Notice2026-00220
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
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
January 9, 2026
Effective
February 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are issuing public notice of our intent to modify an existing system of records entitled, Disability Determination Services (DDS) Consultant File (60- 0046), last published on January 11, 2006. This notice publishes details of the modified system as set forth below under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 6 (Friday, January 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1024-1027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00220]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. SSA-2025-0156]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are issuing
[[Page 1025]]
public notice of our intent to modify an existing system of records
entitled, Disability Determination Services (DDS) Consultant File (60-
0046), last published on January 11, 2006. This notice publishes
details of the modified system as set forth below under the caption,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
DATES: The system of records notice (SORN) is applicable upon its
publication in today's Federal Register, with the exception of the new
routine uses, which are effective February 9, 2026.
We invite public comment on the routine uses or other aspects of
this SORN. In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, we are providing
the public a 30-day period in which to submit comments. Therefore,
please submit any comments by February 9, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The public, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and
Congress may comment on this publication by writing to the Head of
Privacy and Disclosure Policy, Law and Policy, SSA, Room G-401 West
High Rise, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, or
through the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Please reference docket number SSA-2025-0156. All comments we receive
will be available for public inspection at the above address and we
will post them to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tristin Dorsey, Government Information
Specialist, Privacy Implementation Division, Privacy and Disclosure
Policy, Law and Policy, SSA, Room G-401 West High Rise, 6401 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, telephone: (410) 966-5855,
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#034c44402d4c53472d504c514d437070622d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7989094f9988793f98498859997a4a4b6f9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a>, and Melissa Bellitto, Government
Information Specialist, Privacy Implementation Division, Privacy and
Disclosure Policy, Law and Policy, SSA, Room G-401 West High Rise, 6401
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, telephone: (410)
966-5855, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#551a12167b1a05117b061a071b152626347b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="317e76721f7e61751f627e637f714242501f565e47">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are modifying the system of records name
from ``DDS Consultant File, SSA, Office of Disability Determinations''
to ``DDS Consultative Examination (CE) Provider File'' to accurately
reflect the name of the system. We are modifying the system location
and system manager to clarify the names of the offices responsible for
maintaining the system and to recognize that we may also maintain
records in a cloud-based environment. We are clarifying the purpose of
the system, categories of individuals covered by the system, categories
of records maintained in the system, and record source categories for
easier reading.
In addition, we are revising existing routine use Nos. 1, 2, 4, and
7 for easier reading. We are adding six new routine uses that will
permit disclosures to the following:
<bullet> The Office of the President, for the purpose of responding
to an inquiry received;
<bullet> The Department of Justice, for investigating and
prosecuting violations of the Social Security Act, and investigating
issues of fraud or violations of civil rights;
<bullet> Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies and
private contractors, for the safety and security of SSA employees,
customers, and facilities;
<bullet> Federal, State, and local professional licensing boards,
when such records indicate a violation of ethical conduct by a current
or former employee who is seeking to be licensed or is licensed before
the professional board;
<bullet> A Federal or State agency in response to its request, or
at our initiation, in connection with decisions to hire an employee,
issue a security clearance, conduct a security or suitability
investigation of a person, classify a job, award a contract, or
regarding the requesting agency's decision to issue a license, grant,
or other benefit; and
<bullet> To the U.S. Department of the Treasury, when disclosure of
the information is relevant to review SSA's payment and award
eligibility through Do Not Pay Working System for the purposes of
identifying, preventing or recouping improper payments to an applicant
for, or recipient of, Federal funds, including funds disbursed by a
state (meaning a state of the United States, the District of Columbia,
a territory or possession of the United States, or a federally
recognized Indian tribe) in a state-administered federally funded
program. This routine use will be applied when disclosure meets the
requirements in 20 CFR 401.150(c).
Lastly, we are expanding the policies and practices for the
retrieval of records to include employer identification numbers and the
CE provider's Social Security number. We are clarifying the policies
and practices for retention and disposal of records to reflect the
accurate records schedules. We are modifying the administrative,
technical, and physical safeguards for easier reading. We are modifying
the notice throughout to correct miscellaneous stylistic formatting and
typographical errors of the previously published notice, and to ensure
the language reads consistently across multiple systems. We are
republishing the entire notice for ease of reference.
