[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 22 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8246-8250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02341]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No SSA-2021-0002]


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.

[[Page 8247]]

    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

    Comments: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Submit your 
comments online, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2021-0002].

(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 https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2021-0002].
    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 
April 5, 2021. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by writing to the above email address.
    1. Supplement to Claim of Person Outside the United States--20 CFR 
404.460, 404.46, 422.505(b), and 42 CFR 407.27(c)--0960-0051. Claimants 
or beneficiaries (both United States (U.S.) citizens and aliens 
entitled to benefits) living outside the U.S. complete Form SSA-21 as a 
supplement to an application for benefits. SSA collects the information 
to determine eligibility for U.S. Social Security benefits for those 
months an alien beneficiary or claimant is outside the U.S., and to 
determine if tax withholding applies. In addition, SSA uses the 
information to: (1) Allow beneficiaries or claimants to request a 
special payment exception in an SSA restricted country; (2) terminate 
supplemental medical insurance coverage for recipients who request it, 
because they are, or will be, out of the U.S.; and (3) allow claimants 
to collect a lump sum death benefit if the number holder died outside 
the U.S. and we do not have information to determine whether the lump 
sum death benefit is payable under the Social Security Act. The 
respondents are Social Security claimants, or individuals entitled to 
Social Security benefits, who are, were, or will be residing outside 
the United States for three months or longer.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Average
                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost    time in field    opportunity
                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount          office           cost
                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (minutes) **    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper version--U.S. Residents...........             360               1              14              84        * $18.23              24          $4,156
Paper version--Residents of a Tax Treaty           1,978               1               9             297         * 18.23  ..............       *** 5,414
 Country................................
Paper version --Nonresident aliens......           1,379               1               8             184         * 18.23  ..............       *** 3,354
Intranet version--(MCS)--U.S. Residents.             441               1              11              81         * 18.23  ..............       *** 1,477
Intranet version--(MCS)--Residents of a            2,426               1               6             243         * 18.23  ..............       *** 4,430
 Tax Treaty Country.....................
Intranet version--(MCS)--Nonresident               1,691               1               5             141         * 18.23  ..............       *** 2,570
 aliens.................................
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................           8,275  ..............  ..............           1,030  ..............  ..............      *** 21,401
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on averaging both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2020 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2020Fact%20Sheet.pdf), and the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information 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.

    2. You Can Make Your Payment by Credit Card--0960-0462. Using 
information from Form SSA-4588 and its electronic application, Form 
SSA-4589, SSA updates individuals' Social Security records to reflect 
payments made on their overpayments. In addition, SSA uses this 
information to process payments through the appropriate credit card 
company. SSA provides the SSA-4588 when we inform an individual that we 
detected an overpayment. Individuals may choose to make a one-time 
payment or recurring monthly payments by completing and submitting the 
SSA-4588. SSA uses the SSA-4589 electronic Intranet application only 
when individuals choose to telephone the Program Service Centers to 
make a one-time payment in lieu of completing Form SSA-4588. An SSA 
debtor contact representative completes the SSA-4589 electronic 
Intranet application. Respondents are Old Age Survivors and Disability 
Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
recipients who have outstanding overpayments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 8248]]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Average
                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost    time in field    opportunity
                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount          office           cost
                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (minutes) **    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-4588 (Paper)........................          16,500               1              10           2,750        * $10.73           ** 24    *** $100,326
SSA-4589 (Electronic)...................         258,500               1               5          21,542         * 10.73  ..............     *** 231,146
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................         275,000  ..............  ..............          24,292  ..............  ..............     *** 331,472
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2020 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2020Fact%20Sheet.pdf).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information 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.

    3. Screen Pop--20 CFR 401.45--0960-0790. Section 205(a) of the 
Social Security Act requires SSA to verify the identity of individuals 
who request a record or information pertaining to themselves, and to 
establish procedures for disclosing personal information. SSA 
established Screen Pop, an automated telephone process, to speed 
verification for such individuals. Accessing Screen Pop, callers enter 
their Social Security number (SSN) using their telephone keypad or 
speech technology prior to speaking with a National 800 Number Network 
(N8NN) agent. The automated Screen Pop application collects the SSN and 
routes it to the ``Start New Call'' Customer Help and Information 
(CHIP) screen. Functionality for the Screen Pop application ends once 
the SSN connects to the CHIP screen and the SSN routes to the agent's 
screen. When the call connects to the N8NN agent, the agent can use the 
SSN to access the caller's record as needed. The respondents for this 
collection are individuals who contact SSA's N8NN to speak with an 
agent.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                            Average      Average  wait
                                                                            Average        Estimated      theoretical      time for       Total annual
        Modality of  completion            Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     teleservice   opportunity cost
                                          respondents      response        response         burden          amount          centers       (dollars) ***
                                                                           (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (minutes) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screen Pop............................      50,487,044               1               1         841,451        * $25.72           ** 17  *** $389,558,027
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for teleservice centers, based on SSA's current management information 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.

    4. Application for Access to SSA Systems--20 CFR 401.45--0960-0791. 
SSA uses Form SSA-120, Application for Access to SSA Systems, to allow 
limited access to SSA's information resources for SSA employees and 
non-Federal employees (contractors). SSA requires supervisory approval, 
and local or component Security Officer review, before granting this 
access. The respondents are SSA employees and non-Federal Employees 
(contractors) who require access to SSA systems to perform their jobs.

