Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled; Administrative Review Process; Video Teleconferencing Appearances Before Administrative Law Judges of the Social Security Administration

We are adopting without change the final rules that were published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2003, at 68 FR 5210, authorizing us to conduct hearings before administrative law judges (ALJs) using video teleconferencing (VTC). The revised rules authorized us to conduct hearings before ALJs at which a party or parties to the hearing and/or a witness or witnesses may appear before the ALJ by VTC. The revised rules also provided that if we schedule you to appear at your hearing by VTC, rather than in person, and you object to use of the VTC procedure, we will reschedule your hearing as one at which you may appear in person before the ALJ. Under the revised rules, the ALJ will also consider any objection you may have to the appearance of a witness by VTC. The purpose of the rules is to provide us with greater flexibility in scheduling and holding hearings, improve hearing process efficiency, and extend another service delivery option to individuals requesting a hearing.