Notice2023-10633
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 18, 2023
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 96 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 96 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31838-31839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10633]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No: SSA-2023-0016]
Agency Information Collection Activities: 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 one new information collection for OMB-approval.
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,
Comments: <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Submit your
comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2023-0016].
(SSA), Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports
Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd.,
Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 833-410-1631, Email address:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e9a6bbc7bb8c99869b9d9ac7aa858c889b88878a8ca99a9a88c78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="246b760a7641544b5650570a6748414556454a4741645757450a434b52">[email protected]</span></a>.
Or you may submit your comments online through <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2023-0016].
SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding this information collection 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 June 20, 2023. Individuals can obtain copies of this OMB
clearance package by writing to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b2fde09ce0d7c2ddc0c6c19cf1ded7d3c0d3dcd1d7f2c1c1d39cd5ddc4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffb0add1ad9a8f908d8b8cd1bc939a9e8d9e919c9abf8c8c9ed1989089">[email protected]</span></a>.
Upload Documents (eSubmit)--20 CFR 404.704; 404.1512, 416.912, and
422.505--0960-NEW
Background
From March 17, 2020, through April 7, 2022, because of the
Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, SSA encouraged the
public to use our online and automated telephone services while we
offered limited in-person services in field offices. While we were able
to complete forms with the public through our personal interview
process via telephone or video conference, we still needed to request
the submission of evidence and some paper forms for which we have no
other process. The need to submit these forms to SSA via mail poses a
significant burden on the members of the public doing business with us.
In addition, the increased volume of documents sent to our field
offices presented an enormous challenge to SSA, as we had limited staff
on site to process the mail at that time. This limited the time the
field office staff had to review and process those submissions or work
directly with the public. To lessen the burden on front-line employees
and managers, allow staff more time to work with the public and process
the information we receive, and to modernize form submission and
document intake, we are creating a new service called Upload Documents
(eSubmit).
Upload Documents (eSubmit)
SSA is introducing Upload Documents (eSubmit), a new way
individuals can submit evidence and forms to SSA online. In the digital
age, individuals expect to complete transactions online, including
submission of documents and forms to government agencies. The agency
already offers several self-service specific options for individuals to
submit forms and other documents online, including the Electronic
Protective Filing Tool, ePFT (OMB No. 0960-0826), internet Social
Security Benefits Application, iClaim (OMB No. 0960-0618), and iAppeals
(OMB No. 0960-0269 & 0960-0622).
Upload Documents (eSubmit) is a secure upload portal which
respondents will use to submit documents and forms to SSA. To ensure
the success of Upload Documents (eSubmit), we will roll out the new
application in several phases. The first phase will allow respondents
to provide select documents (evidence that does not need to be
certified or evidence which the agency does not require to be an
original, also known collectively as ``non original documentation,''
and first-party forms that do not require a signature) to SSA
electronically. Individuals must provide this information themselves
since they will have to authenticate with their own information through
one of several authentication methods (i.e., <a href="http://Login.gov">Login.gov</a>, ID.me, or SSA's
Public Credentialing and Authentication Process).
During this initial release for Upload Documents (eSubmit), we will
contact the respondent, via telephone or face-to-face interview with
SSA, for a business matter (e.g., filing a claim, performing a
redetermination, or updating their personal information). During the
interaction, the SSA technician will inform the individual verbally
that SSA requires additional information to support their request and
will offer the opportunity to provide the information electronically
via the Upload Documents (eSubmit) application. After the respondent
grants consent to SSA, we will generate a one-time email containing a
link to Upload Documents (eSubmit) with instructions on how to access
Upload Documents (eSubmit). The system will only make the electronic
submission process available within 30 days from the date of the email.
Concurrently, the technician will print a paper notice containing more
details about the request, including any applicable due process
deadline for submission, and will send it through postal mail to the
respondent. Once the respondent authenticates and arrives at the Upload
Documents (eSubmit) dashboard, the system will present the respondent
with information regarding the items SSA requested for submission
(examples of the documentation SSA
[[Page 31839]]
may request include forms or non-standardized evidence to support the
request [e.g., pay stubs, bank statements, pension award letters, tax
documents, child support payment history, etc.]). From this screen, the
individual will be able to upload the corresponding files from an
electronic device. Once they finish uploading the documents, the
respondents must select the Submit button to complete the action and
the system will present them with an indicator of success or failure.
The system will notify the technician through the Technician Experience
Dashboard (TED) when the document is available for review and
consideration.
The second release of Upload Documents (eSubmit) will include an
electronic signature functionality that will allow respondents to
submit some forms requiring signature.
Respondents are first-party individuals who choose to use the
internet to conduct business with us. To ensure Upload Documents
(eSubmit) will collect respondents' legally enforceable electronic
signature, SSA developed an electronic signing process in consideration
of the five requirements for a legally valid and binding electronic
signature established by the General Services Administration, Federal
Chief Information Officers Council guidance in Use of Electronic
Signatures in Federal Organization Transactions: (1) Identification and
Authentication of Signer; (2) Electronic Form of Signature; (3) Intent
to Sign; (4) Signature Attached to or Associated with the Signed
Electronic Record; and (5) Preservation of the Integrity of the Record.
Our new Upload Documents (eSubmit) platform will incorporate these
requirements for the second release, thereby allowing us to accept
electronically signed forms and documents through the new Upload
Documents (eSubmit) portal. To ensure our system is prepared to accept
forms electronically signed in this manner, we will complete periodic
future releases after the second release to allow Upload Documents
(eSubmit) to accept more agency forms in the future.
Respondents are first-party individuals who choose to use the
internet to conduct business with us.
Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.
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Average Average wait
Average burden Estimated theoretical time for Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost teleservice opportunity cost
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount center (dollars) **
(dollars) * (minutes) **
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Internet version Release #1........... 904,569 1 7 105,533 * $28.01 ** 19 *** $10,979,357
Internet Version Release #2........... 960,196 1 7 112,023 * 28.01 ** 19 *** 11,649,539
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Totals............................ 1,864,765 .............. .............. 217,556 * 28.01 ** 19 *** 22,628,896
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* We based these figures on average U.S. worker's hourly wages (based on <a href="http://BLS.gov">BLS.gov</a> data, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm</a>).
** We based this figure on average FY 2023 wait times for teleservice centers (approximately 19 minutes per respondent), based on SSA's current
management information data.
*** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
Dated: May 15, 2023.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-10633 Filed 5-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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