[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20585-20586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08115]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2021-0008]


Request for Information on the Foundations for Evidence-Based 
Policymaking Act of 2018 Learning Agenda

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
(Evidence Act) and implementing Executive Branch guidance requires 
Federal agencies to develop an evidence-building plan, referred to as a 
Learning Agenda, to identify and address questions relevant to agency 
programs, policies, and regulations. Through this Request for 
Information (RFI), we seek public input to help us identify priority 
questions to guide our evidence-building activities.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them no later than May 20, 2021.
    You may submit comments by any one of three methods--internet, fax, 
or mail. Do not submit the same comments multiple times or by more than 
one method. Regardless of which method you choose, please state that 
your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2021-0008 so that we may 
associate your comments with the correct docket.
    Caution: You should be careful to include in your comments only 
information that you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge 
you not to include in your comments any personal information, such as 
Social Security numbers or medical information.
    1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments 
via the internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Use the Search function to find docket number 
SSA-2021-0008. The system will issue a tracking number to confirm your 
submission. You will not be able to view your comment immediately 
because we must post each comment manually. It may take up to a week 
for your comment to be viewable.
    2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 966-2830.
    3. Mail: Mail your comments to the Office of Regulations, Social 
Security Administration, 3100 West High Rise Building, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401.
    Comments are available for public viewing on the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov or in person, during 
regular business hours, by arranging with the contact person identified 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Weathers, Office of Retirement 
and Disability Policy, Social Security Administration (SSA), 6401 
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, (410) 615-6965. For 
information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our national 
toll-free number, 1-800-325-0778, or visit our internet site, Social 
Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Evidence Act \1\ requires Federal 
agencies to develop ``a systematic plan for identifying and addressing 
policy questions relevant to the programs, policies, and regulations of 
the agency.'' \2\ This plan, referred to as a Learning Agenda, offers 
the opportunity for us to use data in order to address the key 
questions we want to answer to improve our operational and programmatic 
outcomes and to establish strategies to develop evidence to answer 
important short-and long-term strategic and operational questions.\3\ 
We seek public comments to inform the development of our Learning 
Agenda.
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    \1\ Public Law 115-435, 132 Stat. 5529.
    \2\ 5 U.S.C. 312(a).
    \3\ See Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and 
Agencies, from Russell T. Vought, Phase 1 Implementation of the 
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Learning 
Agendas, Personnel, and Planning Guidance (July 10, 2019)
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Background

    In fiscal year (FY) 2021, our programs will provide a combined 
total of about $1.2 trillion in benefit payments to an average of over 
70 million beneficiaries. The major programs we administer--the Old-Age 
Survivors and Disability Insurance program and the Supplemental 
Security Income program--provide an important source of economic 
security for millions of Americans. Our fundamental mission is to 
deliver quality Social Security services to the public.
    We conduct evidence-building activities that include pilot 
projects, demonstration projects, quantitative studies, qualitative 
studies, and mixed methods studies that inform important priorities, 
such as delivering services effectively, improving the way we conduct 
business, updating policies and regulations, and ensuring effective 
stewardship. For example, we have conducted evidence-building 
activities to inform our efforts to modernize the Social Security 
Statement. This aligns with our FYs 2018-2022 Agency Strategic Plan, 
which includes modernizing the Social Security Statement to increase 
the public's understanding of our programs as a strategy.
    We have also conducted extramural research, demonstration projects, 
and outreach under Sections 234, 1110, and 1144 of the Social Security 
Act (Act).\4\ Sections 234 and 1110 of the Act provide us with 
authority to conduct extramural research and demonstration projects, 
while section 1144 of the Act addresses outreach activities to inform 
and assist Medicare beneficiaries with low income who may be eligible 
for Medicare cost sharing or subsidized prescription drug coverage. We 
currently fund a range of projects designed to:
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    \4\ 42 U.S.C. 434, 1310, 1315, and 1320b-14, respectively.
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     Help us keep pace with advancements in medicine and 
technology;
     Modernize our vocational rules;
     Test models that promote labor force participation;
     Analyze program trends, gaps, and inconsistencies; and
     Measure the public's understanding of our programs, as 
well as the impact of program changes.
    For more information on such projects, please see the ``Research, 
Demonstration Projects, and Outreach'' section of the Supplemental 
Security

[[Page 20586]]

Income Program technical supporting materials to our FY 2021 Budget 
submission that is located on our website: https://www.ssa.gov/budget/FY21Files/2021SSI.pdf.

Request for Information

    Through this RFI, we are asking interested persons, including 
stakeholders across public and private sectors who may be familiar with 
or interested in the work of our agency, for input on evidence-building 
activities that inform important priorities for our agency, including 
those that are related to the President's broader priorities that are 
available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/priorities/. We also seek input 
on future projects that will advance our mission.
    We invite suggestions in various forms--as key questions to be 
answered, hypotheses to be tested, or problems to be investigated--that 
are focused on any area of our mission, including service delivery, 
operations, programs, policies, regulations, communication, and 
stewardship. The responses to this RFI that interested persons submit 
to us will inform our ongoing development of a set of priorities that 
will guide evidence-building activities. We will analyze information 
collected from this RFI to inform the development of our Learning 
Agenda. This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and 
should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on our 
part. We will not respond to the comments we received in response to 
this RFI, but will use the input to develop our Learning Agenda.
    The Commissioner of Social Security, Andrew Saul, having reviewed 
and approved this document, is delegating the authority to 
electronically sign this document to Faye I. Lipsky, who is the primary 
Federal Register Liaison for SSA, for purposes of publication in the 
Federal Register.

Faye I. Lipsky,
Federal Register Liaison, Office of Legislation and Congressional 
Affairs, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-08115 Filed 4-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P