[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47018-47020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18140]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Comment Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that will require clearance by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with P.L. 104-13 
effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The 
information collection packages that may be included in this notice are 
for new information collections, revisions to OMB-approved information 
collections and extensions (no change) 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 on ways to minimize 
burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments 
and recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be 
submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance Officer 
at the following addresses: (OMB) Office of Management and Budget, 
Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 
725 17th St., NW., Washington, DC 20503; (SSA) Social Security 
Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance Officer, 1-A-21 
Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235.
    I. The information collections listed below will be submitted to 
OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, your 
comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from the date of 
this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection instruments 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-0454, or by 
writing to the address listed above.

1. State Contribution Return--0960-0041

    Form SSA-3961 is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) 
to identify and account for all contributions due and paid under 
section 218 of the Social Security Act. The respondents are State 
Social Security agencies (one agency in each state, Puerto Rico, and 
the Virgin Islands) and each of approximately 65 interstate 
instrumentalities.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 117.
    Frequency of Response: 8.5.
    Average Burden Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 50 hours.

2. Report on Individual with Mental Impairment--0960-0058

    Form SSA-824 is used by the Social Security Administration to 
determine the claimant's medical status prior to making a disability 
determination. The respondents are physicians, medical directors, 
medical record librarians and other health professionals.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 36 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 30,000 hours.

3. Missing and Discrepant Wage Reports Letter and Questionnaires-0960-
0432

    SSA uses the information on Forms SSA-L93, SSA-95 and SSA-97 to 
secure the employer information missing from its records (or discrepant 
with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) records) by contacting the involved 
employers. When secured, SSA is able to properly post the employee's 
earnings records. Compliance by employers with SSA requests facilitates 
proper posting of employees' wage records. SSA makes two efforts to 
obtain wage information from the employer before the case is turned 
over to the IRS for penalty assessments. The respondents are employers 
with missing or discrepant wage reports.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 360,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 180,000 hours.
    II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to 
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would 
be most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date 
of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB clearance package 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on 410-965-0454, or by 
writing to the address listed above.

1. Continuation of Full Benefit Standard for Persons Institutionalized-
-0960-0516

    SSA is required by law to establish procedures for collecting 
information on whether an SSI recipient who becomes institutionalized 
(e.g., hospital, nursing home) may be eligible for continued benefits, 
based on the full federal benefit rate, if a physician certifies that 
the anticipated period of medical confinement will last no more than 90 
days. The individual (or someone acting on his/her behalf) must 
demonstrate that he/she needs to pay some or all of the expenses of 
maintaining the home to which he/she expects to return. The

[[Page 47019]]

respondents are applicants for SSI benefits.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,000 hours.

2. Inquiry To File an SSI Child's Application--0960-0557

    The information collected on Form SSRO-3-293 (formerly SSA-293) is 
used by SSA to document the earliest possible filing date and to 
determine potential eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
child's benefits. The respondents are individuals, such as hospital 
social workers, who inquire about SSI eligibility for low birth weight 
babies.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2,100.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Average Burden: 105 hours.

3. Supplemental Security Income Notice of Interim Assistance 
Reimbursement (Two Forms)--0960-0546

    Form SSA-8125 and SSA-L8125-F6 collect interim assistance 
reimbursement (IAR) information from the States that provide such 
assistance. Form SSA-8125 is used in situations where IAR can be 
distributed directly to the recipient after the State has deducted the 
amount of assistance it provided. Form SSA-L8125-F6 is used in 
situations where a recipient entitled to underpayments has received IAR 
from a State and SSA will control the benefit through the installment 
process.
    The respondents are States that provide IAR to SSI claimants.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       SSA-8125           SS-L8125-F6
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Number of Respondents...........  50,000............  50,000.
Frequency of Response...........  1.................  1.
Average Burden Per Response.....  10 minutes........  10 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden.........  8,333 hours.......  8,333 hours.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. National Employment Activity and Disability Survey--0960-NEW

Background

    The Ticket to Work program (TTW) was established by the 1999 Ticket 
to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act. The program will provide 
eligible Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental 
Security Income (SSI) disability beneficiaries with a Ticket, which can 
be used to obtain vocational rehabilitation (VR) or employment services 
through participating providers, called Employment Networks (ENs).
    The reason for the TTW program is that some beneficiaries currently 
lack the resources necessary to return to work at a level above the 
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level, either because they do not 
have easy access to such services, or because they lack the incentive 
to invest resources in return to work activities because of a variety 
of factors affecting the decision to work. TTW confers upon a 
beneficiary a means to access those resources in a less restrictive 
manner than under the traditional program. The manner in which the 
program is being implemented is expected to increase beneficiary demand 
for employment-related services and activities. It is also expected to 
increase the number and diversity of providers in response to the less 
restrictive participation requirements and increased consumer demand 
for services.

The National Employment Activity and Disability Survey

    The National Employment Activity and Disability Survey will collect 
data on the work-related activities of SSI and Old Age, Survivors and 
Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries as the TTW program, and 
other initiatives designed to improve beneficiary employment outcomes, 
are implemented. The TTW Survey is specifically designed to be a 
significant resource for the formal evaluation of TTW, but SSA 
anticipates that the survey will provide useful information for a 
variety of evaluation and policy analysis purposes, especially related 
to current efforts that attempt to improve return to work. The survey 
questionnaire focuses on information about beneficiaries and their 
work-related activities that cannot be obtained from SSA's 
administrative records. The survey will provide information about: (1) 
Beneficiaries who assign their Tickets to ENs, and their experience in 
the program; (2) beneficiaries who do not assign their Tickets, and the 
reasons why they do not, including involuntary non-participants; (3) 
the employment outcomes of Ticket users and other beneficiaries; and 
(4) the use of employment services by Ticket users and other 
beneficiaries. The respondents will be selected form SSI and OASDI 
disabled beneficiaries who meet the Ticket to Work program eligibility 
requirements.
    Type of Request: New OMB Information Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 6,557.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 45 minutes.
    Estimated annual Burden: 4,918 hours.

5. Record Of Supplemental Security Income Inquiry--0960-0140

    Form SSA-3462 is completed by SSA personnel via telephone or 
personal interview, and it is used to determine potential eligibility 
for SSI benefits. The respondents are individuals who inquire about SSI 
eligibility for themselves or someone else.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 2,341,856.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 195,155 hours.

6. Public Information Campaign Collections--0960-0544

    SSA uses the information from public broadcasting systems to 
determine media interest in broadcasting SSA's public information 
materials. The respondents are radio and television stations.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 8,000.
    Frequency of Response: 3.
    Average Burden Per Response: 1 minute.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 400.

[[Page 47020]]

7. State Mental Institution Policy Review--0960-0110

    SSA uses the information collected on Form SSA-9584 to determine 
whether policies and practices of State mental institutions conform 
with SSA's regulations in the use of benefits and whether an 
institution is performing other duties and responsibilities required of 
a representative payee. The information also provides a basis for 
conducting an onsite review of the institution and is used in preparing 
the subsequent report of findings. The respondents are State mental 
institutions that serve as representative payees.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved Information 
Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 125.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 125 hours.

    Dated: July 10, 2002.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-18140 Filed 7-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P