Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 60 / Friday, March 28, 1997 / Notices 14959

potential usefulness of the proposed

project for the advancement of scientific

knowledge?

(2) Project Design: (30 Points)

Is the design of the project adequate

and feasible as indicated by the

appropriateness of the work statement

and the technical approach, including:

(a) a concise and clear statement of goals

and objectives; (b) theoretical analysis of

the problem and, if appropriate,

hypotheses to be tested and/or

parameters to be estimated; (c)

specification of data sources; (d) plan

for data analysis, including

appropriateness of statistical methods to

be used; and (e) scheduling of tasks and

milestones in the progress of the

project? Does the proposal describe

specific plans for conducting the project

in terms of the tasks to be performed,

and how the approach proposed will

accomplish the project objectives?

(3) Qualifications: (30 Points)

Do the qualifications of the project

personnel, as evidenced by training,

experience, and publications,

demonstrate that they have the

knowledge of subject matter and skills

required to competently carry out the

research and to produce a final report

that is comprehensible and usable? Is

the staffing pattern appropriate for the

proposed research, linking

responsibilities clearly to project tasks?

(4) Organization and Budget: (15 Points)

Are the resources needed to conduct

the project specified, including

personnel, time, funds, and facilities?

Are any collaborative efforts with other

organizations clearly identified and

written assurances referenced? Is all

budget information provided including

a description by category (personnel,

travel, etc.) of the total of the Federal

funds required, and written assurances

referenced? Where appropriate, are

justifications and explanations of costs

provided? Are the project’s costs

reasonable in view of the level of effort

and anticipated outcome? Does the

applicant’s organization have adequate

facilities and resources to plan, conduct,

and complete the project?

7. Closing Date for Receipt of

Applications

The closing date for receipt of grant

applications for Federal funds in

response to this announcement is June

26, 1997.

Applications may be mailed or sent

by commercial carrier or personally

delivered to: Grants Management Team;

Office of Operations Contracts and

Grants; Office of Acquisition and

Grants; Social Security Administration;

1–E–4 Gwynn Oak Building; 1710

Gwynn Oak Avenue; Baltimore,

Maryland 21207.

Hand-delivered applications are

accepted during the hours of 8:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

An application will be considered as

meeting the deadline if it is either:

(a) Received on or before the deadline

date at the above address; or

(b) Mailed through the U.S. Postal

Service or sent by commercial carrier on

or before the deadline date and received

in time to be considered during the

competitive review and evaluation

process. Applicants are cautioned to

request a legibly dated U.S. Postal

Service postmark or to obtain a legibly

dated receipt from a commercial carrier

as evidence of timely mailing. Private

metered postmarks are not acceptable as

proof of timely mailing.

Applications which do not meet the

above criteria are considered late

applications. SSA will notify each late

applicant that its application will not be

considered.

Note: Facsimile Copies Will Not be

Accepted.

Notice Procedures

Paperwork Reduction Act

This notice contains reporting

requirements in the ‘‘Application

Process’’ section. However, the

information is collected using form

SSA–96–BK, Federal Assistance, which

has Office of Management and Budget

clearance No. 0960–0184.

Executive Orders 12372 and 12416—

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs

This program is not covered by the

requirements of Executive Order 12372,

as amended by Executive Order 12416,

relating to Federal agencies providing

opportunities for consultation with

State and local elected officials on

proposed Federal financial assistance or

direct Federal development.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:

Program No. 96.007, Social Security-Research

and Demonstration.)

Dated: March 20, 1997.

John J. Callahan,

Acting Commissioner of Social Security.

[FR Doc. 97–7914 Filed 3–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

Social Security Ruling SSR 97–1p. Title

XVI: Supplemental Security Income—

Income—When Inheritances Become

Income

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of Social Security ruling.

SUMMARY: In accordance with 20 CFR

422.406(b)(1), the Acting Commissioner

of Social Security gives notice of Social

Security Ruling SSR 97–1p. This Policy

Interpretation Ruling clarifies the Social

Security Administration’s longstanding

policy that State law must be taken into

account in determining the point at

which an inheritance becomes income

under Title XVI, Supplemental Security

Income for the Aged, Blind, and

Disabled, of the Social Security Act.

That is, the earliest point at which an

inheritance can become income under

Title XVI is the point at which the

individual is free, under applicable

State inheritance laws, to spend his or

her inheritance (if it is cash) or to

convert his or her inheritance to cash (if

it is not cash).

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 28, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joanne K. Castello, Division of

Regulations and Rulings, Social Security

Administration, 6401 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235, (410)

965–1711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Although

we are not required to do so pursuant

to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(1) and (a)(2), we are

publishing this Social Security Ruling

in accordance with 20 CFR

422.406(b)(1).

Social Security Rulings make

available to the public precedential

decisions relating to the Federal old-age,

survivors, disability, supplemental

security income, and black lung benefits

programs. Social Security Rulings may

be based on case decisions made at all

administrative levels of adjudication,

Federal court decisions, Commissioner’s

decisions, opinions of the Office of the

General Counsel, and other policy

interpretations of the law and

regulations.

