Deemed Duration of Marriage for Widows/Widowers and Removal of Restriction on Benefits to Children of Military Parents Overseas, 61364-61366 [05-21117]

Download as PDF 61364 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 204 / Monday, October 24, 2005 / Rules and Regulations subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), which has received approval by OMB under control number 0625–0240. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Dated: October 18, 2005. James C. Leonard III, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel. PART 335—IMPORTS OF WORSTED WOOL FABRICS AND PART 340— MODIFICATION OF THE TARIFF RATE QUOTA LIMITATION ON WORSTED WOOL FABRIC IMPORTS Accordingly, the interim rule that amends 15 CFR part 335 and removes 15 CFR part 340, which was published at 70 FR 25774 on May 16, 2005, is adopted as final rule without change. I [FR Doc. 05–21215 Filed 10–21–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Parts 404 and 416 [Regulations Nos. 4 and 16] RIN 0960–AG23 Deemed Duration of Marriage for Widows/Widowers and Removal of Restriction on Benefits to Children of Military Parents Overseas Social Security Administration. Final rules. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: We are issuing these final rules to reflect in our regulations changes to the Social Security Act (the Act) made by two provisions in the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (SSPA), enacted on March 2, 2004. One provision added a new situation in which the 9-month duration-of-marriage requirement for surviving spouses under title II of the Act is deemed to have been met. The other provision removed a restriction against payment of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, under title XVI of the Act, to certain blind or disabled children who were not eligible for SSI benefits the month before their military parents reported for duty outside the United States. These regulations are effective October 24, 2005. DATES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:33 Oct 21, 2005 Jkt 208001 Electronic Version The electronic file of this document is available on the date of publication in the Federal Register at https:// www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/. It is also available on the Internet site for SSA (i.e., Social Security Online) at https://policy.ssa.gov/pnpublic.nsf/ LawsRegs. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Bresnick, Social Insurance Specialist, Office of Regulations, Social Security Administration, 100 Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235–6401, (410) 965– 1758 or TTY (410) 966–5609. For information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our national toll-free number, 1–800–772–1213 or TTY 1– 800–325–0778, or visit our Internet site, Social Security Online, at https:// www.socialsecurity.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Prior to enactment of section 414 of the SSPA, Public Law 108–203, if an applicant for surviving spouse’s benefits did not meet the 9-month duration-ofmarriage requirement or alternative requirements, the 9-month requirement would be deemed to be met if: • The insured’s death was accidental; • The insured’s death occurred in the line of duty while he or she was a member of a uniformed service on active duty; or • The surviving spouse was previously married to the insured for at least 9 months, the previous marriage ended in divorce, and the surviving spouse had remarried the insured prior to the insured’s death. Section 414 of the SSPA amended sections 216(c) and (g) of the Act to add a new situation in which the 9-month duration-of-marriage requirement is deemed met. The requirement will be deemed met if: • The insured had been married prior to the marriage to the surviving spouse; • The prior spouse was institutionalized during the marriage to the insured, due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity; • We determine, based on satisfactory evidence, that during this institutionalization the insured would have divorced the prior spouse and married the surviving spouse but the divorce would have been unlawful in the State of the insured’s domicile because of the institutionalization; • The prior spouse remained institutionalized up until the time of his or her death; and PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 • The insured married the surviving spouse within 60 days after the prior spouse’s death. Prior to enactment of section 434 of the SSPA, section 1614(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act included within the definition of a blind or disabled individual, for purposes of SSI eligibility and payment under title XVI, a blind or disabled child who lived outside the United States if the child: • Was a citizen of the United States; • Was living with a parent and that parent was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States assigned to permanent duty ashore outside the United States; and • Was eligible for an SSI benefit for the month before the parent reported for such assignment. Section 434 of the SSPA amended section 1614(a)(1)(B)(ii) by eliminating the requirement that the child must have been eligible for an SSI benefit for the month before the parent reported for the military assignment. Explanation of Changes We are revising § 404.335 to extend title II benefits to a surviving spouse who would have met the duration-ofmarriage requirement to the insured, except that as determined based on evidence satisfactory to the Agency, it was unlawful under State law for the insured to divorce the prior spouse by reason of the prior spouse’s institutionalization because of mental incompetence or similar incapacity. The prior spouse must have been institutionalized during the marriage to the insured and remained institutionalized until the time of his or her death, and the insured must have married the surviving spouse within 60 days after the prior spouse’s death. We also are revising the last sentence of § 404.357 to update the reference to the revised paragraphs in § 404.335 and clarify that this new situation where the duration-of-marriage requirement is deemed to have been met does not apply to stepchildren. We are revising § 416.216 by amending paragraph (a) to include a definition of the regulatory term ‘‘overseas.’’ The amended paragraph (a) clarifies that by overseas we mean ‘‘outside the United States.’’ We are revising paragraph (a)(3) to substitute the newly defined term ‘‘overseas’’ for ‘‘outside the United States.’’ The relevant statutory section uses the term ‘‘outside the United States.’’ The regulation already uses ‘‘overseas’’ several times but text we are removing from the section includes the term ‘‘outside the United States.’’ We are removing paragraph (a)(4), which E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM 24OCR1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 204 / Monday, October 24, 2005 / Rules and Regulations contains the requirement that a blind or disabled child who is a United States citizen, living with a parent who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces assigned to permanent duty ashore outside the U.S., must have been eligible for an SSI benefit for the month before the parent reported for the assignment, in order to be eligible for a payment of SSI benefits while outside the U.S. requirement of Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 13258. Regulatory Procedures Pursuant to sections 205(a), 702(a)(5) and 1631(d)(1) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 405(a), 902(a)(5) and 1383(d)(1), we follow the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) rulemaking procedures specified in 5 U.S.C. 553 in the promulgation of our regulations. The APA provides exceptions to its prior notice and public comments 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 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. Good cause exists because these regulations merely revise our rules on title II widows/widowers benefits and title XVI blind or disabled children’s benefits to reflect, without exercise of discretion, the provisions in sections 414 and 434 of the SSPA that we have been following operationally since enactment of the provisions on March 2, 2004. 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 30-day delay in the effective date of a substantive rule, provided for by 5 U.S.C. 553(d). As explained above, we are revising our rules on title II benefits for widows/ widowers and title XVI benefits for blind or disabled children to reflect current law. Without these changes, our rules will not reflect current law and thus may mislead the public. Therefore, we find that it is in the public interest to make these rules effective upon publication. Paperwork Reduction Act Executive Order 12866 We have consulted with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and determined that these final rules meet the criteria for a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 13258. Thus, they were subject to OMB review. We have also determined that these rules meet the plain language VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:23 Oct 21, 2005 Jkt 208001 Regulatory Flexibility Act We certify that these final regulations will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis as provided in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended, is not required. These final regulations will impose no additional reporting or record keeping requirements requiring OMB clearances. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 96.002, Social SecurityRetirement Insurance; 96.004, Social Security-Survivors Insurance; and 96.006, Supplemental Security Income) List of Subjects 20 CFR Part 404 Administrative practice and procedure, Blind, Disability benefits, Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Social Security. 20 CFR Part 416 Administrative practice and procedure, Aged, Blind, Disability benefits, Public assistance programs; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Dated: July 25, 2005. Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Commissioner of Social Security. For the reasons set out in the preamble, we amend subpart D of part 404 and subpart B of part 416 of chapter III of title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations as set forth below: I PART 404—FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950– ) Subpart D—[Amended] 1. The authority citation for subpart D of part 404 is revised to read as follows: I Authority: Secs. 202, 203(a) and (b), 205(a), 216, 223, 225, 228(a)–(e), and 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402, 403(a) and (b), 405(a), 416, 423, 425, 428(a)–(e), and 902(a)(5)). 2. Amend § 404.335 by revising paragraph (a)(2) to read as follows: I § 404.335 How do I become entitled to widow’s or widower’s benefits? * * * * * (a) * * * (2) Your relationship to the insured as a wife or husband did not last 9 months PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 61365 before the insured died, but you meet one of the conditions in paragraphs (a)(2)(i) through (iv) of this section. (i) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably expected to live for 9 months, and the death of the insured was accidental. The death is accidental if it was caused by an event that the insured did not expect, if it was the result of bodily injuries received from violent and external causes, and if, as a direct result of these injuries, death occurred not later than 3 months after the day on which the bodily injuries were received. An intentional and voluntary suicide will not be considered an accidental death. (ii) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably expected to live for 9 months, and the death of the insured occurred in the line of duty while he or she was serving on active duty as a member of the uniformed services as defined in § 404.1019. (iii) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably expected to live for 9 months, and you had been previously married to the insured for at least 9 months. (iv) The insured had been married prior to his or her marriage to you and the prior spouse was institutionalized during the marriage to the insured due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity. During the period of the prior spouse’s institutionalization, the insured, as determined based on evidence satisfactory to the Agency, would have divorced the prior spouse and married you, but the insured did not do so because the divorce would have been unlawful, by reason of the institutionalization, under the laws of the State in which the insured was domiciled at the time. Additionally, the prior spouse must have remained institutionalized up to the time of his or her death and the insured must have married you within 60 days after the prior spouse’s death. * * * * * 3. Amend § 404.357 by revising the last sentence to read as follows: I § 404.357 Who is the insured’s stepchild. * * * This 9-month requirement will not have to be met if the marriage between the insured and your parent lasted less than 9 months under one of the conditions described in § 404.335(a)(2)(i)–(iii). E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM 24OCR1 61366 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 204 / Monday, October 24, 2005 / Rules and Regulations PART 416—SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Subpart B—[Amended] 4. The authority citation for subpart B of part 416 continues to read as follows: I Authority: Secs. 702(a)(5), 1110(b), 1602, 1611, 1614, 1619(a), 1631, and 1634 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5), 1310(b), 1381a, 1382, 1382c, 1382h(a), 1383, and 1383c); secs. 211 and 212, Pub. L. 93– 66, 87 Stat. 154 and 155 (42 U.S.C. 1382 note); sec. 502(a), Pub. L. 94–241, 90 Stat. 268 (48 U.S.C. 1681 note); sec. 2, Pub. L. 99– 643, 100 Stat. 3574 (42 U.S.C. 1382h note). 