NOT FOR PUB LIC ATION UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C U IT
KAY ANN NAB IS-SM ITH, ) No. 18-35757 ) Pla intiff-Appe lla

nt, ) D.C . No. 6:16-c v-01915-JR

) v. ) M EM OR A NDUM * ) ANDREW M . SAUL, ) C om m issione r of Soc ia l Se c urity , ) ) De fe nda nt-Appe lle e . ) )

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ore gon M ic ha e l J. M c Shane , Distric t Judge , Pre siding

Subm itte d July

8, 2019 ** Portla nd, Ore gon B e fore : FER

NANDEZ, GR

AB ER , a nd OW ENS, C irc uit Judge s. Kay Ann Na bis-Sm ith a

ppe a ls the distric t c ourt’ s judgm e nt a ffirm i ng the C om m issione r of Soc ia l Se c urity ’ s (C om m issione r’ s) de nia l of he r 2015
a pplic ation for supplem e nta l se c urity inc om e (SSI) be ne fits. W e a ffirm
. 

# FIL ED JUL 19 2019 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a

ppropria te for public ation a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3.

** T he pa ne l una nim ously finds this c a se suita

ble for de c ision without ora l argum e nt. Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).B e c a

use the C om

m i ssione r ha d de nie d

Na bis-Sm ith’ s e a

rlie r a pplic ation for SSI be ne fits in 2012, the

a dm inistra

tive la w judge (ALJ) c ould pre sum e tha t NabisSm i th c ontinue d to be a

ble to work unle ss Na

bis-Sm ith prove d “ c h ange d
c irc um s ta nc e s ”

— i.e ., tha

t he r im pa irm e nts ha d be c om e m ore se ve re . Se eLeste r v . C hate r , 81 F.3d 821, 827 (9th C ir. 1995); C hav e z v . Bow e n , 844 F.2d 691, 693 (9th C ir. 1988); SSAR

97-4(9), 62 Fe d. R e g. 64,038, 64,039 (De c . 3, 1997). Substa ntia l e vide nc e supports the ALJ’ s c onc lusion tha

t Na b is-Sm i th fa ile d to do
so. Se e Booz v . Se c ’yof He alth &Human Se rv s. , 734 F.2d 1378, 1380 (9th C ir. 1984). The ALJ provide d “ ‘ spe c ific and le gitim at e re a s ons’ . . . , supporte d by substa ntia l e vide nc e ,” to disc ount som e of Dr. Spille r’ s opinions re ga rding the
e xte nt of Na

bis-Sm ith’ s purporte d disa bility
. S e e Bray v . C

omm’r of Soc . Se c . Admin. , 554 F.3d 1219, 1228 (9th C ir. 2009). TheALJ a lso re a sona bly c onc lude d that the opinions of Drs. Pie

rc e y and Sm yth we re not suffic ie nt to show tha t NabisSm i th’ s c ondition had de te riorate d sinc e 2012. Se e Me ane l v . Apfe l , 172 F.3d 1111, 1113–14 (9th C ir. 1999); se e also Turne r v . C omm’r of Soc
. Se c . , 613 F.3d 1217, 1222–23 (9th C ir. 2010). Fina lly , the ALJ ga ve “ spe c i fic , c le ar and

2c onvinc i ng re a sons,” 1 supporte d by substa ntia l e v ide nc e , to disc re dit NabisSm i th’ s c la im

of c om ple te disa bility on the grounds tha

t it wa s inc onsiste nt with both he r da ily

a c tivitie s 2 and the le ve l of tre atm e nt she re c e ive d. 3 Thus, theALJ prope rly a dopte d the 2012 re sidua l func tiona l c a p a c i ty (RFC ) a sse ssm e nt, whic h inc o rporate d a ll of Na

bis-Sm ith’ s pe rtine nt limita t ions. 4 Although the ALJ e rre d

in re ly ing on voc ationa l e xpe rt te s tim ony from the 2012 he aring tha

t wa s not in the

re c o rd, 5 the e rror wa s ha

rm le ss be c a

use NabisSm i th’ s R FC re m a ine d the sa

m e an d, the re fore , the voc ationa l e xpe rt te stim ony would re m a in the sam e . Se e Tommase tti , 533 F.3d a t 1038; se e also Mc

Le od, 640 F.3d at 888. AFFIRM E D.

1 Molina v . Astrue , 674 F.3d 1104, 1112 (9th C ir. 2012) (inte rna l quota tion m arks om itte d); se e also id. at 1112–13.

2 Se e id. at 1113; se e also Burc h v . Barnhart , 400 F.3d 676, 680–81 (9th C ir. 2005); R ollins v . Massanari , 261 F.3d 853, 857 (9th C ir. 2001).

3 Se e Molina , 674 F.3d a

t 1113–14; Tommase tti v . Astrue , 533 F.3d 1035, 1039 (9th C ir. 2008).

4 Se e Turne r , 613 F.3d a

t 1223; Stubbs-Danie lson v
. Astrue , 539 F.3d 1169, 1174 (9th C ir. 2008); s e e also Mc Le od v . Astrue , 640 F.3d 881, 885 (9th C ir. 2011).
5Albalos v . Sulliva n , 907 F.2d 871, 874 (9th C ir. 1990) (pe r c uriam ); se e also 20 C
. F.R . § 416.1453(a

). 3