Monitoring Reviews for Certain Representative Payees, 2996-2997 [2015-00931]

Download as PDF 2996 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 13 / Wednesday, January 21, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 35): To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive them no later than March 9, 2015. SSS FORMS 2, 3A, 3B and 3C ADDRESSES: You may submit comments Title: Selective Service System by any one of three methods—Internet, Change of Information, Correction/ fax, or mail. Do not submit the same Change Form, and Registration Status comments multiple times or by more Forms. than one method. Regardless of which Purpose: To ensure the accuracy and method you choose, please state that completeness of the Selective Service your comments refer to Docket No. System registration data. SSA–2014–0070 so that we may Respondents: Registrants are required associate your comments with the to report changes or corrections in data correct document. submitted on the SSS Form 1. Caution: You should be careful to Frequency: When changes in a include in your comments only registrant’s name or address occur. information that you wish to make Burden: A burden of two minutes or publicly available. We strongly urge you less on the individual respondent. not to include in your comments any Copies of the above identified forms can be obtained upon written request to personal information, such as Social Security numbers or medical the Selective Service System, Reports information. Clearance Officer, 1515 Wilson 1. Internet: We strongly recommend Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22209– that you submit your comments via the 2425. Internet. Please visit the Federal Written comments and eRulemaking portal at https:// recommendations for the proposed www.regulations.gov. Use the Search extension of clearance of the form function to find docket number SSA– should be sent within 30 days of the 2014–0070. The system will issue you a publication of this notice to the tracking number to confirm your Selective Service System, Reports submission. You will not be able to Clearance Officer, 1515 Wilson view your comment immediately Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22209– because we must post each comment 2425. manually. It may take up to a week for A copy of the comments should be your comment to be viewable. sent to the Office of Information and 2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 966– Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk 2830. Officer, Selective Service System, Office 3. Mail: Address your comments to of Management and Budget, New the Office of Regulations and Reports Executive Office Building, Room 3235, Clearance, Social Security Washington, DC 20503. Administration, 3100 West High Rise Dated: January 14, 2015. Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Lawrence Romo, Baltimore, Maryland 21235–6401. Comments are available for public Director. viewing on the Federal eRulemaking [FR Doc. 2015–00846 Filed 1–20–15; 8:45 am] portal at https://www.regulations.gov or BILLING CODE 8015–01–P in person, during regular business hours, by arranging with the contact person identified below. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric [Docket No. SSA–2014–0070] Ice, Office of Income Security Programs, Social Security Administration, 6401 Monitoring Reviews for Certain Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD Representative Payees 21235–6401, (410) 966—3233. For AGENCY: Social Security Administration. information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our national toll-free ACTION: Notice; request for comments. number, 1–800–772–1213 or TTY 1– SUMMARY: We are requesting information 800–325–0778, or visit our Internet site, from the public regarding how we Social Security Online, at https:// should conduct periodic onsite reviews www.socialsecurity.gov. of certain representative payees under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Background Security Act (Act) and how we can improve the representative payee A representative payee is a third party program. We are seeking this who manages the Social Security information to decide whether and how benefits or Supplemental Security we should make any changes to the Income (SSI) payments of a beneficiary 1 representative payee program to further protect our beneficiaries from misuse of 1 In this notice, we use the term ‘‘beneficiary’’ to include a beneficiary under Title II of the Act, a their benefits by representative payees. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:50 Jan 20, 2015 Jkt 235001 DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00085 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to meet the beneficiary’s needs for food, clothing, and shelter. After meeting the beneficiary’s basic needs, the representative payee must conserve any remaining Social Security benefits or payments for the beneficiary’s future use. We presume that a legally competent adult beneficiary is capable of managing or directing someone else to manage his or her benefits, unless there are indicators or evidence to the contrary. We are required to pay children under age 15 and legallyincompetent adult beneficiaries through representative payees. We monitor representative payees’ fiduciary performance in several ways. For certain representative payees, one of the ways we monitor their fiduciary performance is through our periodic onsite review process. The Act requires us to use onsite reviews for: Æ All fee-for-service representative payees; Æ all organizational representative payees serving 50 or more beneficiaries or recipients; and Æ all individual representative payees serving 15 or more beneficiaries or recipients. In addition, we also use onsite reviews for state mental hospitals.2 We also conduct discretionary site reviews of representative payees beyond those required by the Act. The site reviews help us determine whether representative payees are performing their duties and responsibilities satisfactorily and complying with our rules. The reviews include: Æ A face-to-face interview with the representative payee and, in most cases, a visit to the representative payee’s location; Æ interviews with a sample of beneficiaries represented by the representative payee; Æ examination of financial records; and Æ examination of supporting documentation. When we uncover problems during the reviews, we resolve the problems with the representative payee and remind the representative payee about his or her duties and responsibilities. Sometimes during site reviews, we uncover poor performance or misuse of funds by a representative payee. When we are unable to resolve a major performance issue with a representative payee, we remove the representative payee and find a new representative payee for the affected beneficiaries, or pay the beneficiaries directly. beneficiary under Title VIII of the Act, and an SSI recipient under Title XVI of the Act. 2 42 U.S.C. 405(j)(3) and 1383(a)(2)(C); 42 U.S.C. 405(j)(6)(A) and 1383(a)(2)(G). E:\FR\FM\21JAN1.SGM 21JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 