2013-26953. 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 and one extension 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, Fax: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

(SSA) Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

I. The information collection below is 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 January 13, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by writing to the above email address.

Statement of Agricultural Employer (Year Prior to 1988; and 1988 and later)—20 CFR 404.702, 404.802, 404.1056—0960-0036. If agricultural workers believe their employers (1) did not report their wages or (2) reported incorrect wage amounts, SSA will assist them in resolving this issue. Specifically, SSA will send Forms SSA-1002-F3 or SSA-1003-F3 to the agricultural employers to collect evidence of wages paid. The respondents are agricultural employers whose workers request wage verification or correction for their earnings records.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
SSA-1002	7,500	1	30	3,750
SSA-1003	25,000	1	30	12,500
Totals	32,500			16,250

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 December 12, 2013. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance packages by writing to [e-mail].

1. Request for Corrections of Earnings Record—20 CFR 404.820 and 20 CFR 422.125—0960-0029. Individuals alleging their earnings records in SSA's files are inaccurate use Form SSA-7008 to provide the information SSA needs to check earnings posted, and as necessary, initiate development to resolve any inaccuracies. The respondents are individuals who request correction of earnings posted to their Social Security earnings record.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
Paper Form	37,500	1	10	6,250
In-Person or Telephone Interview	337,500	1	10	56,250
Totals	375,000			62,500

2. Incorporation by Reference of Oral Findings of Fact and Rationale in Wholly Favorable Written Decisions (Bench Decision Regulation)—20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453—0960-0694. If an administrative law judge (ALJ) makes a wholly favorable oral decision that includes all the findings and rationale for the decision for a claimant of Title II or Title XVI payments at an administrative appeals hearing, the ALJ sends a Notice of Decision (Form HA-82), as the records from the oral hearing preclude the need for a written decision. We call this the incorporation-by-reference process. In addition, the regulations for this process state that if the involved parties want a record of the oral decision, they may submit a written request for these records. SSA collects identifying information under the aegis of Sections 20 CFR 404.953 and 416.1453 of the Code of Federal Regulations to determine how to send interested individuals written records of a favorable incorporation-by-reference oral decision made at an administrative review hearing. Since there is no prescribed form to request a written record of the decision, the involved parties send SSA their contact information and reference the hearing for which they would like a record. The respondents are applicants for Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or their representatives to whom SSA gave a wholly favorable oral decision under the regulations cited above.

Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information collection.

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
HA-82	2,500	1	5	208

3. Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)—20 CFR 435.51-435.52—0960-0768. In March of 2013, Social Security announced its intention to award grants to reestablish community-based protection and advocacy projects in every State, U.S. Territories, and the Hopi and Navajo tribal nations, as authorized under Section 1150 of the Social Security Act (Act). Awardees are the 57 Protection & Advocacy (P&A) organizations established under Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The PABSS projects are part of Social Security's strategy to increase the number of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or SSI recipients who return to work and achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency as the result of receiving support, representation, advocacy, or other services. The overarching objective of the PABSS program is to provide information and advice about obtaining vocational rehabilitation and employment services, and to provide advocacy or other services a beneficiary with a disability may need to secure, maintain, or regain gainful employment. The PABSS Annual Program Performance Report collects statistical information from each of the PABSS projects in an effort to manage and capture program performance and quantitative data. Social Security uses the information to evaluate the efficacy of the program, and to ensure beneficiaries are receiving quality services. The project data is valuable to Social Security in its analysis of and future planning for the SSDI and SSI programs. The respondents are the 57 PABSS project sites, and recipients of SSDI and SSI programs.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
PABSS Program Grantees	57	1	60	57
Beneficiaries	5,000	1	30	2,500
Totals	5,057			2,557

Dated: November 6, 2013.

Faye Lipsky,

Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.