16208 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 1997 / Notices

3Applicants request that the 100% authority

sought herein in connection with the Prior Orders

be extended to apply as well to the use of proceeds

from the issuance and sale of debt securities by

Cinergy pursuant to the authority sought in the

pending application in file no. 70–8993 and to

another application Cinergy expects to file shortly

seeking authority to issue and sell additional

securities, including common stock and short-term

notes, the proceeds of which would be used to

invest in, among other things, EWGs and FUCOs.

(‘‘Investments’’), its wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary (collectively

‘‘Applicants’’), both located at 139 East

Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202,

have filed an application-declaration

under sections 6(a), 7, 12(b), 32 and 33

of the Act and rules 45, 53, and 54

thereunder.

Applicants are currently authorized,

under the terms of orders and

supplemental orders issued under File

Nos. 70–8477 [HCAR Nos. 26159

(November 18, 1994) and 26477

(February 23, 1996)], 70–8521 [HCAR

Nos. 26215 (January 11, 1995) and

26488 (March 12, 1996)], and 70–8589

[HCAR Nos. 26376 (September 21, 1995)

and 26486 (March 8, 1996)]

(collectively, the ‘‘Prior Orders’’), among

other things, to use the proceeds of the

issuance of short term debt and common

stock to invest, directly or indirectly

through one or more special purpose

subsidiaries or project parents, in

exempt wholesale generators (‘‘EWGs’’)

and foreign utility companies

(‘‘FUCOs’’), and to issue guarantees of

the obligations of such entities,

provided that the total of the net

proceeds used for such investments and

guarantees outstanding at any one time

shall not, when added to Cinergy’s

‘‘aggregate investment’’ (as defined in

rule 53(a) under the Act) in all EWGs

and FUCOs, exceed 50% of Cinergy’s

‘‘consolidated retained earnings’’ (as

defined in rule 53(a)). This investment

limitation is consistent with the

investment limitation contained in rule

53(a)(1).

Applicants request the Commission to

modify this limitation, and exempt them

from the requirements of rule 53(a)(1),

to permit Cinergy to use the net

proceeds of common stock sales and

borrowings to acquire, directly or

indirectly, the securities of, or other

interests in, EWGs and FUCOs, and to

issue guarantees of the obligations of

such entities (all as authorized by and

in accordance with the terms of the

Prior Orders) in an aggregate amount

that, when added to Cinergy’s direct and

indirect ‘‘aggregate investment,’’ as

defined, in all EWGs and FUCOs, would

not at any time exceed 100% of

Cinergy’s ‘‘consolidated retained

earnings,’’ as defined (‘‘100%

authority’’).3 The current amount of

Cinergy’s ‘‘aggregate investment,’’ as

defined, in EWGS and FUCOs

(approximately $495 million as of

January 31, 1997) represents

approximately 50% of its ‘‘consolidated

retained earnings,’’ as defined

(approximately $990 million as of

December 31, 1996). Increasing this

limitation as Applicants propose would

allow financing of additional

investments in EWGs and FUCOs of

approximately $495 million based on

Cinergy’s consolidated retained earnings

as of December 31, 1996.

Applicants state that Cinergy is

committed to making additional

investments in EWGs and FUCOs,

primarily because (1) current

projections indicate that for at least the

next eight years Cinergy will not need

to make any new equity investment in

any of its utility subsidiaries; (2)

acquisitions of EWGs and FUCOs give

Cinergy the opportunity to continue to

grow through reinvestment of retained

earnings in an industry sector that

Cinergy has decades of experience in,

while at the same time diversifying

overall asset risk; and (3) Cinergy has

purposely invested in utility systems in

foreign countries where deregulation of

and competition in retail and wholesale

electricity markets is more fully

developed than in the United States in

order to gain experience with

deregulated markets that will enhance

Cinergy’s ability to make its core

domestic utility operations more

competitive and efficient in the future

as the United States moves toward

deregulation and increased competition.

Applicants also describe comprehensive

procedures that Cinergy has established

to identify and address risks involved in

EWG and FUCO investments.

Cinergy states that the use of

financing proceeds and guarantees to

make investments in EWGs and FUCOs

to the proposed increased level will not

have a substantial adverse impact on the

financial integrity of the Cinergy system

or an adverse impact on any utility

subsidiary of Cinergy or its customers or

on the ability of the affected state

commissions to protect such customers.

Applicants also state that Cinergy will

not seek recovery through higher rates

to its utility subsidiaries’ customers in

order to compensate Cinergy for any

possible losses that it may sustain on

investments in EWGs and FUCOs or for

any inadequate returns on such

investments. In addition, Cinergy will

not cause or permit its utility

subsidiaries to mortgage, pledge or

otherwise encumber or use as collateral

any of their properties or assets in

connection with any direct or indirect

acquisition by Cinergy of any interest in

any EWG or FUCO.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Investment Management, pursuant to

delegated authority.

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–8654 Filed 4–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection

Requests

This notice lists information

collection packages that will require

submission to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), in compliance with

Pub. L. 104–13 effective October 1,

1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995.

1. Request for Withdrawal of

Application—0960–0015. In certain

situations receiving social security

benefits may be to the applicant’s

disadvantage and they wish to withdraw

their application. The information

collected on Form SSA–521 is used by

the Social Security Administration to

process a request for withdrawal of an

application for benefits. The

respondents are individuals who file a

claim and later wish to withdraw it.

Number of Respondents: 100,000.

Frequency of Response: 5 minutes.

Average Burden Per Response: 5

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333

hours.