5. Amend § 416.216 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows: I § 416.216 You are a child of armed forces personnel living overseas. (a) General Rule. For purposes of this part, overseas means any location outside the United States as defined in § 416.215; i.e., the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands. You may be eligible for SSI benefits if you live overseas and if— (1) You are a child as described in § 416.1856; (2) You are a citizen of the United States; and (3) You are living with a parent as described in § 416.1881 who is a member of the armed forces of the United States assigned to permanent duty ashore overseas. * * * * * formula. In converting the rule from a proposed to final rule, HUD unintentionally failed to revise certain dates to reflect the updated schedule for implementation of the revised formula. Accordingly, the September 19, 2005, final rule inadvertently denies PHAs the one-year transition period. This document corrects the September 19, 2005, final rule to provide that the revised allocation formula will be implemented for calendar year 2007, and adjusts the related dates specified in the rule to reflect the corrected implementation date. EFFECTIVE DATE: The final rule is effective on November 18, 2005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Hanson, Public Housing Financial Management Division, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 550 12th Street SW., Suite 100, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 475–7949 (this telephone number is not toll-free). Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1– 800–877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background 24 CFR Part 990 On September 19, 2005, (70 FR 54983), HUD published a final rule amending the regulations of the Public Housing Operating Fund Program at 24 CFR part 990, to provide a new formula for distributing operating subsidy to public housing agencies (PHAs) and establish requirements for PHAs to convert to asset management. More detailed information about this rule can be found in the preamble to the September 19, 2005, final rule. [Docket No. FR–4874–C–09] II. This Document RIN 2577–AC51 The September 19, 2005, final rule establishes several requirements and determinations connected to the calendar year in which the distribution of operating subsidies will be made. Some of the dates in the final rule were carried over from the proposed rule and assumed both an initial implementation of the revised formula in FY2006, and a one-year transition period prior to implementation of the new formula. Given the timing of publication and the effective date of the final rule, initial implementation of the revised formula must be deferred to calendar year 2007 in order to provide PHAs with the necessary one year transition period. However, in converting this rule from a proposed rule to a final rule, HUD inadvertently failed to revise certain [FR Doc. 05–21117 Filed 10–21–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4191–02–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Revisions to the Public Housing Operating Fund Program; Correction to Formula Implementation Date Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Final rule; correction. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This document corrects HUD’s final rule published on September 19, 2005, that implements revisions to the public housing Operating Fund Program. The final rule includes dates from the proposed rule that assumed both an initial implementation of the revised formula in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and a one-year period for PHAs to transition to the new VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:23 Oct 21, 2005 Jkt 208001 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 dates to reflect the updated schedule for implementation of the new formula, and unintentionally denied PHAs the oneyear transition period. This document corrects certain provisions in the September 19, 2005, final rule to appropriately reflect initial implementation of the revised Operating Fund formula in calendar year 2007. The corrections made by this document are necessary to assist PHAs in proper budgetary planning and to bring their policies and procedures into compliance with the new formula requirements. The effective date of the rule remains November 18, 2005, and all other dates contained in the final rule that do not affect the new formula allocation of operating subsidies are unchanged. The following section of this document describes the most significant corrections being made to the September 19, 2005, final rule. III. Corrections to the September 19, 2005, Final Rule Revised subpart F of 24 CFR part 990 establishes procedures to assist PHAs in transitioning to the new funding levels under the new Operating Fund formula. As provided in § 990.225 of the final rule, the determination of the amount and period of the transition funding will be based on the difference in subsidy levels between the revised formula and the formula in effect prior to implementation of the final rule. Differences in subsidy levels will be calculated using FY 2004 data. 1. Transition Funding. Under §§ 990.230 and 990.235 of the final rule, PHAs that experience a decrease or increase in operating subsidy will have that decrease phased-in over a specified number of years following the effective date of the final rule (November 18, 2005). The phase-in period is five years for subsidy reductions and two years for increases in operating subsidies. By specifying the date of November 18, 2005, the final rule incorrectly connects the first year of the phased-in reduction to initial formula implementation in FY 2006. This document corrects §§ 990.230 and 990.235 by removing references to specific dates. 2. Discontinuation of subsidy reduction as a result of conversion to asset management (‘‘stop-loss’’ provision). As noted above, the final rule provides that phased-in reductions in operating subsidy will be discontinued if the PHA can demonstrate successful conversion to the asset management requirements contained in revised subpart H of the part 990 regulations. HUD will discontinue the reduction in accordance E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM 24OCR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 204 (Monday, October 24, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61364-61366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21117]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

