20 C.F.R. Subpart H—Use of SSA Telephone Lines
Title 20 - Employees' Benefits
Authority: Secs. 205(a) and 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405 and 902(a)(5)).
Source: 63 FR 57058, Oct. 26, 1998, unless otherwise noted.
The regulations in this subpart describe the limited circumstances under which SSA is authorized to listen-in to or record telephone conversations. The purpose of this subpart is to inform the public and SSA employees of those circumstances and the procedures that SSA will follow when conducting telephone service observation activities. SSA employees may listen-in to or record telephone conversations on SSA telephone lines under the following conditions: (a) Law enforcement/national security. When performed for law enforcement, foreign intelligence, counterintelligence or communications security purposes when determined necessary by the Commissioner of Social Security or designee. Such determinations shall be in writing and shall be made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and Executive Orders governing such activities. Communications security monitoring shall be conducted in accordance with procedures approved by the Attorney General. Line identification equipment may be installed on SSA telephone lines to assist Federal law enforcement officials in investigating threatening telephone calls, bomb threats and other criminal activities. (b) Public safety. When performed by an SSA employee for public safety purposes and when documented by a written determination by the Commissioner of Social Security or designee citing the public safety needs. The determination shall identify the segment of the public needing protection and cite examples of the possible harm from which the public requires protection. Use of SSA telephone lines identified for reporting emergency and other public safety-related situations will be deemed as consent to public safety monitoring and recording. (See §422.710(a)(1)) (c) Public service monitoring. When performed by an SSA employee after the Commissioner of Social Security or designee determines in writing that monitoring of such lines is necessary for the purposes of measuring or monitoring SSA's performance in the delivery of service to the public; or monitoring and improving the integrity, quality and utility of service provided to the public. Such monitoring will occur only on telephone lines used by employees to provide SSA-related information and services to the public. Use of such telephone lines will be deemed as consent to public service monitoring. (See §422.710(a)(2) and (c)). (d) All-party consent. When performed by an SSA employee with the prior consent of all parties for a specific instance. This includes telephone conferences, secretarial recordings and other administrative practices. The failure to identify all individuals listening to a conversation by speaker phone is not prohibited by this or any other section. SSA component(s) that plan to listen-in to or record telephone conversations under §422.705(b) or (c) shall comply with the following procedures. (a) Prepare a written certification of need to the Commissioner of Social Security or designee at least 30 days before the planned operational date. A certification as used in this section means a written justification signed by the Deputy Commissioner of the requesting SSA component or designee, that specifies general information on the following: the operational need for listening-in to or recording telephone conversations; the telephone lines and locations where monitoring is to be performed; the position titles (or a statement about the types) of SSA employees involved in the listening-in to or recording of telephone conversations; the general operating times and an expiration date for the monitoring. This certification of need must identify the telephone lines which will be subject to monitoring, e.g., SSA 800 number voice and text telephone lines, and include current copies of any documentation, analyses, determinations, policies and procedures supporting the application, and the name and telephone number of a contact person in the SSA component which is requesting authority to listen-in to or record telephone conversations. (1) When the request involves listening-in to or recording telephone conversations for public safety purposes, the requesting component head or designee must identify the segment of the public needing protection and cite examples of the possible harm from which the public requires protection. (2) When the request involves listening-in to or recording telephone conversations for public service monitoring purposes, the requesting component head or designee must provide a statement in writing why such monitoring is necessary for measuring or monitoring the performance in the delivery of SSA service to the public; or monitoring and improving the integrity, quality and utility of service provided to the public. (b) At least every 5 years, SSA will review the need for each determination authorizing listening-in or recording activities in the agency. SSA components or authorized agents involved in conducting listening-in or recording activities must submit documentation as described in §422.710(a) to the Commissioner of Social Security or a designee to continue or terminate telephone service observation activities. (c) SSA will comply with the following controls, policies and procedures when listening-in or recording is associated with public service monitoring. (1) SSA will provide a message on SSA telephone lines subject to public service monitoring that will inform callers that calls on those lines may be monitored for quality assurance purposes. SSA will also continue to include information about telephone monitoring activities in SSA brochures and/or pamphlets as notification that some incoming and outgoing SSA telephone calls are monitored to ensure SSA's clients are receiving accurate and courteous service. (2) SSA employees authorized to listen-in to or record telephone calls are permitted to annotate personal identifying information about the calls, such as a person's name, Social Security number, address and/or telephone number. When this information is obtained from public service monitoring as defined in §422.705(c), it will be used for programmatic or policy purposes; e.g., recontacting individuals to correct or supplement information relating to benefits, for assessment of current/proposed policies and procedures, or to correct SSA records. Privacy Act requirements must be followed if data are retrievable by personal identifying information. (3) SSA will take appropriate corrective action, when possible, if information obtained from monitoring indicates SSA may have taken an incorrect action which could affect the payment of or eligibility to SSA benefits. (4) Telephone instruments subject to public service monitoring will be conspicuously labeled. (5) Consent from both parties is needed to tape record SSA calls for public service monitoring purposes. (d) The recordings and records pertaining to the listening-in to or recording of any conversations covered by this subpart shall be used, safeguarded and destroyed in accordance with SSA records management program.
Title 20: Employees' Benefits
PART 422—ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES
Subpart H—Use of SSA Telephone Lines
§ 422.701 Scope and purpose.
§ 422.705 When SSA employees may listen-in to or record telephone conversations.
§ 422.710 Procedures SSA will follow.
