Source: http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2004-04-15-04-8573
Timestamp: 2013-05-18 11:51:55
Document Index: 239939224

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 7114', 'art 3944', 'art 6726', 'art 140', 'art 5250', 'art 1739', 'art 30206', 'art 514', 'art 9740', 'art 180', 'ART 404', 'art 404']

Federal old age, survivors, and disability insurance—; Primary insurance
14 CFR Part 7114 CFR Part 3944 CFR Part 6726 CFR Part 140 CFR Part 5250 CFR Part 1739 CFR Part 30206 CFR Part 514 CFR Part 9740 CFR Part 180	Federal Register: April 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 73)
DOCID: FR Doc 04-8573
RIN ID: RIN 0960-AF14
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Title II Cost of Living Increases in Primary Insurance Amounts DOCUMENT SUMMARY: We are revising our rules dealing with automatic cost-of-
living increases to primary insurance amounts under title II of the Social Security Act (the Act). The revisions remove the restriction in our previous rules that allowed costofliving increases based on rises in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Average Wage Index (AWI) only if either the CPI or AWI increased by 3 percent or more during the prescribed measuring period. The 3percent restriction was eliminated by legislation enacted in 1986. We are also adding clarifying language that, when rounding an increase in the CPI or AWI, we round five one
hundredths and above to the next higher tenth of a percent.
SUMMARY: Federal old age, survivors, and disability insurance—; Primary insurance amounts; cost-of-living increases, SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Background The primary insurance amount is the basic figure we use to find the monthly Social Security benefit amount we pay to workers and their family members. Under section 215(i) of the Act, primary insurance amounts are automatically increased each year if there has been an increase in the CPI or AWI over the specified measuring period. Under the law in effect prior to the enactment of Public Law 99509 on October 21, 1986, we could increase primary insurance amounts only if either the CPI or AWI rose by 3.0 percent or more over the specified measuring period. Section 9001 of Public Law 99509 removed the 3
percent restriction from the law. However, we have not previously revised our regulations to reflect this legislative change. This revision conforms our rules on costofliving increases to current law. This rule also provides clarification on how we round increases in the CPI or AWI to the nearest tenth when the calculated increase is exactly halfway between tenths of one percent.
We have revised Sec. Sec. 404.273 through 404.275 and Sec. 404.278 by removing all references to the 3percent restriction on costofliving increases. We have also added a new paragraph (c) to Sec. 404.275 to clarify that, when rounding the percentage increase in the cost of living to the nearest tenth of a percent, we round five onehundredths and above to the next higher tenth of a percent and otherwise round down to the next lower tenth of a percent. For example, we round an increase of 3.15 percent up to a 3.2 percent increase. We have redesignated current paragraph (c) as paragraph (d).
Pursuant to section 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5), as amended by section 102 of Public Law 103296, SSA follows the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) rulemaking procedures specified in 5 U.S.C. 553 in the development of its regulations. The APA provides exceptions to its notice and public comment procedures when an agency finds there is good cause for dispensing with such procedures on the basis that they are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. In the case of these final rules, we have determined that, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), good cause exists for dispensing with the notice and public comment procedures in this case. Good cause exists because these regulations merely conform our rules on costofliving increases to current law and reflect our current interpretation on rounding. These regulations contain no substantive changes of interpretation. Therefore, opportunity for prior comment is unnecessary, and we are issuing these regulations as final rules. In addition, we find good cause for dispensing with the 30day delay in the effective date of a substantive rule, provided for by 5 U.S.C. 553(d). As explained above, we are not making any substantive changes in the costofliving increase provisions. However, without these changes, our rules will conflict with current law and may mislead the public. In addition, we are codifying our current interpretation on rounding into our regulations. Therefore, we find that it is in the public interest to make these rules effective upon publication. Executive Order 12866, as Amended by Executive Order 13258 We have consulted with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and determined that these final rules do not meet the criteria for a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 13258. Thus, they were not subject to OMB review. We have also determined that these final rules meet the plain language requirement of Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 13258.
We certify that these final rules will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis as provided in the [[Page 19925]] Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended, is not required.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 96.001, Social SecurityDisability Insurance; 96.002, Social SecurityRetirement Insurance; 96.004, Social SecuritySurvivors Insurance)
Administrative practice and procedure, Blind, Disability benefits, Oldage, Survivors and disability insurance, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Social Security. Dated: March 30, 2004. Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Commissioner of Social Security.
PART 404FEDERAL OLDAGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950) Subpart C[Amended]
1. The authority citation for subpart C of part 404 continues to read as follows: Authority: Secs. 202(a), 205(a), 215, and 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(a), 405(a), 415, and 902(a)(5)).
Sec. 404.273 When are automatic costofliving increases effective?
We make automatic costofliving increases if the applicable index, either the CPI or the AWI, rises over a specified measuring period (see the rules on measuring periods in Sec. 404.274). If the costofliving increase is to be based on an increase in the CPI, the increase is effective in December of the year in which the measuring period ends. If the increase is to be based on an increase in the AWI, the increase is effective in December of the year after the year in which the measuring period ends.
Sec. 404.274 What are the measuring periods we use to calculate cost ofliving increases?
(a) General. Depending on the OASDI fund ratio, we measure the rise in one index or in both indexes during the applicable measuring period (described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section) to determine whether there will be an automatic costofliving increase and if so, its amount.
(b) Measuring period based on the CPI(1) When the period begins. The measuring period we use for finding the amount of the CPI increase begins with the later of
(2) When the period ends. The measuring period ends with the third calendar quarter of the following year. If this measuring period ends in a year after the year in which an ad hoc increase was enacted or took effect, there can be no costofliving increase at that time. We will extend the measuring period to the third calendar quarter of the next year.
(c) Measuring period based on the AWI(1) When the period begins. The measuring period we use for finding the amount of the AWI increase begins with the later of
(2) When the period ends. The measuring period ends with the following year. If this measuring period ends in a year in which an ad hoc increase was enacted or took effect, there can be no costofliving increase at that time. We will extend the measuring period to the next calendar year.
Sec. 404.275 How is an automatic costofliving increase calculated?
(b) Increase based on the AWI. If the AWI for the year that ends the measuring period is higher than the AWI for the year which begins the measuring period and all the other conditions for an AWIbased increase are met, we divide the higher AWI by the lower AWI to determine the percentage increase in the AWI.
(c) Rounding rules. We round the increase from the applicable paragraph (a) or (b) of this section to the nearest 0.1 percent by rounding 0.05 percent and above to the next higher 0.1 percent and otherwise rounding to the next lower 0.1 percent. For example, if the applicable index is the CPI and the increase in the CPI is 3.15 percent, we round the increase to 3.2 percent. We then apply this percentage increase to the amounts described in Sec. 404.271 and round the resulting dollar amounts to the next lower multiple of $0.10 (if not already a multiple of $0.10).
(d) Additional increase. See Sec. 404.278 for the additional increase that is possible. Sec. 404.278 [Amended]
3. In Sec. 404.278, remove the parenthetical phrase at the end of paragraph (a)(2). [FR Doc. 048573 Filed 41404; 8:45 am]
Regarding this Federal Register documentRobert J. Augustine, Social Insurance Specialist, Office of Regulations, Social Security Administration, Room 100, Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 212356401, (410) 965
0020 or TTY (410) 9665609. For information on eligibility or filing for benefits: Call our national tollfree number, 18007721213 or TTY 18003250778 or visit our Internet Web site, Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.