send the information to SSA's National 
Computer Center. SSA then uploads the data to the SSA mainframe along 
with all other enumeration data, and we assign the newborn a Social 
Security number (SSN) and issue a Social Security card. Respondents can 
also use these modalities to request a change in their SSN records. In 
addition, the iSSNRC internet application collects information similar 
to the paper SS-5 for no-change replacement SSN cards for adult U.S. 
citizens. The iSSNRC modality allows certain applicants for SSN 
replacement cards to complete the internet application and submit the 
required evidence online rather than completing a paper Form SS-5. 
Finally, the new Online Social Security Number Application Process 
(oSSNAP) collects information similar to the paper SS-5 for no change, 
with the exception of name change, replacement SSN cards for U.S 
Citizens (adult and minor children). oSSNAP will allow certain 
applicants for SSN replacement cards to start the application process 
on-line, receive a list of evidentiary documents, and then submit the 
application data to SSA for further processing by SSA employees. 
Applicants will need to visit a local SSA office to complete the 
application process. The respondents for this collection are applicants 
for original and replacement Social Security cards, or individuals who 
wish to change information in their SSN records, who use any of the 
modalities described above.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                                      Average                                      Total annual
                                                                                                  Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    Total annual    Average wait     opportunity
                      Application scenario                           Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost     opportunity    time in field   cost for wait
                                                                    respondents      response        (minutes)        burden          amount           cost           office           time
                                                                                                                      (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **    (minutes) ***   (dollars) **
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Respondents who do not have to provide parents' SSNs............       7,380,000               1             8.5       1,107,000        * $22.50  ** $24,907,500          *** 24         ** $540
Adult U.S. Citizens requesting a replacement card with no              1,350,000               1               5         112,500         * 22.50    ** 2,531,250          *** 24          ** 540
 changes through the iSSNRC modality............................
Adult U.S. Citizens providing information to receive a                 3,500,000               1               5         291,667         * 22.50    ** 6,562,508          *** 24          ** 540
 replacement card through the oSSNAP modality+..................
Respondents whom we ask to provide parents' SSNs (when applying          190,000               1               9          28,500          *22.50      ** 641,250          *** 24          ** 540
 for original SSN cards for children under age 12)..............
Applicants age 12 or older who need to answer additional                 910,000               1              10         151,667         * 22.50    ** 3,412,508          *** 24          ** 540
 questions so SSA can determine whether we previously assigned
 an SSN.........................................................

[[Page 19565]]

 
Applicants asking for a replacement SSN card beyond the                    7,250               1              60           7,250         * 22.50      ** 163,125          *** 24          ** 540
 allowable limits (i.e., who must provide additional
 documentation to accompany the application)....................
Authorization to SSA to obtain personal information cover letter             500               1              15             125         * 22.50        ** 2,813          *** 24          ** 540
Authorization to SSA to obtain personal information follow-up                500               1              15             125         * 22.50        ** 2,813          *** 24          ** 540
 cover letter...................................................
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Totals..........................................................      13,338,250  ..............  ..............       1,698,834  ..............   ** 38,223,767  ..............        ** 4,320
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* We based this figure on average U.S. worker's hourly wages (based on BLS.gov 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.
*** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information data.
+ The number of respondents for this modality is an estimate based on google analytics data for the SS-5 form downloads from SSA.Gov.

    3. Petition for Authorization to Charge and Collect a Fee for 
Services Before the Social Security Administration--20 CFR 404.1720-
404.1730; 20 CFR 416.1520-416.1530--0960-0104. A Social Security 
claimant's representative, whether an attorney or a non-attorney, uses 
Form SSA-1560 to petition SSA for authorization to charge and collect a 
fee for their services as a representative. In addition, the 
representatives indicate on the form if they have been disbarred or 
suspended from a court or bar to which they were previously admitted to 
practice as an attorney; or if they have been disqualified from 
appearing before a Federal program or agency. SSA must authorize a fee 
to the representative, if the representative requests to be paid from 
the expected past-due benefits of the claimant. The representative 
submits the SSA-1560 after a claim decision, or any time when the 
representation is terminated, to request authorization to charge and 
collect a fee under the fee petition process. Since this information is 
mandated by regulation, the form is mandatory for the representative to 
obtain authorization to charge and collect a fee. SSA collects the 
information on a claim-by-claim basis, if the individual 
representatives decide to use this option to receive authorization of a 
fee, and representatives must submit the documentation once per claim. 
SSA employees then evaluate and process the request for authorization 
of a fee. The respondents are representatives who use this form to 
request a fee via the fee petition process.
    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) *           **
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SSA-1560..........................................          24,153                1               30           12,077         * $72.21      $** 872,080
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* We based this figure on average lawyer's salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes231011.htm).
** 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. Development of Participation in a Vocational Rehabilitation or 
Similar Program--20 CFR 404.316(c), 404.337(c), 404.352(d), 
404.1586(g), 404.1596, 404.1597(a), 404.327, 404.328, 416.1321(d), 
416.1331(a)-(b), and 416.1338, 416.1402--0960-0282. State Disability 
Determination Services (DDS) determine if Social Security disability 
payment recipients whose disability ceased and who participate in 
vocational rehabilitation programs may continue to receive disability 
payments. To do this, DDSs need information about the recipients; the 
types of program participation; and the services they receive under the 
rehabilitation program. SSA uses Form SSA-4290 to collect this 
information. The respondents are State employment networks, vocational 
rehabilitation agencies, or other providers of educational or job 
training services.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 19566]]



 
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                                                                                                                                  Average                                          Total annual
                                                                                            Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Total annual     Average wait     opportunity
                 Modality of completion                      Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity     time in field    cost for wait
                                                            respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount      cost  (dollars)       office      time  (dollars)
                                                                                                                                (dollars) *           **         (minutes) ***          **
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SSA-4290-F5.............................................           3,000                1               15              750         * $17.22       ** $12,915           *** 24          ** $413
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* We based this figure on average Social and Human Service Assistant'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.
*** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information data.


    Dated: April 1, 2020.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer,Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-07183 Filed 4-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P