Social Security Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

We are publishing this Social Security Acquiescence Ruling (AR) in accordance with 20 CFR 402.35(b)(2).

We are announcing the standardized administrative fees we will charge to recover our full cost of providing information and related services for nonprogram purposes we provide to the public. Previously, the fees we charged for nonprogram information requests were not standardized. Standard fee implementation will ensure fees are consistent and that we collect the full cost of supplying our information when a request is for a purpose not directly related to our administration of a program under the Social Security Act (Act). We expect the implementation of standard fees across all field offices will allow us to provide consistent service to members of the public who request information from us for nonprogram-related purposes.

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

We are requesting public input as we develop our Service Delivery Plan (SDP). We recently completed our Agency Strategic Plan (ASP) for 2013-2016. The ASP identifies four goals: (1) Deliver quality disability decisions and services; (2) provide quality service to the public; (3) preserve the public's trust in our programs; and (4) strengthen our workforce and infrastructure. Consistent with these goals, our SDP will outline how we plan to provide our services over the next four years and beyond.

In accordance with 20 CFR 402.35(b)(1), the Commissioner of Social Security gives notice of Social Security Ruling, SSR 12-2p. This ruling provides guidance on how we develop evidence to establish that a person has a medically determinable impairment of fibromyalgia, and how we evaluate fibromyalgia in disability claims and continuing disability reviews under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act.

We are revising our rules to give adjudicators the discretion to proceed to the fifth step of the sequential evaluation process for assessing disability when we have insufficient information about a claimant's past relevant work history to make the findings required for step 4. If an adjudicator finds at step 5 that a claimant may be unable to adjust to other work existing in the national economy, the adjudicator will return to the fourth step to develop the claimant's work history and make a finding about whether the claimant can perform his or her past relevant work. We expect that this new expedited process will not disadvantage any claimant or change the ultimate conclusion about whether a claimant is disabled, but it will promote administrative efficiency and help us make more timely disability determinations and decisions.

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

The Occupational Information Development Advisory Panel (Panel) is a discretionary Panel, established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, as amended. The Panel provides independent advice and recommendations to us on the creation of an occupational information system for use in our disability programs and for our adjudicative needs. Meeting Information

We are extending the expiration dates of the following body systems in the Listing of Impairments (listings) in our regulations: Growth Impairment, Musculoskeletal System, Respiratory System, Cardiovascular System, Digestive System, Hematological Disorders, Skin Disorders, Neurological, and Mental Disorders. We are making no other revisions to these body system listings in this final rule. This extension will ensure that we 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.

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

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a renewal of an existing computer matching program that we are currently conducting with DOL. Also published today in a separate notice in the Federal Register, you will find an announcement of a new computer matching program (Match 1015).

The Social Security Administration published a document in the Federal Register of March 27, 2012, about reinstating an Index to Chapter III in Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The document contains a misprinted Web site link.

This final rule removes regulations on the Black Lung program from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) chapter of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The Black Lung Consolidation of Administrative Responsibility Act transferred the responsibility for administering Part B of the Black Lung benefits program from SSA to the Department of Labor (DOL), and we are removing the regulations in recognition of the fact that we are no longer responsible for administering any aspect of the Part B Black Lung program. DOL concurs with this final rule removing the regulations.