Supporting Statement - 0802

Supporting Statement for Form SSA-157

Data Exchange Request Form

OMB No. 0960-0802

A. Justification

1. Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations
   The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains approximately 3,000 data exchange agreements and regularly receives new requests from Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies; foreign governments; research entities; as well as private organizations, to share data electronically. SSA engages in various forms of data exchanges from Social Security number verifications to computer matches for benefit eligibility, depending on the requestor’s business needs. Section 1106(b) of the Social Security Act authorizes SSA to provide information to a requester when the disclosure is authorized by SSA’s privacy regulations and the requester reimburses SSA for the information.

2. Description of Collection
   SSA requires an instrument that requestors can use to facilitate their request for data from SSA. We use Form SSA-157, Data Exchange Request Form, for this purpose. Every new request for data, or modification to the purpose of an existing data exchange, requires the respondents to complete a new Form SSA‑157.
   
   There are several factors SSA considers in decision-making policy on whether to engage in a data exchange. We must consider the requestor’s legal authority to receive the data; our disclosure policies; systems’ feasibility; systems’ security; and costs. When a requestor asks SSA for data, we ask them several questions to determine whether to pursue a data exchange with them. We enumerate those questions in Form SSA-157. The respondents are Federal agencies; State, local, or tribal agencies; foreign governments; research entities; or private organizations that are voluntarily initiating a request for data from SSA.

3. Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
   In accordance with the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act plan, SSA created a fillable PDF version of Form SSA-157, which is submitted via email. Based on our data, 100% of respondents under this OMB number use this method to submit the fillable version to SSA.

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 we did not use Form SSA-157, respondents would have no way to request a data exchange from SSA. Because we collect the information on an as needed basis, we cannot collect it less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles that prevent 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 April 24, 2018, at 83 FR 17872, and we received no public comments. The 30-day FRN published on July 10, 2018 at 83 FR 31987. If we receive any comments in response to this Notice, we will forward them to OMB.

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
    This information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimates of Public Reporting Burden

Type of Respondent	Number of Respondents	Frequency of Response	Average Burden Per Response (minutes)	Estimated Total Annual Burden (hours)
State, local, and tribal governments	114	1	30	57
Private sector organizations	32	1	30	16
Totals	146			73

The total burden for this ICR is 73 hours. We based these figures on current management data. This figure represents burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.

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

14. Annual Cost to the Federal Government
    The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $11,533. This estimate accounts for costs from the following areas: (1) SSA employee (e.g., field office, 800 number, DDS staff) information collection and processing time.

15. Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
    There is no change 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
    SSA is not requesting an exception to the requirement to display the OMB approval expiration date.

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.