Ticket to Work And Work Incentives Advisory Panel Operating Procedures
Section I: Purpose:
The purpose of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel (Panel) is to advise the President, Congress, and Commissioner of Social Security on issues related to work incentives programs, planning, and assistance for individuals with disabilities, including work incentive provisions under titles II, XI, XVI, XVIII, and XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1301 et seq., 1381 et seq., 1395 et seq., 1396 et seq.); and with respect to the Ticket to Work and Self - Sufficiency Program established under section 1148 of such Act-
(i) Advise the Commissioner of Social Security with respect to establishing phase-in sites for such Program and fully implementing the Program thereafter, the refinement of access of beneficiaries with disabilities to employment networks, payment systems, and management information systems, and advise the Commissioner whether such measures are being taken to the extent necessary to ensure the success of the Program;
(ii) Advise the Commissioner regarding the most effective designs for research and demonstration projects associated with the Program or conducted pursuant to section 302 of this Act;
(iii) Advise the Commissioner on the development of performance measurements relating to quality assurance under section 1148(d)(6) of the Social Security Act; and
(iv) Furnish progress reports on the Program to the Commissioner, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Section II: Authority
The Congress has determined that the establishment of the Panel is in the public interest. The Panel is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as outlined in its Charter, initially filed with the Library of Congress on March 21, 2000 and renewed and approved on March 24, 2002. The Charter must be renewed every two years.
Section III: Membership Selection and Appointment
Membership selection and appointment of panel members shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) as outlined in its Charter.
Section IV: Member Responsibilities
Membership includes the responsibility to attend Panel meetings and complete agreed upon tasks. The members shall abide by all applicable Federal laws and regulations including the provisions of TWWIIA, FACA, the Panel’s charter, the applicable personnel rules and these operating procedures.
Section V: Meeting Procedures
The regularly scheduled meetings of the Advisory Panel shall be in the second month, of each Federal fiscal quarter, unless otherwise agreed to by the majority of the Panel. Special meetings will be called by the Chairperson or a majority of Panel Members in consultation with the Designated Federal Official (DFO).
All meetings will be held according to the following considerations:
A. Quorum: Eight members of the Panel shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting as required by law.
B. Agenda: The agenda will be established by the Chairperson, in consultation with the Executive Director and the designated DFO. Any member of the Panel may submit items to be included on the agenda to the Chairperson who in consultation with the Committee Chairs, Executive Director and DFO will set the agenda with regard to the annual plan approved by the Panel. In the event an issue raised by a member is not included in the public meeting agenda, the member may call for a majority vote at the meeting to include the item on the current public meeting agenda.
Non-members, including members of the public, may bring matters before the Panel by providing public comment or by suggesting items for the agenda as follows: 1.) Contact the Chair or the Executive Director of the Panel and formally request that a matter be placed on a future agenda or 2.) Submit a request in person or in writing to the Chair or the Executive Director of the Panel. All requests should include the reason the issue, the individual or the group they represents should come before the Panel outlining the way in which the topic is related to the legislative charge of the Panel.
Each agenda will specify whether public comment will be accepted and, if so, the length of time allotted for such comment. The agenda will be provided to each Panel member and published prior to each meeting.
C. Minutes and Records: The Panel staff with the support of a contractor and transcription will prepare the draft minutes for distribution to the Panel members. Minutes will be distributed to each Panel member within 30 days of a meeting for consideration and approval by the Panel at its next meeting. Minutes of public meetings will be available to the public upon request and will be posted on the Panel’s web site subsequent to their approval by the Panel. Minutes of closed meetings will also be available to the public upon request, subject to the withholding of matters about which public disclosure would be harmful to the interests of the Government, industry, or others, and which are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The minutes will include date of the meeting, a record of the persons present (including the names of Panel members, staff, members of the public who provide written or oral presentations, and persons who provide briefings, reports or other requested information), presentation topics, action items, consensus decisions and motions approved by the Panel. The official transcript of each meeting shall be kept on file in the Panel office. All documents, reports or other materials prepared by, or for, the Panel constitute official government records and shall be maintained according to Panel policies, procedures and FACA. The Panel's DFO will be responsible for reviewing the minutes and providing FACA approval of the minutes of each meeting.
D. Open Meetings. Unless otherwise determined in advance, all meetings of the Panel will be open to the public. All materials brought before or presented to the Panel during the conduct of an open meeting, including the minutes of the prior open meeting, will be available in alternative format to the public at the time of the scheduled meeting. All material and handouts distributed by staff, contractors or presenters at public meetings of the Panel will be provided to those in attendance and will be made available in alternative formats, in compliance with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehab Act of 1973.