    Note: Because SSA employees are Federal workers exempt from the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the burden below is 
only for SSA contractors.

    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-120 (Paper version).................................             685               1               2              23        * $48.80       ** $1,122
SSA-120 (Internet version)..............................          14,282               1               2             476         * 48.80       ** 23,229
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................          14,967  ..............  ..............             499  ..............      *** 24,351
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on average Federal Executive Branch worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_999100.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.

    5. Request to Show Cause for Failure to Appear--20 CFR 404.938, 
404.957(b)(1), and 416.1438--0960-0794. When claimants who requested a 
hearing before a judge fail to appear at their scheduled hearing, the 
judge may reschedule the hearing if the claimants establish good cause 
for missing the hearings. To establish good cause, respondents must 
show proof of one of the following: (1) SSA did not properly notify the 
claimant of the hearing; or (2)

[[Page 8249]]

an unexpected event occurred without sufficient time for the claimant 
to request a postponement. The claimants can use paper Form HA-L90 or 
HA-L90-OP1 to provide their reason for not appearing at their scheduled 
hearings; or the claimants' representatives can use Electronic Records 
Express (ERE), OMB Control No. 0960-0753, to submit the HA-L90 online. 
SSA uses the HA-L90 for new cases, and the HA-L90-OP1 for 
redetermination cases. We need two versions of the paper form, as the 
judge follows different procedures when determining the good cause on 
redetermination cases (cases that have a prior decision and evidence on 
file), than they do for new cases (where we have no evidence on file). 
The ERE modality adjusts for redetermination cases, so we only need one 
version of the internet screens. If the judge determines the claimant 
established good cause for failure to appear at the hearing, the judge 
will schedule a supplemental hearing; if not, the judge will make a 
claims eligibility determination based on the claimants' evidence of 
record. Respondents are claimants, or their representatives, seeking to 
establish good cause for failure to appear at a scheduled hearing 
before a judge.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-L90..................................................          39,500               1              10           6,583        * $18.23     ** $120,008
HA-L90-OP1..............................................             500               1              10              83         * 18.23        ** 1,513
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................          40,000  ..............  ..............           6,666  ..............      ** 121,521
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on averaging both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2020 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2020Fact%20Sheet.pdf), and the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** This figure does not represent actual costs that we are 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 March 8, 2021. Individuals can obtain copies of 
these OMB clearance packages by writing to 
[email protected].
    1. Help America Vote Act--0960-0706. Public Law 107-252, the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002, mandates that States verify the identities of 
newly registered voters. When newly registered voters do not have 
driver's licenses or State-issued ID cards, they must supply the last 
four digits of their Social Security number to their local State 
election agencies for verification. The election agencies forward this 
information to their State Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), and the 
State MVA inputs the data into the American Association of MVAs, a 
central consolidation system that routes the voter data to SSA's Help 
America Vote Verification (HAVV) system. Once SSA's HAVV system 
verifies the Social Security Number of the voter, the information 
returns along the same route in reverse until it reaches the State 
election agency. The respondents are the State MVAs seeking to confirm 
voter identities.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of      Number of      burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                            respondents      response        responses       response     burden (hours)      amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)                      (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HAVV....................................              48          87,332       4,191,936               2         139,731        * $17.51   ** $2,446,690
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on average local government information and records clerk's salary shown on the Bureau of Labor Statistic's website (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434199.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.

    Cost Burden: Per our current management information data, the 48 
state MVAs participating in HAVA each pay an annual maintenance cost of 
$4,400. Additionally, states pay .05 cents per verification request. 
Therefore, the total cost to respondents is $420,797.
    2. Incoming and Outgoing Intergovernmental Personnel Act Assignment 
Agreement--5 CFR part 334--0960-0792. The Intergovernmental Personnel 
Act (IPA) mobility program provides for the temporary assignment of 
civilian personnel between the Federal Government and State and local 
governments; colleges and universities; Indian tribal governments; 
federally funded research and development centers; and other eligible 
organizations. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) created a 
generic form, the OF-69, for agencies to use as a template when 
collecting information for the IPA assignment. The OF-69 collects 
information about the assignment including: (1) The enrolled employee's 
name, Social Security number, job title, salary, classification, and 
address; (2) the type of assignment; (3) the reimbursement arrangement; 
and (4) an explanation as to how the assignment benefits both SSA and 
the non-federal organization involved in the exchange. OPM directs 
agencies to use their own forms for recording these agreements.

[[Page 8250]]

Therefore, SSA modified the OF-69 to meet our needs, creating the SSA-
187 for incoming employees and the SSA-188 for outgoing employees. SSA 
collects information on the SSA-187 and SSA-188 to document the IPA 
assignment, and to serve as an agreement between the agencies. 
Respondents are personnel from State and local governments; colleges 
and universities; Indian tribal governments; federally funded research 
and development centers; and other eligible organizations who 
participate in the IPA exchange with SSA.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Federal employee....................................               3               1              30               2        * $50.00         ** $100
Non-Federal employer signers............................              12               1               5               1         * 50.00           ** 50
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................              15  ..............  ..............               3  ..............          ** 150
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on averaging the average of Postsecondary Education Administrators and Executive Branch Management Analysts hourly wages, as
  reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119033.htm & https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131111.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.


    Dated: February 1, 2021.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-02341 Filed 2-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P