Although Social Security Rulings do

not have the force and effect of the law

or regulations, they are binding on all

components of the Social Security

Administration, in accordance with 20

CFR 422.406(b)(1), and are to be relied

upon as precedents in adjudicating

cases.

If this Social Security Ruling is later

superseded, modified, or rescinded, we

will publish a notice in the Federal

Register to that effect.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance,

Program 96.006 Supplemental Security

Income.)
14960 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 60 / Friday, March 28, 1997 / Notices

Dated: March 21, 1997.

John J. Callahan,

Acting Commissioner of Social Security.

Policy Interpretation Ruling; Title XVI:

Supplemental Security Income—

Income—When Inheritances Become

Income

Purpose: To clarify the Social Security

Administration’s (SSA) longstanding

policy that State law must be taken into

account in determining the point at

which an inheritance becomes income

for purposes of the Supplemental

Security Income (SSI) program.

Citations (Authority): Section

1612(a)(2)(E) of the Social Security Act;

Regulations No. 16, Subpart K, sections

416.1102, 416.1121(g), and 416.1123(a).

Pertinent History: The point at which

something becomes income under the

SSI program derives from the regulatory

definition of income at 20 CFR

416.1102. Income is something an

individual receives and can use to meet

food, clothing, or shelter needs. An

implicit requirement of this definition is

that, for property other than cash to be

considered income, the individual who

receives it must have the legal right,

authority, and power to convert it to

cash (by selling it, for example). The

point at which something becomes

income is, necessarily, the point at

which it first meets this criterion.

The earliest point at which a cash

inheritance can be used to meet food,

clothing, or shelter needs is the point at

which State inheritance laws permit the

heir to spend it. The earliest point at

which inherited property other than

cash can be used to meet food, clothing,

or shelter needs is the point at which

State inheritance laws permit the heir to

convert the property (or his or her

interest in it) to cash.

In some States, an heir cannot dispose

of an inheritance until the estate is

closed. When this is the case, the

inheritance does not meet the regulatory

criteria to be considered income until

the estate is closed. In other States, an

heir may receive a contingency interest

in real property at the time of the

decedent’s death. The heir can sell this

contingency interest immediately, even

though perfect title to the property

cannot be conveyed until the estate is

closed and the value of the property

may be reduced accordingly or be

difficult to determine. However, when

the contingency interest can be valued,

this interest meets the regulatory criteria

to be considered income at the time of

the decedent’s death.

Since State law governs the point at

which inherited property first meets the

regulatory criteria for being considered

income, State law must be taken into

account in determining the point at

which inherited property becomes

income under the SSI program. This

includes cases in which State law

permits an heir to convert inherited

property to cash prior to distribution of

the assets, since failure to consider such

property as income unless and until the

assets are distributed would not be

consistent with regulations.

Policy Interpretation: The earliest

point at which an inheritance can

become income under the SSI program

is the point at which the individual is

free, under applicable State inheritance

laws, to spend the inheritance (if it is

cash) or to convert the inheritance to

cash (if it is not cash).

Effective Date: This Ruling which

merely clarifies SSA’s longstanding

policy on the treatment of inheritances

is effective on March 28, 1997.

Cross-Reference: Program Operations

Manual System, Part 5, Chapter 008,

Subchapter 30, Section SI 00830.550.

[FR Doc. 97–7831 Filed 3–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Privacy Act of 1974: Systems of

Records

AGENCY: Operating Administrations,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice to amend and delete

systems of records.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the

Privacy Act Officer, U.S. Department of

Transportation, 400 7th St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20590

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Crystal Bush at (202) 366–9713

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Department of Transportation systems

of records notices subject to the Privacy

Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended,

have been published in the Federal

Register and are available from the

above mentioned address.

The specific changes to the records

systems being amended are set forth

below followed by the notices, as

amended, and is published in their

entirety. The proposed amendments are

not within the purview of subsection (r)

of the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C.

552a), as amended, which requires the

submission of a new or altered systems

report.

DOT/OST 003

SYSTEM NAME:

Allegations of Infringement of United

States Patents.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

Office of the Secretary of

Transportation, Office of the General

Counsel, 400 7th Street, SW., Room

10102, Washington, DC 20590.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

Individuals who believe that an

agency of the Department of

Transportation is infringing a United

States patent owned by the individual.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Copies of correspondence alleging

that agencies of the Department of

Transportation have infringed, or are

infringing, United States patents owned

by the originators of the

correspondence. Copies of replies by the

Department Patent Counsel to the

originator of the allegation. Copies of

correspondence forwarding the

allegation to the particular Department

agency accused for their comment; their

replies to Patent Counsel. Copies of

correspondence between the

Department of Transportation and the

Department of Justice concerning the

allegations.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

49 CFR 1.57.

PURPOSE(S):

The purpose of the system is

document allegations that agencies of

the Department of Transportation have

infringed, or are infringing, United

States patents.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

Used as a record of allegations and

Patent Counsel’s actions thereon.

See Prefatory Statement of General

Routine Uses.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

File folders stored in file cabinets.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Indexed individually by name in

alphabetical sequence.

SAFEGUARDS:

Records are disclosed only to

individuals with established legal

interest or legal ‘‘need to know.’’