[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35990-35992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11579]
[[Page 35990]]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No: SSA-2023-0014]
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.
Comments: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Submit your
comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2023-0014].
(SSA) Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance
Director, Mail Stop 3253 Altmeyer, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD
21235, Fax: 833-410-1631, Email address: [email protected].
Or you may submit your comments online through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2023-0014].
I. The information collections below are 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 July
31, 2023. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments
by writing to the above email address.
1. Missing and Discrepant Wage Reports Letter and Questionnaire--26
CFR 31.6051-2--0960-0432. Each year employers report the wage amounts
they paid their employees to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax
purposes, and separately to SSA for retirement and disability coverage
purposes. Employers should report the same figures to SSA and the IRS;
however, each year some of the employer wage reports SSA receives show
wage amounts lower than those employers report to the IRS. SSA uses
Forms SSA-L93-SM, SSA-L94-SM, SSA-95-SM, and SSA-97-SM to request
revised amounts to ensure employees receive full credit for their
wages. SSA is also creating the online IRS/SSA Reconciliation portal
which is a streamlined version of the SSA-95-SM and the SSA-97-SM. The
IRS/SSA Reconciliation portal will guide employers to the appropriate
solutions and will link the users to online tools to correct issues.
The respondents are employers who reported lower wage amounts to SSA
than they reported to the IRS.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated theoretical Total annual
Modality of completion for forms Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost opportunity
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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SSA-95-SM and SSA-97-SM (and accompanying cover letters 356,800 1 30 178,400 * $28.01 ** $4,996,984
SSA-L93, L94) (paper version)..........................
IRS/SSA Reconciliation (online version)................. 89,200 1 30 44,600 28.01 ** 1,249,246
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Totals.............................................. 446,000 .............. .............. 223,000 .............. 6,246,230
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* We based this figure on 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 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. Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain
Wage and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers--0960-0807.
Section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015, Public Law 114-
74, authorizes the Social Security Administration (SSA) to enter into
information exchanges with payroll data providers for the purposes of
improving program administration and preventing improper payments in
the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) programs. SSA uses Form SSA-8240, ``Authorization
for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment
Information from Payroll Data Providers,'' to secure the authorization
needed from the relevant members of the public to obtain their wage and
employment information from payroll data providers. Ultimately, SSA
uses this wage and employment information to help determine program
eligibility and payment amounts.
The public can complete Form SSA-8240 using the following
modalities: a paper form; the internet; and an in-office or telephone
interview, during which an SSA employee documents the wage and
employment information authorization information on one of SSA's
internal systems (the Modernized Claims System (MCS); the SSI Claims
System; eWork; or iMain). The individual's authorization remains
effective until one of the following four events occurs:
SSA makes a final adverse decision on the application for
benefits, and the applicant has filed no other claims or appeals under
the Title for which SSA obtained the authorization;
the individual's eligibility for payments ends, and the
individual has not filed other claims or appeals under the Title for
which SSA obtained the authorization;
the individual revokes the authorization verbally or in
writing; or
the deeming relationship ends (for SSI purposes only).
SSA requests authorization on an as-needed basis as part of the
following processes: (a) SSDI and SSI initial claims; (b) SSI
redeterminations; and (c) SSDI Work Continuing Disability Reviews. The
respondents are individuals who file for, or are currently receiving,
SSDI or SSI payments, and any person whose income and resources SSA
counts when determining an individual's SSI eligibility or payment
amount.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB approved information
collection.
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Average wait
Average time in field
Number of Frequency of Average burden Estimated theoretical office or for Total annual
Modality of completion respondents response per response total annual hourly cost teleservice opportunity cost
(minutes) burden (hours) amount centers (dollars) ***
(dollars) * (minutes) **
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SSA-8240 (paper)..................... 150,000 1 8 20,000 * $12.81 .............. *** $256,200
Web Title II & Title XVI Electronic 697,580 1 3 34,879 * 12.81 * 21 *** 3,574,400
(MCS, MSSICS, and eWork)............
Internet............................. 147,820 1 3 7,391 * 12.81 0 *** 94,679
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Totals........................... 995,400 .............. .............. 62,270 .............. .............. *** 3,925,279
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2023 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2023factsheet.pdf).