20 CFR Parts 404 and 416

[Regulations Nos. 4 and 16]
RIN 0960-AG23


Deemed Duration of Marriage for Widows/Widowers and Removal of 
Restriction on Benefits to Children of Military Parents Overseas

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Final rules.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are issuing these final rules to reflect in our regulations 
changes to the Social Security Act (the Act) made by two provisions in 
the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (SSPA), enacted on March 2, 
2004. One provision added a new situation in which the 9-month 
duration-of-marriage requirement for surviving spouses under title II 
of the Act is deemed to have been met. The other provision removed a 
restriction against payment of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
benefits, under title XVI of the Act, to certain blind or disabled 
children who were not eligible for SSI benefits the month before their 
military parents reported for duty outside the United States.

DATES: These regulations are effective October 24, 2005.

Electronic Version

    The electronic file of this document is available on the date of 
publication in the Federal Register at https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/
index.html. It is also available on the Internet site for SSA (i.e., 
Social Security Online) at https://policy.ssa.gov/pnpublic.nsf/LawsRegs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Bresnick, Social Insurance 
Specialist, Office of Regulations, Social Security Administration, 100 
Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, 
(410) 965-1758 or TTY (410) 966-5609. For information on eligibility or 
filing for benefits, call our national toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 
or TTY 1-800-325-0778, or visit our Internet site, Social Security 
Online, at https://www.socialsecurity.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Prior to enactment of section 414 of the SSPA, Public Law 108-203, 
if an applicant for surviving spouse's benefits did not meet the 9-
month duration-of-marriage requirement or alternative requirements, the 
9-month requirement would be deemed to be met if:
     The insured's death was accidental;
     The insured's death occurred in the line of duty while he 
or she was a member of a uniformed service on active duty; or
     The surviving spouse was previously married to the insured 
for at least 9 months, the previous marriage ended in divorce, and the 
surviving spouse had remarried the insured prior to the insured's 
death.
    Section 414 of the SSPA amended sections 216(c) and (g) of the Act 
to add a new situation in which the 9-month duration-of-marriage 
requirement is deemed met. The requirement will be deemed met if:
     The insured had been married prior to the marriage to the 
surviving spouse;
     The prior spouse was institutionalized during the marriage 
to the insured, due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity;
     We determine, based on satisfactory evidence, that during 
this institutionalization the insured would have divorced the prior 
spouse and married the surviving spouse but the divorce would have been 
unlawful in the State of the insured's domicile because of the 
institutionalization;
     The prior spouse remained institutionalized up until the 
time of his or her death; and
     The insured married the surviving spouse within 60 days 
after the prior spouse's death.
    Prior to enactment of section 434 of the SSPA, section 
1614(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act included within the definition of a blind 
or disabled individual, for purposes of SSI eligibility and payment 
under title XVI, a blind or disabled child who lived outside the United 
States if the child:
     Was a citizen of the United States;
     Was living with a parent and that parent was a member of 
the Armed Forces of the United States assigned to permanent duty ashore 
outside the United States; and
     Was eligible for an SSI benefit for the month before the 
parent reported for such assignment.
    Section 434 of the SSPA amended section 1614(a)(1)(B)(ii) by 
eliminating the requirement that the child must have been eligible for 
an SSI benefit for the month before the parent reported for the 
military assignment.

