[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28585-28587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11334]
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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 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 three revisions and one extension of OMB-approved information
collections.
SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden
[[Page 28586]]
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, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].
(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].
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 July
15, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments
by writing to the above email address.
1. Electronic Benefit Verification Information (BEVE) and Internet
Benefit Verficiation (iBEVE)--20 CFR 401.40--0960-0595. The electronic
proof of income (POI) verification information service, BEVE, provides
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, Social Security, and
Medicare beneficiaries, the convenience of requesting a POI statement
through the Internet. Beneficiaries and SSI recipients often require
POI to obtain housing, food stamps, or other public services. After
verifying the requester's identity, SSA uses the information from BEVE
to provide the POI statement. The iBEVE Internet application allows the
same BEVE service the public uses to access POI and benefit
information. However, the iBEVE service allows the public instant
online access to their POI and benefit information (unlike the BEVE
service that mails the information via U.S. Postal Service). iBEVE
users are required to pass SSA's Public Credentialing and
Authentication Process (OMB No. 0960-0789) prior to entering into the
iBEVE Internet application. The respondents are Social Security and
Medicare beneficiaries, and SSI recipients.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Number of Frequency of burden per Estimated
Modality of completion respondents response response total annual
(minutes) burden (hours)
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BEVE............................................ 870,958 1 5 72,580
iBEVE........................................... 1,007,744 1 4 67,183
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Totals...................................... 1,878,702 .............. .............. 139,763
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2. Medicare Part D Subsidies Regulations--20 CFR 418.3625,
418.3645, 418.3665(a), and 418.3670--0960-0702. The Medicare
Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003
established the Medicare Part D program for voluntary prescription drug
coverage of premium, deductible, and co-payment costs for certain low-
income individuals. The MMA also mandated the provision of subsidies
for those individuals who qualify for the program and who meet
eligibility criteria for help with premium, deductible, or co-payment
costs. This law requires SSA to make eligibility determinations and to
provide a process for appealing SSA's determinations. Regulation
sections 418.3625(c), 418.3645, 418.3665(a), and 418.3670 contain
public reporting requirements pertaining to administrative review
hearings. Respondents are applicants for the Medicare Part D subsidies
who request an administrative review hearing.
Type of Request: Extension of an existing OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion respondents response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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418.3625(c)..................................... 150 1 5 13
418.3645........................................ 10 1 20 3
418.3665(a)..................................... 300 1 5 25
418.3670........................................ 0 1 10 0
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Totals...................................... 460 .............. .............. 41
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II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding the 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 June 16, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB
clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
1. Statement Regarding Marriage--20 CFR 404.726--0960-0017.
According to section 216(h)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (Act), SSA
must apply state law when determining an individual's marital status.
Some state laws recognize marriages without a ceremony (i.e., common-
law marriages). In such cases, SSA provides the same spouse or
widow(er) benefits to the common-law spouses as it does to ceremonially
married spouses. To determine common-law spouses, SSA must elicit
information from blood relatives or other persons who are knowledgeable
about the alleged common-law relationship. SSA uses Form SSA-753,
Statement Regarding Marriage, to collect information from third parties
to verify the applicant's statements about intent,
[[Page 28587]]
cohabitation, and holding out to the public as married, which are the
basic tenets of a common-law marriage. SSA uses the information to
determine if a valid marital relationship exists, and if the common-law
spouse is entitled to Social Security spouse or widow(er) benefits. The
respondents are third parties who can confirm or deny the alleged
common-law marriage.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion respondents response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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SSA-753......................................... 40,000 1 9 6,000
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2. Request for Review of Hearing Decision/Order-20 CFR 404.967-
404.981, 416.1467-416.1481-0960-0277. Claimants have a statutory right
under the Act and current regulations to request review of an
administrative law judge's (ALJ) hearing decision or dismissal of a
hearing request on Title II and Title XVI claims. Claimants may request
Appeals Council review by filing a written request using Form HA-520.
SSA uses the information to establish the claimant filed the request
for review within the prescribed time, and to ensure the claimant
completed the requisite steps permitting the Appeals Council review.
The Appeals Council uses the information to: (1) Document the
claimant's reason(s) for disagreeing with the ALJ's decision or
dismissal; (2) determine whether the claimant has additional evidence
to submit; and (3) determine whether the claimant has a representative
or wants to appoint one. The respondents are claimants requesting
review of an ALJ's decision or dismissal of hearing.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Estimated
Number of Frequency of Average burden total annual
Modality of completion respondents response per response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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HA-520.......................................... 171,000 1 10 28,500
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Dated: May 13, 2014.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-11334 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
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