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), we provided a report to OMB
and Congress on this modified system of records.
Matthew Ramsey,
Head of Privacy and Disclosure Policy, Law and Policy.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Disability Determination Services (DDS) Consultative Examination
(CE) Provider File, 60-0046.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Information is located at the Offices of State DDSs (See Appendix B
at <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/privacy/sorn/app_b.htm">https://www.ssa.gov/privacy/sorn/app_b.htm</a> for more information) who
have established a relationship with the individual providing CEs.
Information may also be maintained in a centralized location at:
Social Security Administration, Chief Information Officer, National
Computer Center, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
Information is also located in additional locations in connection
with cloud-based services and kept at an additional location as backup
for business continuity purposes.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Social Security Administration, Disability Adjudication, National
Disability Determination Services, State Disability Services, 6401
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235, (410) 965-5855.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
Sections 205(a), 221, 702(a), 1631(d)(1), and 1633 of the Social
Security Act, as amended.
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
We will use the information in this system in the selection of a
qualified consultative examiner or other qualified medical source, when
we need additional medical evidence to help us make disability
determinations under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
This system maintains information about individuals who provide CEs
for the DDS. This may include a claimant's own medical sources or other
qualified individuals who express a willingness
[[Page 1026]]
to conduct a CE for the DDS, e.g., licensed doctors, psychologists,
social workers, nurses, audiologists, and speech/language pathologists.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
This system maintains information related to individuals who
perform CEs. These records include, but are not limited to, name; tax
identification number, e.g., Social Security number (SSN) or employee
identification number (EIN); address; medical license number and
credential information, including license number and expiration date;
images of CE provider photo identification cards; documentation as to
the timeliness and quality of CE reports, fees received for performing
CEs, and results of site visits and other agency oversight activities;
federal program exclusion information; and comments on the medical
source's preferences, e.g., schedule and appointment hours. This system
may also maintain information the DDS may share with SSA concerning
investigations of the CE.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
We obtain information in this system from qualified medical sources
and various local, State, and Federal agencies.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
We will disclose records pursuant to the following routine uses;
however, we will not disclose any information defined as ``return or
return information'' under 26 U.S.C. 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code
(IRC), unless authorized by statute, the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), or IRS regulations.
1. To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from that
office made on behalf of, and at the request of, the subject of the
record.
2. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court or other tribunal,
or another party before such court or tribunal, when:
(a) SSA, or any component thereof; or
(b) any SSA employee in the employee's official capacity; or
(c) any SSA employee in the employee's individual capacity where
DOJ (or SSA where it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent
the employee; or
(d) the United States or any agency thereof where SSA determines
the litigation is likely to affect SSA or any of its components, SSA is
a party to the litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and
SSA determines that the use of such records by DOJ, a court or other
tribunal, or another party before the tribunal is relevant and
necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that in each case, we
determine that such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which
the records were collected.
3. To contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the
purpose of assisting SSA in the efficient administration of its
programs. We disclose information under this routine use only in
situations in which we may enter into a contractual or similar
agreement with a third party to assist in accomplishing an agency
function relating to this system of records.
4. To the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under
44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
5. To student volunteers, individuals working under a personal
services contract, and other workers who technically do not have the
status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for SSA, as
authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable
information (PII) in SSA records in order to perform their assigned
agency functions.
6. To the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to any State,
any record or information requested in writing by the Secretary for the
purpose of administering any program administered by the Secretary, if
we disclosed records or information of such type under applicable
rules, regulations, and procedures in effect before the date of
enactment of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements
Act of 1994.
7. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when:
(a) SSA suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of
the system of records;
(b) SSA has determined that, as a result of the suspected or
confirmed breach, there is a risk of harm to individuals, SSA
(including its information systems, programs, and operations), the
Federal Government, or national security; and
(c) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is
reasonably necessary to assist in connection with SSA's efforts to
respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or to prevent, minimize,
or remedy such harm.
8. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when SSA determines
that information from this system of records is reasonably necessary to
assist the recipient agency or entity in:
(a) responding to a suspected or confirmed breach; or
(b) preventing, minimizing, or remedying the risk of harm to
individuals, the recipient agency or entity (including its information
systems, programs, and operations), the Federal Government, or national
security, resulting from a suspected or confirmed breach.