13 / Wednesday, January 21, 2015 / Notices Request for Comments To identify ways we may enhance our periodic onsite review process and improve the representative payee program, we are asking for your comments on the following questions. (1) Besides those representative payees that the Act requires us to review, what representative payees should we include in our site review process? What criteria should we use to select representative payees for review? (2) What data sources should we consider when we select which representative payees to review, and which of these data sources should we use to detect improper use of beneficiary payments? (3) What tools or processes should we use to hold our representative payees accountable for their responsibilities? (4) How can we reduce the likelihood of mismanagement or misuse of a beneficiary’s payments? (5) Currently, when we do a site review we focus on how a representative payee manages a beneficiary’s funds. Should our reviews focus on any other issues? (6) What ideas do you have to improve the representative payee program overall? Please see the information under ADDRESSES earlier in this document for methods to give us your comments. We will not respond to your comments, but we will consider them as we review our policies and instructions to determine if we should revise or update them. Dated: January 13, 2015. Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. [FR Doc. 2015–00931 Filed 1–20–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4191–02–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 9006] 2014 Fiscal Transparency Report Department of State. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Department of State hereby presents the findings from the FY 2014 fiscal transparency review process in its Fiscal Transparency Report. This report describes the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency developed by the Department of State in consultation with other relevant federal agencies, identifies governments that are potential beneficiaries of FY 2014 foreign assistance funds, assesses those that did not meet the minimum fiscal asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:50 Jan 20, 2015 Jkt 235001 transparency requirements, and indicates whether those governments made significant progress towards meeting the requirements. Fiscal Transparency Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps in building market confidence, and sets the stage for economic sustainability. Transparency also provides a window into government budgets for citizens of any country, helping them to hold their leadership accountable. The Department of State’s fiscal transparency review process assesses whether governments meet minimum requirements of fiscal transparency. The review includes an assessment of the transparency of processes for administering government contracts and licenses for natural resource extraction. Annual reviews of the fiscal transparency of governments that receive U.S. assistance help ensure U.S. taxpayer money is used appropriately and to sustain a dialogue with governments to improve their fiscal performance, leading to greater macroeconomic stability and better development outcomes. Section 7031(b) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2014 (Div. K, Pub. L. 113–76) (‘‘the Act’’) requires the Secretary to develop, for each government receiving assistance appropriated by the Act, minimum requirements of fiscal transparency, in consultation with heads of other relevant federal agencies, and to make a determination of ‘‘significant’’ or ‘‘no significant progress’’ in meeting the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency for each government that did not meet the minimum requirements. Through authority delegated from the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources made those determinations for FY 2014. This report describes the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency developed by the Department, identifies whether governments met the requirements, and indicates whether those governments that did not meet the minimum requirements made significant progress toward meeting them. The report includes a description as to how those governments fell short of the minimum requirements, outlines any significant progress being made toward meeting the minimum requirements, and provides specific recommendations of short and longterm steps such governments should take to improve fiscal transparency. The PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 2997 report also outlines the process followed by the Department in completing the assessments and describes how funds appropriated by the FY 2014 and earlier appropriations acts are being used to support fiscal transparency. Fiscal Transparency Review Process and Criteria The Department reviewed its minimum requirements of fiscal transparency in consultation with other relevant federal agencies, and updated and strengthened its review criteria. In determining which governments were subject to fiscal transparency assessments and inclusion in the report, the Department identified those governments it anticipated would receive bilateral allocations of assistance appropriated by the Act based upon a review of the Congressional Budget Justification for FY 2014, and in consultation with the Department’s Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources, as well as the Department’s regional and functional bureaus.1 The Department then assessed the fiscal transparency of the 140 governments identified as potential recipients of bilateral allocations of assistance from FY 2014 foreign assistance funds, determined whether the minimum requirements were met, and identified any measures those governments had implemented to make significant progress towards meeting the requirements. In conducting the FY 2014 review, the Department assessed the fiscal transparency of governments as of January 17, 2014, the date the Act, which mandated this review, became law. In reaching a determination, the Department considered information from U.S. embassies and consulates, other U.S. government agencies, international organizations such as the IMF and multilateral development banks, and civil society organizations. U.S. diplomatic missions consulted with foreign government officials, NGOs, international organizations, and civil society to obtain information for these assessments. Minimum Requirements of Fiscal Transparency Subsection 7031(b)(2) of the Act provides that the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency developed by the Department are 1 This included governments that received government-to-government assistance and or assistance to be provided through implementing partners. Additional governments may receive assistance through regional or global programs, but the governments identified in the report represent the vast majority of foreign assistance recipients. E:\FR\FM\21JAN1.SGM 21JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2996-2997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00931]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2014-0070]


