Justification for the Non-Substantive Changes - 0960-0789

Justification for the Non-Substantive Changes for

Social Security Administration’s Public Credentialing and Authentication Process

20 CFR 401.45, 20 CFR 402

OMB No. 0960-0789

Background

The Social Security Administration’s Public Credentialing and Authentication Process (hereafter called “electronic access”) went live to the public in May 2012. In the Information Collection Request OMB approved on 9/30/11 for release one (R1) of electronic access, the Social Security Administration (SSA) discussed the phased rollout plan for our new online electronic access authentication process. R1 of electronic access established a mechanism for customers to create an account, obtain a credential, and access our online services through a new Internet portal, the my Social Security website. In addition, we introduced the registration and customer support (RCS) Intranet application, which provides an interface for authorized SSA personnel to respond to customers’ requests for assistance with electronic access. Since then, we deployed additional releases to expand the services available with an online account, and we continue to do so.

Justification

As part of our expansion of online my Social Security services, effective May 2015, we are migrating the existing Internet Medicare Replacement Card (iMRC) application behind the my Social Security portal while maintaining current application functionality (excluding the change of address question which we will no longer ask). The new my Social Security Medicare Replacement Card (myMRC) application will allow authenticated users to take advantage of the single sign-on capabilities offered with the electronic access authentication protocols.

The iMRC application was under the OMB clearance number (0960-0596). We previously submitted a change request under the 0960-0596 OMB number to request approval to migrate the iMRC application to the Public Credentialing and Authentication Process information collection, 0960-0789. We planned to discontinue the process of asking for personal information within the application, as we already ask those questions through the current authentication process under electronic access (OMB Number 0960-0789). OMB approved the change request for OMB number 0960-0596 on 8/28/13; however, SSA delayed the iMRC migration project due to a number of factors including:  other emergency proposals competing for Systems resources; Systems needing additional Usability support; and the need to upgrade the application architecture to include Google Analytics.

Now, we have the resources to complete the iMRC migration. We are submitting this Change Request to inform OMB of the May 30, 2015 implementation date for this transferred iMRC (now called myMRC) application. Beginning on 5/30/15, the respondents for the myMRC will need to register for a credential using electronic access (0960-0789) prior to accessing the myMRC application, if they do not already have a my Social Security account.

Burden

We are not adjusting the reporting burden to this information collection due to the transfer of the myMRC application to the my Social Security portal. Our existing burden estimate, which OMB approved on 10/24/14, already reflects the absorption of this application into the electronic access process. In addition, since we already obtained OMB’s approval to remove iMRC from 0960-0596, we do not need to adjust the burden there, either.