Social Security Administration 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

We are extending the expiration dates of the following body systems in the Listing of Impairments (listings) in our regulations: Musculoskeletal System, Cardiovascular System, Digestive System, and Skin Disorders. We are making no other revisions to these body systems in this final rule. This extension ensures that we will continue to have the criteria we need to evaluate impairments in the affected body systems at step three of the sequential evaluation processes for initial claims and continuing disability reviews.

We intend to consolidate the current Retirement Research Consortium (RRC) and Disability Research Consortium (DRC) into a single program with a scope equivalent to the two currently existing programs. This single program will address issues related to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI).

We are announcing a demonstration project for the Social Security disability program under title II of the Social Security Act (Act). Under this project, we will modify program rules applied to beneficiaries who work and receive title II disability benefits. We are required to conduct the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD), in compliance with section 823 of the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015. In this project, we will test simplified work incentives and use a benefit offset based on earnings as an alternative to rules we currently apply to title II disability beneficiaries who work. Under the benefit offset, we will reduce title II disability benefits by $1 for every $2 that a beneficiary earns above a certain threshold. We will select beneficiaries and offer them the opportunity to volunteer for the project. When we make the selection, we will include beneficiaries who receive title II disability benefits only as well as beneficiaries who receive both title II disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on disability or blindness under title XVI of the Act. We are modifying rules that apply to the title II program and the Ticket to Work program under title XI. We will continue to apply the usual SSI program rules for participants who receive SSI payments in addition to title II disability benefits.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new computer matching program that we are currently conducting with DOL.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new computer matching program that we are currently conducting with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This computer matching agreement sets forth the terms, conditions, and safeguards under which IRS will disclose to SSA certain return information for the purpose of verifying eligibility for the Prescription Drug Subsidy Program (Subsidy) and or determining the correct subsidy percentage of benefits provided under section 1860D-14 of the Social Security Act (Act).

We published final rules in the Federal Register on July 1, 2016, that revised the Listing of Impairments (Listings) for the neurological body system. That document inadvertently omitted a reference. This document amends and corrects the final rule.

In accordance with the Privacy Act we are issuing public notice of our intent to establish a new system of records entitled, Customer Engagement Tools (CET) Record System (60-0383), hereinafter called the CET Record System. We will use this system to maintain the information we collect during our electronic communications with those individuals who have created a my Social Security account and have been authenticated to use online electronic services via the my Social Security web portal, and who choose to communicate with us using an electronic communication method, such as the Click-to-Chat tool. This notice publishes details of the system as set forth under the caption SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

We are extending for six months our rule authorizing attorney advisors to conduct certain prehearing proceedings and to issue fully favorable decisions. The current rule is scheduled to expire on August 4, 2017. In this final rule, we are extending the sunset date to February 5, 2018. We are making no other substantive changes.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a re-establishment of an existing computer matching program that we are currently conducting with CMS.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new computer matching program that we are currently conducting with the States, including tribal agencies and United States (U.S.) territories.

We are removing from the Code of Federal Regulations the final rules, Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA), published on December 19, 2016. We are doing so because Congress passed, and the President signed, a joint resolution of disapproval of the final rules under the Congressional Review Act.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new/modified of an existing computer matching program that we are currently conducting with OCSE.

The Social Security Administration published a notice of rescission in the Federal Register on March 27, 2017, with incorrect modifiers in the published effective date. We are correcting the effective date to March 27, 2017.

We published a document in the Federal Register on January 18, 2017, that revises our rules. That document inadvertently contained technical errors. This document amends and corrects the final rules.