[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67615-67616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32027]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Comment Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that will require clearance by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Pub. L. 104-13 
effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 on ways to minimize burden on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the information 
collection(s) should be submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA 
Reports Clearance Officer and at the following addresses:
(OMB)
Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 
20503
(SSA)
Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance Officer, 
1A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235

    I. The information collections listed below will be submitted to 
OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, your 
comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from the date of 
this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection instruments 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-4145, or by 
writing to him at the address listed above.
    1. Authorization To Obtain Earnings Data For The Social Security 
Administration-0960-0602. The information requested on Form SSA-581 is 
necessary only for identification of the earnings record, verification 
of the signature authorizing access to the earnings record and for 
disposition of the response. The respondents are individuals and 
various private/public organizations/agencies that need detailed 
earnings information.
    Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,000 hours.
    2. Statement Regarding Contributions-0960-0020. Form SSA-783 is 
used to make a determination and obtain information about the source of 
support for a child applicant who must meet a dependency requirement 
for entitlement to benefits. The respondents are persons giving 
information about child's sources of support for entitlement to child's 
benefits.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 17 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8,500 hours.
    3. Credit Card Payment Acknowledgement Form--0960-NEW. SSA will use 
the information collected on Form SSA-324 to process payments from 
separating and former employees who have outstanding debts owed to the 
agency. This form has been developed as a convenient method for 
respondents to satisfy such debts. The respondents are former employees 
who have debts still owed to the agency.
    Number of Respondents: 6,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 500 hours.
    4. Online Authentication Information Collection Form--TEST--0960-
NEW.

Background

    The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998 directed 
federal agencies to develop electronic service delivery instruments

[[Page 67616]]

as an alternative to traditional paper based methods. The Social 
Security Administration plans to expand Internet services for all its 
applications to enable citizens to complete the application process as 
well as to process their requests for post-entitlement transactions 
online. A major requirement for filing applications and for processing 
transactional requests is SSA's ability to adequately authenticate the 
citizen. SSA cannot disclose information unless it is under the 
provisions of the FOIA and the Privacy Act of 1974. Because these 
transactions will be taking place online, SSA must authenticate 
citizens by asking for information that would positively identify the 
requester of the information as the proper party. This information will 
be validated against identifying information residing in databases 
outside of SSA. As a result SSA will conduct a test of the Treasury 
Department's Pay.Gov authentication engine as a possible tool for out-
of-band authentication.

The Collection

    The Social Security Administration will use the data collected on 
the Online Authentication Information Collection Form--TEST, to 
evaluate the Treasury Department's ``Pay.Gov'' authentication engine as 
a possible tool for SSA to validate out-of-band online applicants. The 
respondents for this test are members of the general public who elect 
to complete the form for testing.
    Number of Respondents: 161.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 13 hours.
    II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to 
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would 
be most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date 
of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB clearance package 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4145, or by 
writing to him at the address listed above.
    1. Railroad Employment Questionnaire--0960-0078. The Social 
Security Administration (SSA) uses Form SSA-671 to secure sufficient 
information to effect the required coordination with the Railroad 
Retirement Board for Social Security claims processing. It is completed 
whenever claimants give indications of having been employed in the 
railroad industry. The respondents are applicants for Social Security 
benefits, who have had railroad employment, or dependents of railroad 
workers.
    Number of Respondents: 125,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,417 hours.
    2. Employer Report of Special Wage Payments--0960-0565. SSA gathers 
the information on Form SSA-131 to prevent earnings related 
overpayments to employees and to avoid erroneous withholding. The 
respondents are employers who provide special wage payment 
verification.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,000.
    3. Request for Address Information from Motor Vehicles Records, 
SSA-L711; Request for Address Information from Employment Commissions 
Records, SSA-L712--0960-0341. SSA sends the SSA-L711 to State Motor 
Vehicle Adminstrations to obtain the last known address from driver's 
license and vehicle registration records. SSA sends the SSA-L712 to 
State Employment Commissions to obtain last known address from State 
unemployment/employment wage records. SSA uses the information to 
locate debtors to arrange for payment of a debt. The respondents are 
State Motor Vehicle Administrations and State Employment Commissions.

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                                     SSA-L711             SSA-L712
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Number of Respondents.........  1,300............  1,100
Frequency of Response.........  1................  1
Average Burden Per Response...  2 minutes........  2 minutes
Estimated Annual Burden.......  43 hours.........  37 hours
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    Dated: December 20, 2001.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-32027 Filed 12-28-01; 8:45 am]
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