9. To the Office of the President in response to an inquiry from
that office made on behalf of, and at the request of, the subject of
the record or a third party acting on the subject's behalf.
10. To the DOJ, for the purposes of:
(a) investigating and prosecuting violations of the Act to which
criminal penalties attach; and
(b) investigating issues of fraud or violations of civil rights by
officers or SSA employees.
11. To Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and
private security contractors, as appropriate, information necessary:
(a) to enable them to protect the safety of SSA employees and
customers, the security of the SSA workplace, the operation of SSA
facilities, or
(b) to assist investigations or prosecutions with respect to
activities that affect such safety and security or activities that
disrupt the operations of SSA facilities.
12. To Federal, State, and local professional licensing boards, at
our initiative or at the request of the licensing board, when such
records indicate a violation of ethical conduct by a current or former
employee who is seeking to be licensed or is licensed before the
professional board.
13. To a Federal or State agency in response to its request, or at
our initiation, in connection with decisions to hire an employee, issue
a security clearance, conduct a security or suitability investigation
of a person, classify a job, award a contract, or regarding the
requesting agency's decision to issue a license, grant, or other
benefit. We may disclose for lawful statutory administrative or
investigative purpose to the extent that the information is relevant
and necessary to the requesting agency's decision.
14. To the U.S. Department of the Treasury, when disclosure of the
information is relevant to review SSA's payment and award eligibility
through the Do Not Pay Working System for the purposes of identifying,
preventing, or recouping improper payments to an applicant for, or
recipient of, Federal funds, including funds disbursed by a state
(meaning a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, a
territory or possession of the United States, or a federally recognized
Indian
[[Page 1027]]
tribe) in a state-administered, federally funded program. This routine
use will be applied when disclosure meets the requirements in 20 CFR
401.150(c).
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
We will maintain records in this system in electronic and paper
form.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
We will retrieve records by EIN, or the CE provider's name or SSN.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
In accordance with NARA rules codified at 36 CFR 1225.16, we
maintain records in accordance with NARA-approved agency-specific
records schedule, N1-047-05-001, and NARA's General Records Schedule
(GRS) 5.2, items 010 and 020.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
We retain electronic and paper files containing personal
identifiers in secure storage areas accessible only by authorized
individuals, including our employees and contractors, who have a need
for the information when performing their official duties. Security
measures include, but are not limited to, the use of codes and
profiles, personal identification number and password, and personal
identification verification cards. We restrict access to specific
correspondence within the system based on assigned roles and authorized
users. We use audit mechanisms to record sensitive transactions as an
additional measure to protect information from unauthorized disclosure
or modification.
We annually provide authorized individuals, including our employees
and contractors, with appropriate security awareness training that
includes reminders about the need to protect PII and the criminal
penalties that apply to unauthorized access to, or disclosure of, PII
(5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(1)). Furthermore, authorized individuals with access
to databases maintaining PII must annually sign a sanction document
that acknowledges their accountability for inappropriately accessing or
disclosing such information.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals may submit requests for information about whether this
system contains a record about them by submitting a written request to
the system manager at the above address, which includes their name,
SSN, or other information that may be in this system of records that
will identify them. Individuals requesting notification of, or access
to, a record by mail must include: (1) a notarized statement to us to
verify their identity; or (2) must certify in the request that they are
the individual they claim to be and that they understand that the
knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining
to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
Individuals requesting notification of, or access to, records in
person must provide their name, SSN, or other information that may be
in this system of records that will identify them, as well as provide
an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver's
license. Individuals lacking identification documents sufficient to
establish their identity must certify in writing that they are the
individual they claim to be and that they understand that the knowing
and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to
another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
These procedures are in accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR
401.40 and 401.45.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
Same as record access procedures. Individuals should also
reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are
contesting, and state the corrective action sought and the reasons for
the correction with supporting justification showing how the record is
incomplete, untimely, inaccurate, or irrelevant. These procedures are
in accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR 401.65(a).
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
Same as record access procedures. These procedures are in
accordance with our regulations at 20 CFR 401.40 and 401.45.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
71 FR 1811 (January 11, 2006), DDS Consultant File.
72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), DDS Consultant File.
83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018), DDS Consultant File.
[FR Doc. 2026-00220 Filed 1-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 9, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.