Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and Comment Request

The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of information collection packages requiring clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Public Law 104-13, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. This notice includes revisions and an extension of OMB-approved information collections.

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 ways to minimize burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Mail, email, or fax your comments and recommendations on the information collection(s) to the OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the following addresses or fax numbers.

(OMB), Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.

(SSA), Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 410-966-2830, Email address: OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov.

Or you may submit your comments online through www.regulations.gov,, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2016-0001].

I. The information collections below are pending at SSA. SSA will submit them to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. To be sure we consider your comments, we must receive them no later than March 21, 2016. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by writing to the above email address.

1. Supplemental Statement Regarding Farming Activities of Person Living Outside the U.S.A.—0960-0103. When a beneficiary or claimant reports farm work from outside the United States, SSA documents this work on Form SSA-7163A-F4. Specifically, SSA uses the form to determine if we should apply foreign work deductions to the recipient's Title II benefits. We collect the information either annually or every other year, depending on the respondent's country of residence. Respondents are Social Security recipients engaged in farming activities outside the United States.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

2. Employer Verification of Earnings After Death—20 CFR 404.821 and 404.822—0960-0472. When SSA records show a wage earner is deceased and we receive wage reports from an employer for the wage earner for a year subsequent to the year of death, SSA mails the employer Form SSA-L4112 (Employer Verification of Earnings After Death). SSA uses the information Form SSA-L4112 provides to verify wage information previously received from the employer is correct for the employee and the year in question. The respondents are employers who report wages for employees who have died.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

3. Certificate of Incapacity—5 CFR 890.302(d)—0960-0739. Rules governing the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plan require a physician to verify the disability of Federal employees' children ages 26 and over for these children to retain health benefits under their employed parents' plans. The physician must verify the adult child's disability: (1) Pre-dates the child's 26th birthday; (2) is very serious; and (3) will continue for at least one year. Physicians use Form SSA-604, the Certificate of Incapacity, to document and certify this information, and the Social Security Administration uses the information provided to determine the eligibility for these children, ages 26 and over, for coverage under a parent's FEHB plan. The respondents are physicians of SSA employees' children ages 26 or over who are seeking to retain health benefits under their parent's FEHB coverage.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

4. Certificate of Election for Reduced Widow(er)s and Surviving Divorced Spouse's Benefits—20 CFR 404.335—0960-0759. Section 202(q) of the Act provides SSA the authority to reduce benefits under certain conditions when elected by a Title II beneficiary. However, reduced benefits are not payable to an already entitled spouse (or divorced spouse) who:

• Is at least age 62 and under full retirement age in the month of the number holder's death; and
• Is receiving both reduced spouse's (or divorced spouse's) benefits and either retirement or disability benefits in the month before the month of the number holder's death.

To elect reduced widow(er) benefits, a recipient completes Form SSA-4111. SSA uses the information collected to pay a qualified dually entitled widow(er) (or surviving divorced spouse) who elects to receive a reduced widow(er) benefit. The respondents are qualified dually entitled widow(er)s (or surviving divorced spouse) who elect to receive a reduced widow(er) benefit.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for clearance. Your comments regarding the information collections would be most useful if OMB and SSA receive them 30 days from the date of this publication. To be sure we consider your comments, we must receive them no later than February 18, 2016. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance packages by writing to OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov.

1. Child Relationship Statement—20 CFR 404.355 & 404.731—0960-0116. To help determine a child's entitlement to Social Security benefits, SSA uses criteria under section 216(h)(3) of the Social Security Act, deemed child provision. SSA may deem a child to an insured individual if: (1) The insured individual presents SSA with satisfactory evidence of parenthood, and was living with or contributing to the child's support at certain specified times; or (2) the insured individual (a) acknowledged the child in writing; (b) was court decreed as the child's parent; or (c) was court ordered to support the child. To obtain this information, SSA uses Form SSA-2519, Child Relationship Statement. The respondents are people with knowledge of the relationship between certain individuals filing for Social Security benefits and their alleged biological children.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

2. Request for Reinstatement (Title XVI)—20 CFR 416.999-416.999d—0960-0744. SSA uses Form SSA-372 to (1) inform previously entitled beneficiaries of the expedited reinstatement (EXR) requirements of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under Title XVI of the Social Security Act (Act), and (2) document their requests for EXR. We require this application for reinstatement of benefits for respondents to obtain SSI disability payments for EXR. When an SSA claims representative learns of individuals whose medical conditions no longer permit them to perform substantial gainful activity as defined in the Act, the claims representative gives or mails the form to the previously entitled individuals if they request EXR over the phone. SSA employees collect this information whenever an individual files for EXR benefits. The respondents are applicants for EXR of SSI disability payments.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection.