Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices 67443

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Request for Public Suggestions on

Ways To Support Youth With

Disabilities in Transition to Adulthood

AGENCY: Social Security Administration

(SSA).

ACTION: Notice with request for

suggestions.

SUMMARY: We are requesting suggestions

from the public on ways to support

youth with disabilities that would help

them in the transition to adulthood.

DATES: The comment period ends

February 26, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

submitted:

• In writing, to the Office of

Employment Support Programs, Social

Security Administration, 6401 Security

Boulevard, 107 Altmeyer Building,

Baltimore, MD 21235–6401;

• By E-mail to TTWWIIA@ssa.gov; or

• By telefax to (410) 966–1278.

• By web site entry to SSA’s Public

Policy Information Site at http://

policy.ssa.gov. Click on public

comment. Click on open discussions.

The direct link is http://policy.ssa.gov/

si/ttwwiia.nsf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christa Bucks Camacho, Social Security

Administration, Office of Employment

Support Programs, 6401 Security

Boulevard, 107 Altmeyer Building,

Baltimore, MD 21235–6401; Phone:

(410) 966–5147 or TTY 1 (800) 988–

5906; or through E-mail to

christa.bucks@ssa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are

publishing final rules for the Ticket to

Work and Self-Sufficiency program

(Ticket to Work program) in today’s

Federal Register. Under this program,

qualified disability beneficiaries will be

issued tickets they can use to access

vocational rehabilitation services,

employment services and other support

services from approved providers. SSA

will pay the service providers if the

beneficiaries achieve certain outcomes.

In the final rules for the Ticket to

Work program, we have decided not to

issue tickets to those beneficiaries under

age 18 or to those who have attained age

18, but for whom we have not yet

conducted a redetermination of their

eligibility under the disability standard

for adults. We are interested in

exploring various approaches to assist

youth with disabilities who receive

payments from us under one of the

programs we administer. Therefore, we

are seeking suggestions from the public

to help us develop new programs that

will assist these beneficiaries make the

transition to independence, further

education, and enhance careers in the

workforce and that will complement the

Ticket to Work program.

During the comment period for the

proposed rules for the Ticket to Work

program, we received suggestions from

the public on ways to provide

alternative tools to assist young

beneficiaries. We invite the public to

submit additional opinions and

suggestions on alternative options to

support the transition of young

beneficiaries to adulthood. To assist you

in preparing your response, we offer the

following questions as a guide.

However, we welcome any suggestions

you may have.

• What approaches could benefit

these beneficiaries in preparing for

future employment?

• What types of services might be

useful to help these beneficiaries?

• The successful completion of a

transition plan at the high school or

post-secondary level is an essential part

of preparing students with disabilities

for independence as adults. What events

or steps in the transition process could

we establish for these beneficiaries that

would demonstrate progress through

their plan towards independence,

education, and employment?

• What incentives would be

appropriate to encourage providers,

educational facilities, employers and

others to provide assistance toward

successful employment outcomes?

• Would it be appropriate and useful

to expand the Ticket age limits to

include disability beneficiaries 16 and

17 years old? How would the Ticket

program assist these individuals?

Dated: December 11, 2001.

Jo Anne B. Barnhart,

Commissioner of Social Security.

[FR Doc. 01–31568 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P