[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6355-6357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01928]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2022-0065]


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) requires Federal agencies to develop an evidence-
building plan, referred to as a Learning Agenda, to identify and 
address policy questions relevant to agency programs, policies, and 
regulations. Through this Request for Information (RFI), we seek public 
input to help us expand our ongoing efforts to update and revise 
priority questions from our evidence-building activities.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them no later than March 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: 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-2022-0065 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.

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    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-2022-0065. 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 1(833) 410-1631.
    3. Mail: Mail your comments to the Office of Regulations and 
Reports Clearance, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, 3rd Floor (East) Altmeyer Building, 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, 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 an evidence-building plan, referred to as a 
Learning Agenda, to identify and address policy questions relevant to 
agency programs, policies, and regulations.\2\ As part of the process 
of developing a Learning Agenda, the law states that agencies ``shall 
consult with stakeholders, including the public, agencies, State and 
local governments, and representatives of non-governmental 
researchers.'' \3\ We published our Fiscal Years 2022-2026 Learning 
Agenda in February 2022.\4\ Our Learning Agenda is intended to be a 
flexible document so we can pivot and adjust as needed when new 
evidence is generated or as priorities change. We last published an RFI 
notice on April 20, 2021,\5\ seeking public input to help us identify 
priority questions to guide our evidence-building activities.
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    \1\ Public Law 115-435, 132 Stat. 5529.
    \2\ 5 U.S.C. 312(a); Office of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Office of 
the President, OMB M-21-27, Evidence-Based Policymaking: Learning 
Agendas and Annual Evaluation Plans (2021), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/M-21-27.pdf.
    \3\ 5 U.S.C. 312(c).
    \4\ Social Security Administration, Fiscal Years 2022--2026 
Learning Agenda, available at https://www.ssa.gov/data/data_governance_board/SSA%20FY2022-2026%20Learning%20Agenda%20Final%20032322.pdf.
    \5\ 86 FR 20585.
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Background

    For nearly 90 years, we have administered programs and provided 
services that make a difference in millions of people's lives. In 
fiscal year (FY) 2023, our programs will provide a combined total of 
about $1.4 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 
ensure equity and accessibility in delivering Social Security services 
by improving the customer experience and addressing systemic barriers 
to participation in our programs.
    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 conducted evidence-building activities 
relevant to our Equity Action Plan \6\ in accordance with Executive 
Order (E.O.) 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved 
Communities Through the Federal Government,\7\ as well as E.O. 14058 on 
Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to 
Rebuild Trust in Government.\8\ This aligns with our FYs 2022-2026 
Agency Strategic Plan,\9\ which includes deepening our understanding of 
our customers, including a strategy of what drives their evolving 
service preferences.
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    \6\ https://www.ssa.gov/open/materials/SSA-E.O.-13985-Equity-Action-Plan.pdf.
    \7\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/.
    \8\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/12/13/executive-order-on-transforming-federal-customer-experience-and-service-delivery-to-rebuild-trust-in-government/.
    \9\ Social Security Administration, FYs 2022-2026 Agency 
Strategic Plan, available at https://www.ssa.gov/agency/asp/materials/pdfs/SSA_Agency_Strategic_Plan_Fiscal_Years_2022-2026.pdf.
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    We also conducted extramural research, demonstration projects, and 
outreach under sections 234, 1110, 1115, and 1144 of the Social 
Security Act (Act).\10\ Sections 234, 1110, and 1115 of the Act provide 
the waiver authority we need 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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    \10\ 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 work support models;
     Analyze program trends, gaps, and inconsistencies; and
     Measure the public's understanding of our programs, as 
well as the impact of program changes.

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 also related to the President's broader priorities 
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 updates and revisions to priorities that 
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 comments we receive in response to this 
RFI, but will use the input to develop our Learning Agenda.
    The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, 
Kilolo Kijakazi, Ph.D., M.S.W., having reviewed and approved this 
document, is delegating the authority to

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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. 2023-01928 Filed 1-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P