Explanation of Changes

    We are revising Sec.  404.335 to extend title II benefits to a 
surviving spouse who would have met the duration-of-marriage 
requirement to the insured, except that as determined based on evidence 
satisfactory to the Agency, it was unlawful under State law for the 
insured to divorce the prior spouse by reason of the prior spouse's 
institutionalization because of mental incompetence or similar 
incapacity. The prior spouse must have been institutionalized during 
the marriage to the insured and remained institutionalized until the 
time of his or her death, and the insured must have married the 
surviving spouse within 60 days after the prior spouse's death. We also 
are revising the last sentence of Sec.  404.357 to update the reference 
to the revised paragraphs in Sec.  404.335 and clarify that this new 
situation where the duration-of-marriage requirement is deemed to have 
been met does not apply to stepchildren.
    We are revising Sec.  416.216 by amending paragraph (a) to include 
a definition of the regulatory term ``overseas.'' The amended paragraph 
(a) clarifies that by overseas we mean ``outside the United States.'' 
We are revising paragraph (a)(3) to substitute the newly defined term 
``overseas'' for ``outside the United States.'' The relevant statutory 
section uses the term ``outside the United States.'' The regulation 
already uses ``overseas'' several times but text we are removing from 
the section includes the term ``outside the United States.'' We are 
removing paragraph (a)(4), which

[[Page 61365]]

contains the requirement that a blind or disabled child who is a United 
States citizen, living with a parent who is a member of the U.S. Armed 
Forces assigned to permanent duty ashore outside the U.S., must have 
been eligible for an SSI benefit for the month before the parent 
reported for the assignment, in order to be eligible for a payment of 
SSI benefits while outside the U.S.

Regulatory Procedures

    Pursuant to sections 205(a), 702(a)(5) and 1631(d)(1) of the Act, 
42 U.S.C. 405(a), 902(a)(5) and 1383(d)(1), we follow the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) rulemaking procedures specified in 5 
U.S.C. 553 in the promulgation of our regulations. The APA provides 
exceptions to its prior notice and public comments 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 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. Good cause exists because these regulations merely 
revise our rules on title II widows/widowers benefits and title XVI 
blind or disabled children's benefits to reflect, without exercise of 
discretion, the provisions in sections 414 and 434 of the SSPA that we 
have been following operationally since enactment of the provisions on 
March 2, 2004. 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 30-day 
delay in the effective date of a substantive rule, provided for by 5 
U.S.C. 553(d). As explained above, we are revising our rules on title 
II benefits for widows/widowers and title XVI benefits for blind or 
disabled children to reflect current law. Without these changes, our 
rules will not reflect current law and thus may mislead the public. 
Therefore, we find that it is in the public interest to make these 
rules effective upon publication.

Executive Order 12866

    We have consulted with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
and determined that these final rules meet the criteria for a 
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, as amended 
by Executive Order 13258. Thus, they were subject to OMB review. We 
have also determined that these rules meet the plain language 
requirement of Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 
13258.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    We certify that these final regulations will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Therefore, a 
regulatory flexibility analysis as provided in the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, as amended, is not required.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    These final regulations will impose no additional reporting or 
record keeping requirements requiring OMB clearances.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 96.002, Social 
Security-Retirement Insurance; 96.004, Social Security-Survivors 
Insurance; and 96.006, Supplemental Security Income)

List of Subjects

20 CFR Part 404

    Administrative practice and procedure, Blind, Disability benefits, 
Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance; Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Social Security.