Monitoring Reviews for Certain Representative Payees

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: We are requesting information from the public regarding how we 
should conduct periodic onsite reviews of certain representative payees 
under Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act) and how 
we can improve the representative payee program. We are seeking this 
information to decide whether and how we should make any changes to the 
representative payee program to further protect our beneficiaries from 
misuse of their benefits by representative payees.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them no later than March 9, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any one of three methods--
Internet, fax, or mail. Do not submit the same comments multiple times 
or by more than one method. Regardless of which method you choose, 
please state that your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2014-0070 so 
that we may associate your comments with the correct document.
    Caution: You should be careful to include in your comments only 
information that you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge 
you not to include in your comments any personal information, such as 
Social Security numbers or medical information.
    1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments 
via the Internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Use the Search function to find docket number 
SSA-2014-0070. The system will issue you a tracking number to confirm 
your submission. You will not be able to view your comment immediately 
because we must post each comment manually. It may take up to a week 
for your comment to be viewable.
    2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 966-2830.
    3. Mail: Address your comments to the Office of Regulations and 
Reports Clearance, Social Security Administration, 3100 West High Rise 
Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401.
    Comments are available for public viewing on the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at https://www.regulations.gov or in person, during 
regular business hours, by arranging with the contact person identified 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Ice, Office of Income Security 
Programs, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, (410) 966--3233. 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

    A representative payee is a third party who manages the Social 
Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments of a 
beneficiary \1\ to meet the beneficiary's needs for food, clothing, and 
shelter. After meeting the beneficiary's basic needs, the 
representative payee must conserve any remaining Social Security 
benefits or payments for the beneficiary's future use. We presume that 
a legally competent adult beneficiary is capable of managing or 
directing someone else to manage his or her benefits, unless there are 
indicators or evidence to the contrary. We are required to pay children 
under age 15 and legally-incompetent adult beneficiaries through 
representative payees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ In this notice, we use the term ``beneficiary'' to include a 
beneficiary under Title II of the Act, a beneficiary under Title 
VIII of the Act, and an SSI recipient under Title XVI of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We monitor representative payees' fiduciary performance in several 
ways. For certain representative payees, one of the ways we monitor 
their fiduciary performance is through our periodic onsite review 
process. The Act requires us to use onsite reviews for:
    [cir] All fee-for-service representative payees;
    [cir] all organizational representative payees serving 50 or more 
beneficiaries or recipients; and
    [cir] all individual representative payees serving 15 or more 
beneficiaries or recipients. In addition, we also use onsite reviews 
for state mental hospitals.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 42 U.S.C. 405(j)(3) and 1383(a)(2)(C); 42 U.S.C. 
405(j)(6)(A) and 1383(a)(2)(G).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We also conduct discretionary site reviews of representative payees 
beyond those required by the Act. The site reviews help us determine 
whether representative payees are performing their duties and 
responsibilities satisfactorily and complying with our rules. The 
reviews include:
    [cir] A face-to-face interview with the representative payee and, 
in most cases, a visit to the representative payee's location;
    [cir] interviews with a sample of beneficiaries represented by the 
representative payee;
    [cir] examination of financial records; and
    [cir] examination of supporting documentation.
    When we uncover problems during the reviews, we resolve the 
problems with the representative payee and remind the representative 
payee about his or her duties and responsibilities. Sometimes during 
site reviews, we uncover poor performance or misuse of funds by a 
representative payee. When we are unable to resolve a major performance 
issue with a representative payee, we remove the representative payee 
and find a new representative payee for the affected beneficiaries, or 
pay the beneficiaries directly.

[[Page 2997]]

Request for Comments

    To identify ways we may enhance our periodic onsite review process 
and improve the representative payee program, we are asking for your 
comments on the following questions.
    (1) Besides those representative payees that the Act requires us to 
review, what representative payees should we include in our site review 
process? What criteria should we use to select representative payees 
for review?
    (2) What data sources should we consider when we select which 
representative payees to review, and which of these data sources should 
we use to detect improper use of beneficiary payments?
    (3) What tools or processes should we use to hold our 
representative payees accountable for their responsibilities?
    (4) How can we reduce the likelihood of mismanagement or misuse of 
a beneficiary's payments?
    (5) Currently, when we do a site review we focus on how a 
representative payee manages a beneficiary's funds. Should our reviews 
focus on any other issues?
    (6) What ideas do you have to improve the representative payee 
program overall?
    Please see the information under ADDRESSES earlier in this document 
for methods to give us your comments. We will not respond to your 
comments, but we will consider them as we review our policies and 
instructions to determine if we should revise or update them.

    Dated: January 13, 2015.
Carolyn W. Colvin,
Acting Commissioner of Social Security.
[FR Doc. 2015-00931 Filed 1-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.