Non-Substantive Change 0960-0064

Justification for Non-Substantive Changes for Form SSA-7157

Farm Arrangement Questionnaire

20 CFR 404.1082(c)

OMB No. 0960-0064

Background

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses Form SSA-7157 to ensure we accurately credit net earnings from self-employment (NESE). Workers cannot count rental income from a farm they own unless they demonstrate “material participation” in that farm’s operation. As a result, SSA uses SSA-7157 to document material participation and to give individuals credit for NESE.

SSA recently reassessed the need for the respondent’s signature on this form and determined that we no longer require it. Therefore, we are removing the signature requirement from this form.

While we will leave a name block on the form, we will not require a wet signature. The respondent will be able to type in their name, and SSA will not be require them to print the form and sign the form.

Revision to the Information Collection

• Change #1: SSA is removing the signature requirement from Form SSA-7157.

Justification #1: We reassessed the need for a wet signature on this form and determined we no longer require it. Therefore, we will no longer ask respondents to sign this form prior to submitting it to SSA.

• Change #2:  We are replacing the Penalty of Perjury Statement with a Penalty of Perjury Warning: Anyone who knowingly makes or causes to be made a false statement or representation of material fact for use in determining a payment under the Social Security Act, or knowingly conceals or fails to disclose an event with an intent to affect an initial or continued right to payment, or submits or causes to be submitted any false statement or document knowing the same to contain any misrepresentation of material fact, commits a crime punishable under Federal law by fine, imprisonment, or both, and may be subject to administrative sanctions.

Justification #2:  The Penalty of Perjury Statement is directly connected to the signature and needs to be removed since a signature is no longer required. However, to maintain the intent of that statement, it will be replaced with a Penalty of Perjury Warning.

• Change #3: We are revising the PRA statements on this collection.

Justification #3: We are revising the PRA statements to reflect our current boilerplate language.  The current language, which dates back to the last reprint of the form, is now outdated.

• Change #4: We are revising the Privacy Act Statements on this collection.

Justification #4: SSA’s Office of the General Counsel is conducting a systematic review of SSA’s Privacy Act Statements on agency forms. As a result, SSA is updating the Privacy Act Statements on this collection.

After OMB approves the signature removal for this form, we will implement the new version of the form that clarifies that we no longer require a signature by removing the signature block. The new version of the form will provide space to collect the name and title of the individual completing the form.

This confirms we were unable to add this to the previous package because this form was not yet on track for signature removal. However, currently it is part of a broader initiative, along with other select forms, that are a part of a webification project to make these forms more easily accessible to the public.

These actions will not affect the public reporting burden.