Title of Information Collection and Form Number(s)

Status: Original and derived artifacts are available for this document.

Download: docx | pdf | html

Supporting Statement for Public Information Campaign
OMB No. 0960-0544

A. 	Justification

    1. Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulation
Periodically, the Social Security Administration (SSA) conducts the Public Information Campaign.  As part of this program, the agency releases public information materials, including public service announcements (PSAs); news releases; and educational tapes, to public broadcasting systems so they can inform the public about various programs and activities conducted by the agency.  SSA disseminates one to two public information campaigns per year, and as part of the promotion of each campaign, SSA sends mailers to radio stations that encourage stations to air the radio public service announcements, communicate where to download the broadcast-ready PSAs, and request stations communicate the number of times they plan to air the PSAs via business reply card.  The purpose of the reply cards is to help SSA monitor the usage and obtain feedback on our public information materials.  SSA collects this information under the authority of Section 205(a) of the Social Security Act.

    2. Description of Collection
For the Public Information Campaign, an SSA contractor mails out the business reply cards following the mailing of public information materials, with the request that respondents mail the cards back to the contractor.  The contractor combines the results from the business reply cards and provides them to SSA.  In turn, SSA uses this information to determine what media format and what markets the public broadcast media aired the materials.  Ultimately, this enables SSA to improve the public information materials.   

There are no psychological cost associated with the Public Information Campaign, as SSA is not requesting personal information from the respondents, and we do not require the respondents to complete and return the response cards (the response is voluntary). 

The respondents are radio sources, which the contractor maintains through a proprietary dataset provided by the company Standard Rated and Data Service.

    3. Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
An SSA contractor mails out the business reply cards following the mailing of public information materials, with the request that respondents mail the cards back to the contractor.  We are looking into moving to digital/electronic plays and replacing the business reply cards with a digital and electronically submissible version within the next three years.  Once the electronically submissible version of the reply cards is ready for implementation, we will submit a Change Request to OMB for approval prior to implementation.

    4. Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information
The nature of the information we collect and the manner in which we collect it preclude duplication.  SSA does not use another collection instrument to obtain similar data.

    5. Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents
This collection does not affect small businesses or other small entities. 

    6. Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently
If SSA did not conduct this information collection, we would have no means of obtaining feedback on the public information materials we mail to the broadcast sources.  Because we collect this information twice a year, we cannot collect it less frequently.  There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.

    7. Special Circumstances 
There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to conduct this information collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.

    8. Solicitation of Public Comment and Other Consultations with the Public 
The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on May 26, at 91 FR 30774, and we received no public comments.  The 30-day FRN published on July 31, 2026, at 
91 FR 48475.  If we receive any comments in response to this Notice, we will forward them to OMB.  We did not consult with the public in the development revision of this form.
 
    9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents
SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents. 

    10. Assurances of Confidentiality
SSA protects and holds confidential the information it collects in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 402, 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), and OMB Circular No. A-130.

    11. Justification for Sensitive Questions
The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.

    12. Estimates of Public Reporting Burden
Please see the burden chart below:
* We based this figure on average Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockey’s hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather, these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application.  There is no actual charge to respondents to complete the application.

We did not include travel time as per our current management information data, respondents who complete business reply cards return them to us via mail only.  Should this change in the future, we will include the language and chart for travel time to a field office.  

Note:  We do not have any recorded learning costs for this information collection, as the respondents learn about it when SSA’s contractor mails the business reply card, and the respondent informs SSA how they would like SSA to notify them about new PSA campaign availability.  

We base our burden estimates on current management information data, which includes data from actual interviews, as well as from years of conducting this information collection.  Per our management information data, we believe that 1 minute accurately shows the average burden per response for learning about the program; receiving notices as needed; reading and understanding instructions; gathering the data and documents needed; answering the questions and completing the information collection instrument; scheduling any necessary appointment or required phone call; consulting with any third parties (as needed); and waiting to speak with SSA employees (as needed).  Based on our current management information data, the current burden information we provided is accurate.  The total burden for this ICR is 167 burden hours (reflecting SSA management information data), which results in an associated theoretical (not actual) opportunity cost financial burden of $4,302.  SSA does not charge respondents to complete our applications.

13. 	Annual Cost to the Respondents (Other) 
This collection does not impose a known cost burden on the respondents.   

    14. Annual Cost To Federal Government
The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $10,410.  This estimate accounts for costs from the following areas:

Description of Cost Factor
Methodology for Estimating Cost
Cost in Dollars*
Designing and Printing the Form
Design Cost + Printing Cost
$410
Distribution, Shipping, and Material Costs for the Form
Distribution + Shipping + Material Cost
$10,000
SSA Employee (e.g., field office, 800 number, DDS staff) Information Collection and Processing Time
GS-9 employee x # of responses x processing time
$0*
Full-Time Equivalent Costs
Out of pocket costs + Other expenses for providing this service
$0*
Systems Development, Updating, and Maintenance
GS-9 employee x man hours for development, updating, maintenance
$0*
Quantifiable IT Costs
Any additional IT costs
$0*
Total

$10,410
* We have inserted a $0 amount for cost factors that do not apply to this collection.
SSA is unable to break down the costs to the Federal government further than we already have.  First, since we work with almost every US citizen, we often do bulk mailings and cannot track the cost for a single mailing.  However, we have calculated these costs as accurately as possible based on the information we collect for creating, updating, and maintaining these information collections.
Note:  We adjusted costs to account for 2.4% inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M02 Results.
15.	Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
There are no changes to the public reporting burden.

16.  	Plans for Publication Information Collection Results
SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.

17.	Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date
OMB granted SSA an exemption from the requirement to print the OMB expiration date on its program forms.  SSA produces millions of public-use forms with life cycles exceeding those of an OMB approval.  Since SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis), OMB granted this exemption so SSA would not have to destroy stocks of otherwise useable forms with expired OMB approval dates, avoiding Government waste. 

    18. Exceptions to Certification Statement
SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

B.     	Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

	SSA does not use statistical methods for this information collection.