Following a temporary pause on
in-person service, such as in-person hearings due to the COVID-19
pandemic, SSA will soon restart in-person hearings on a limited
basis. When SSA resumes these limited in-person hearings, we will
ask participating members of the public to complete a brief
COVID-19 symptoms screener questionnaire within 24 hours of their
hearings. Background During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, SSA
conducted its services almost exclusively online or by telephone,
to protect the health of both the public and our employees. We took
these measures in accordance with relevant Centers for Disease
Control COVID-19 pandemic guidance, and to comply with existing
Occupational Safety and Health Act provisions regarding workplace
safety. While in-person hearings have not been available since
March 2020, claimants or their appointed representatives who wished
to appeal a redetermination could choose to participate in an
online video hearing or phone hearing instead. We would like to
soon resume in-person hearings on a limited-capacity basis.
Initially, we plan to keep the number of in person hearings to an
average of three separate hearings per hearings office per day, to
ensure the continued health and safety of the public and SSA
employees. The number of in-person hearings per hearing office may
be revised over the course of reentry. Need for Information
Collection; Collection Methodology; How Information Will Be Used
Because of COVID-19 health and safety considerations, we plan to
require all members of the public entering an SSA hearing office to
participate in an in-person hearing to complete a brief screener
questionnaire designed to identify COVID-19 symptoms. A link to the
questionnaire will be provided in the mailed notice of scheduled
hearings. People participating in a hearing can complete and submit
the questionnaire online within 24 hours before the start of the
hearing. If hearings participants do not wish to use the Internet,
they can call the hearings office where the hearing is scheduled
and complete the questionnaire over the phone. The questionnaire
will ask questions relating to personal experience of any COVID
symptoms; exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID; or travel by
means other than land travel, such as car, bus, ferry, or train.
SSA will use the screener responses to determine if the in-person
hearings participant is “cleared” or “not cleared” to enter an SSA
hearing office. If participants answer “no” to all questions, they
are “cleared” to participate. If they answer “yes” to any part of
the screener, they will be “not cleared.” Persons who are not
cleared may seek to be rescheduled for the next in-person hearing
date that at least 14 days after the COVID-19 symptoms first
presented, or 14 days after they tested positive for COVID-19.
Alternatives to Completing the Information Collection Although
completion of the questionnaire will be required for an in-person
hearing, it is not required for other modalities of appeals
hearings. One may choose an online video hearing or telephone
hearing as an alternative to an in-person hearing. Claimants may
obtain Social Security payments regardless of the hearing method
they choose. We are making Non-Substantive changes to this
collection to align with reopening screening signage posted on our
offices. We want all screening language to be consistent.
Advocacy groups
representing the interests of Social Security claimants and
professional organizations from the representative community have
requested that we resume in-person hearings. To increase our level
of service while maintaining the health and safety of the public
and our employees, SSA needs the COVID-19 symptoms screener in
place as soon as possible. The length of the standard PRA process
would hinder our ability to increase our service. We are requesting
emergency clearance with approval to be granted no later than
December 12, 2021. We will invite the public to submit comments if
they wish to do so. Given the nature of the ICR, it has been
conveyed to us that PRA approval does not depend on resolution of
or response to public comments. We understand that an emergency PRA
approval is effective for six months. If we need to continue using
the screener after six months, we will seek full PRA approval,
which would include two standard public comment periods.
US Code:
42
USC 405 Name of Law: Social Security Act
This new IC increases the
public reporting burden. See the chart above for burden figures.
The IC does not modify SSA’s existing programs in any way.
$110,316
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Faye Lipsky 410 965-8783
faye.lipsky@ssa.gov
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Justification for Non-Substantive Changes - 0824.docx
COVID Screener Questionnaire