20 CFR Part 416

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aged, Blind, Disability 
benefits, Public assistance programs; Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

    Dated: July 25, 2005.
Jo Anne B. Barnhart,
Commissioner of Social Security.

0
For the reasons set out in the preamble, we amend subpart D of part 404 
and subpart B of part 416 of chapter III of title 20 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations as set forth below:

PART 404--FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE 
(1950- )

Subpart D--[Amended]

0
1. The authority citation for subpart D of part 404 is revised to read 
as follows:

    Authority: Secs. 202, 203(a) and (b), 205(a), 216, 223, 225, 
228(a)-(e), and 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402, 
403(a) and (b), 405(a), 416, 423, 425, 428(a)-(e), and 902(a)(5)).


0
2. Amend Sec.  404.335 by revising paragraph (a)(2) to read as follows:


Sec.  404.335  How do I become entitled to widow's or widower's 
benefits?

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (2) Your relationship to the insured as a wife or husband did not 
last 9 months before the insured died, but you meet one of the 
conditions in paragraphs (a)(2)(i) through (iv) of this section.
    (i) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably 
expected to live for 9 months, and the death of the insured was 
accidental. The death is accidental if it was caused by an event that 
the insured did not expect, if it was the result of bodily injuries 
received from violent and external causes, and if, as a direct result 
of these injuries, death occurred not later than 3 months after the day 
on which the bodily injuries were received. An intentional and 
voluntary suicide will not be considered an accidental death.
    (ii) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably 
expected to live for 9 months, and the death of the insured occurred in 
the line of duty while he or she was serving on active duty as a member 
of the uniformed services as defined in Sec.  404.1019.
    (iii) At the time of your marriage the insured was reasonably 
expected to live for 9 months, and you had been previously married to 
the insured for at least 9 months.
    (iv) The insured had been married prior to his or her marriage to 
you and the prior spouse was institutionalized during the marriage to 
the insured due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity. During 
the period of the prior spouse's institutionalization, the insured, as 
determined based on evidence satisfactory to the Agency, would have 
divorced the prior spouse and married you, but the insured did not do 
so because the divorce would have been unlawful, by reason of the 
institutionalization, under the laws of the State in which the insured 
was domiciled at the time. Additionally, the prior spouse must have 
remained institutionalized up to the time of his or her death and the 
insured must have married you within 60 days after the prior spouse's 
death.
* * * * *

0
3. Amend Sec.  404.357 by revising the last sentence to read as 
follows:


Sec.  404.357  Who is the insured's stepchild.

    * * * This 9-month requirement will not have to be met if the 
marriage between the insured and your parent lasted less than 9 months 
under one of the conditions described in Sec.  404.335(a)(2)(i)-(iii).

[[Page 61366]]

PART 416--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND 
DISABLED

Subpart B--[Amended]

0
4. The authority citation for subpart B of part 416 continues to read 
as follows:

    Authority: Secs. 702(a)(5), 1110(b), 1602, 1611, 1614, 1619(a), 
1631, and 1634 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5), 
1310(b), 1381a, 1382, 1382c, 1382h(a), 1383, and 1383c); secs. 211 
and 212, Pub. L. 93-66, 87 Stat. 154 and 155 (42 U.S.C. 1382 note); 
sec. 502(a), Pub. L. 94-241, 90 Stat. 268 (48 U.S.C. 1681 note); 
sec. 2, Pub. L. 99-643, 100 Stat. 3574 (42 U.S.C. 1382h note).

0
5. Amend Sec.  416.216 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  416.216  You are a child of armed forces personnel living 
overseas.

    (a) General Rule. For purposes of this part, overseas means any 
location outside the United States as defined in Sec.  416.215; i.e., 
the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana 
Islands. You may be eligible for SSI benefits if you live overseas and 
if--
    (1) You are a child as described in Sec.  416.1856;
    (2) You are a citizen of the United States; and
    (3) You are living with a parent as described in Sec.  416.1881 who 
is a member of the armed forces of the United States assigned to 
permanent duty ashore overseas.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 05-21117 Filed 10-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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