Administrative Review Process, Testing Modifications to Prehearing Procedures and Decisions by Adjudication Officers

We propose to amend our rules to establish the authority to test the position of an adjudication officer who, under the Plan for a New Disability Claim Process approved by the Commissioner of Social Security in September 1994 (the disability redesign plan), would be the focal point for all prehearing activities when a request for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) is filed. The adjudication officer is an integral element of the disability redesign plan. We expect that our test of the adjudication officer position will provide us with sufficient information to determine the effect of the position on the hearing process. This proposed rule only refers to the changes to the disability procedures we will test. Unless specified, all other regulations related to the disability determination process remain unchanged.