** We based this figure by averaging the average FY 2023 wait times for field offices and 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 the application.
3. Notice to Electronic Information Exchange Partners to Provide
Contractor List--0960-0820. The Federal standards of the Privacy Act of
1974; E-Government act of 2002; and the National Institute of Standard
Special Publications 800-53-4, require SSA to maintain oversight of the
information it provides to Electronic Information Exchange Partners
(EIEPs). EIEPs obtain SSA data for the administration of federally
funded and state-administered programs. SSA has a responsibility to
monitor and protect the personally identifiable information SSA shares
with other Federal and State agencies, and private organizations
through the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act, and the
Information Exchange Agreements (IEA). Under the terms of the State
Transmission Component IEA, and agency IEA, EIEPs agree to comply with
Electronic Information Exchange security requirements and procedures
for State and local Agencies exchanging electronic information with
SSA. SSA's Technical Systems Security Requirements document provides
all agencies using SSA data ensure SSA's information is not processed;
maintained; transmitted; or stored in; or by means of data
communications channel; electronic devices; computers; or computer
networks located in geographic or virtual areas not subject to U.S.
law. SSA conducts tri-annual compliance reviews of all State and local
agencies, and Tribes with whom we have an IEA, to verify appropriate
security safeguards remain in place to protect the confidentiality of
information SSA supplies. SSA requires any organization with an
electronic data exchange agreement, to provide the SSA Regional Office
contact a current list of contractors, or agents who have access to SSA
data upon request. SSA uses Form SSA-731, Notice to Electronic
Information Exchange Partners to Provide Contractor List to collect
this information. The respondents are Federal agencies, as well as
State, local, or tribal agencies who exchange electronic information
with SSA.
Type of Request: Revision to 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-731........................................... 300 1 20 100 $28.01* $2.801**
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* We based this figure on average State, local and tribal government worker's salaries, 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 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 collection below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding this information collection 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 July 3, 2023. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB
clearance package by writing to [email protected].
Evidence From Excluded Medical Sources of Evidence--20 CFR
404.1503b and 416.903b--0960-0803. Section 812 of the Bipartisan Budget
Act of 2015 (BBA), ``Exclusion of certain medical sources of
evidence,'' mandates that SSA exclude evidence in disability decisions
from certain medical sources. BBA Section 812 amended section 223(d)(5)
of the Social Security Act (Act) by adding a subsection ``C.'' Section
223(d)(5)(C)(i) of the Act, as amended, requires SSA to exclude
evidence (except for good cause) from medical sources: (1) convicted of
a felony under sections 208 or 1632 of the Act; (2) excluded from
participating in any Federal health care program under section 1128 of
the Act; or (3) imposed with a civil monetary penalty (CMP),
assessment, or both, for submitting false evidence, under section 1129
of the Act. We also implemented section 223(d)(5)(C), as amended,
through regulations at 20 CFR 404.1503b and 416.903b of the Code of
Federal Regulations. These regulations require excluded medical sources
to self-report their excluded status, in writing, each time they submit
evidence related to a claim for benefits under Titles II or XVI of the
Act. Excluded medical sources' duty to self-report their excluded
status applies to evidence they submit to SSA directly, or through a
representative, claimant, or other individual or entity. As needed, SSA
informs the medical sources we suspect should be excluded of these
requirements through a Fact Sheet we send to them via mail, or which
they can find on our website where we list the regulatory requirements
under BBA section 812. In addition, along with the Fact Sheet and
website, we provide sample statements as templates which the affected
medical sources can use to create their own written statements as
required under our regulations. The respondents for
[[Page 35992]]
this collection are medical sources that: (1) meet one of the
exclusionary categories set forth in section 223(d)(5)(C)(i) of the
Act, as amended; (2) furnish evidence related to a claim for benefits
under Titles II or XVI of the Act; and (3) had failed to self-identify
as an excluded source of medical evidence as required in Section
223(d(5)(C)(i).
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 Number of per response annual burden hourly cost opportunity
respondents response responses (minutes) (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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404.1503b(c), 416.903b(c)........ 200 3 600 20 200 $43.80 * $8,760 **
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* We based this figure on the average Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor
Statistics data (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (bls.gov)).
** 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: May 25, 2023.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-11579 Filed 5-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P