2. SSA/DDS Cost-Effectiveness

Measurement System Data Reporting

Form—0960–0384. The information

collected on Form SSA–1461 is used by

the Social Security Administration

(SSA) to analyze and evaluate the costs

incurred by the State Disability

Determination Services (DDS) in making

determinations of disability for SSA.

The data is also used in determining

funding levels. The respondents are the

State DDS offices.

Number of Respondents: 52.

Frequency of Response: 4 per year.

Average Burden Per Response: 6

hours.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,248

hours.

3. Claim for Amounts Due in the Case

of a Deceased Beneficiary—0960–0101.

Section 204(d) of the Social Security Act

provides that if a beneficiary dies before

payment of Social Security title II

benefits has been completed, the

amount due will be paid to persons

meeting specified qualifications. The

information collected on Form SSA–
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 1997 / Notices 16209

1724 is used by the Social Security

Administration to determine whether an

individual is entitled to the

underpayment. The respondents are

applicants for the underpayment of a

deceased beneficiary.

Number of Respondents: 300,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 10

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 50,000

hours.

4. Supplement to Claim of Person

Outside the United States—0960–0051.

The information collected on Form

SSA–21 is used to determine the

continuing entitlement to Social

Security benefits and the proper benefit

amounts of alien beneficiaries living

outside the United States. It is also used

to determine whether benefits are

subject to tax withholding. The

respondents are individuals entitled to

Social Security benefits who are, will

be, or have been residing outside the

United States.

Number of Respondents: 35,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 5

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 2,917

hours.

5. Statement of Care and

Responsibility for Beneficiary—0960–

0109. When an individual requests to

act as representative payee for someone

not in their custody, the Social Security

Administration must determine if this

individual is the most qualified to serve

in the beneficiary’s best interests. The

information collected on Form SSA–788

is used to corroborate the statements of

concern made by the representative

payee applicant and to identify other

potential representative payees. The

respondents are individuals who have

custody of the beneficiaries for whom

someone else has filed to be the

representative payee.

Number of Respondents: 130,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden of Response: 10

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 21,667

hours.

6. Statement of Claimant or Other

Person—0960–0045. Form SSA–795 is

completed by Social Security or SSI

applicants when additional information

is needed and there is no standard form

which collects the information. The

information is used by the Social

Security Administration to process

claims for benefits. The respondents are

applicants for Social Security or SSI

benefits.

Number of Respondents: 305,500.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 15

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 75,375

hours.

7. Application for Disability Insurance

Benefits—0960–0060. The information

collected on Form SSA–16 by the Social

Security Administration is used to

determine an applicant’s entitlement to

Social Security disability benefits. The

respondents are applicants for Social

Security disability benefits.

Number of Respondents: 1,000,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 20

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 333,333.

8. Statement for Determining

Continuing Eligibility for Supplemental

Security Income Payment—0960–0145.

The information collected on Form

SSA–8202 is used by the Social Security

Administration to determine a

beneficiary’s continuing eligibility for

and the amount of their SSI payments.

The information collected also assists

SSI recipients to obtain food stamps and

is used by agencies administering

Medicaid programs in ascertaining the

legal liability of third parties to pay for

care and services. The respondents are

recipients of SSI benefits.

Number of Respondents: 818,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 11

minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 149,967

hours.

Written comments and

recommendations regarding the

information collection(s) should be sent

within 60 days from the date of this

publication, directly to the SSA Reports

Clearance Officer at the following

address: Social Security Administration,

DCFAM; Attn: Judith T. Hasche; 6401

Security Blvd., 1–A–21 Operations

Bldg.; Baltimore, MD 21235.

In addition to your comments on the

accuracy of the agency’s burden

estimate, we are soliciting comments on

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.

To receive a copy of any of the forms

or clearance packages, call the SSA

Reports Clearance Officer on (410) 965–

4123 or write to her at the address listed

above.

Dated: March 31, 1997.

Frederick W. Brickenkamp,

Forms Management Officer, Social Security

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–8564 Filed 4–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

Testing Modifications to the Disability

Determination Procedures; Federal

Processing Center Testing

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of the test site and the

duration of testing involving

modifications to the disability

determination procedures.

SUMMARY: The Social Security

Administration (SSA) is announcing the

location and the duration of additional

testing that it will conduct under the

current rules at 20 CFR §§ 404.906,

404.943, 416.1406, and 416.1443. Those

rules authorize the testing of several

modifications to the disability

determination procedures that we

normally follow in adjudicating claims

for disability insurance benefits under

title II of the Social Security Act (the

Act) and claims for supplemental

security income (SSI) based on

disability under title XVI of the Act.

This notice announces the test site and

duration of testing involving a

combination of features of the proposed

redesigned disability process. The

notice also describes additional features

that will allow us to test the

effectiveness of processing cases under

a combination of the models in a

Federal processing center.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harry Pippin, Disability Models Team

Leader, Office of Disability, Disability

Process Redesign Staff, Social Security

Administration, 6401 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235,

410–965–9203.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current

regulations at 20 CFR §§ 404.906,

404.943, 416.1406, and 416.1443

authorize us to test different

modifications to the disability

determination procedures. We describe

the use of all four features of the testing

modifications to the disability

determination procedures as the full

process model. Those modifications are:

the use of a single decisionmaker who

may make the disability determination

without requiring the signature of a

medical consultant; the conducting of a

predecisional interview in which a

claimant, for whom SSA does not have

sufficient information to make a fully

favorable determination or the evidence

requires an initial determination

denying the claim, can present

additional information to the

decisionmaker; the elimination of the

reconsideration step in the

administrative review process; and the

use of an adjudication officer who will

conduct prehearing procedures and, if

appropriate, will issue a decision

wholly favorable to the claimant.