Any materials not provided in alternative formats will not be distributed at Panel meetings. Individuals making presentation to the Panel may have their materials converted into alternative formats by the Panel if the materials are provided electronically to the Panel staff no later than two weeks prior to the meeting. Teleconference meetings will be made accessible to hearing impaired individuals by use of the Federal Government Relay Services upon request at least one week in advance of the meeting or by other appropriate methods.
Members of the public may attend any meeting or portion of a meeting that is not closed to the public and may, at the discretion of the Chairperson, offer oral comment at such meetings. The Chairperson may decide in advance to exclude oral public comment during a meeting, in which case the meeting announcement published in the Federal Register will note that oral comment from the public is excluded and will invite written comment. Members of the public may submit written statements to the Panel at any time.
E. Closed Meetings: Meetings of the Panel will be closed only in limited circumstances and in accordance with the FACA and the Sunshine Act. Where the DFO has determined in advance that discussions during a Panel meeting will involve matters about which public disclosure would be harmful to the interests of the Government, industry or others, an advance notice of a closed meeting, citing the applicable exemptions of Government in the Sunshine Act, will be published in the Federal Register. The notice may announce the closing of all or just part of the meeting. If, during the course of an open meeting, matters inappropriate for public disclosure arise during discussions, the DFO will order such discussion to cease and will schedule it for closed session. Notices of closed meetings will be published in the Federal Register at least 15 calendar days in advance.
Section VI: Voting
A. Voting Procedures: Any member, including the Chairperson, may make a motion for a vote. A motion for a vote requires a second to bring the issue to a vote. Voting will be conducted by calling the roll and allowing the Panel Member to state yea, nay, or abstention. At the discretion of the Chairperson, a roll call vote may be dispensed with. Each member shall have one vote. Panel members may participate in meetings and vote via teleconference if they are unable to attend meetings in person. The votes of a majority of the Panel present and voting shall be necessary for adoption by the Panel of any action.
B. Absentee Voting: A member of the Panel who is absent from a meeting of the Panel may vote at the meeting if the member provides a written indication to the Chairperson of his or her vote on specific matters prior to the vote.
A member who is absent from a meeting may also give consent to, or register dissent from, any action adopted by the Panel at the meeting, for the record, if the member provides notice of consent or dissent with the Chairperson of the Panel within five days of the meeting. This will be noted for the record and will not change the outcome of the vote.
Section VII: Role of Chairperson
Section VIII: Absence of the Chairperson
In the event of the absence of the Chairperson at a public meeting, the meeting shall be called to order by the DFO. The Chair shall designate a member of the Panel to serve as chair for the duration of the meeting. In the event of such absence from a meeting, Panel Chair may vote at the meeting if the Chair provides a written indication to the designated Chairperson of his or her vote on specific matters prior to the vote. If the Chair has been unable to designate a member to serve as Chair, the Panel shall so appoint by majority vote.
Section IX: Committees
The Panel shall have such standing Committees as the Panel members deem appropriate and necessary but shall include at a minimum: the Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Committee; the Program and Legal Policy Committee; and the Panel Planning and Operations Committee. The Chairperson of the Panel shall appoint the Chairperson of each committee. As deemed necessary, the Chairperson of the Panel may convene other committees and workgroups as needed to support the Panel’s functions. In the event of the absence of the Committee chairperson, the Committee chairperson shall designate a member of the Committee to serve as the chair for the duration of the meeting. If the Committee chair has been unable to designate a member to serve as Committee chair, the Committee shall so appoint by majority vote.
A. Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Committee: The Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Committee shall gather information, identify issues, and suggest options pertaining to: program design, program implementation, program evaluation, and research design and methodology. The Committee’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations are intended for consideration by the full Panel as it crafts recommendations on the design, implementation, and evaluation components of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.
B. Program and Legal Policy Committee: The Program and Legal Policy Committee shall gather information, identify issues, and suggest options pertaining to: legal and regulatory policies and integration between programs and agencies. The Committee’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations are intended for consideration by the full Panel as it crafts recommendations on legislative, legal, regulatory, and cross agency coordination and program integration topics relevant to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.
C. Panel Planning and Operations Committee: The Panel Planning and Operations Committee serves as a steering committee for the Panel. It develops and updates the Panel's Operating Procedures, coordinates the Panel's Long Range Plan and annual priority setting, develops agendas for quarterly and other full Panel meetings, plans orientation and training for the Panel, and provides input to the Executive Director on resource issues relating to budget and personnel. Committee recommendations will be considered by the full Panel.
Section X: Representing the Panel
As a general rule, the Chairperson will speak to internal governmental and outside public and private entities on behalf of the Panel. Individual Panel members and staff are not authorized to speak on behalf of the Panel to outside public or private entities, White House officials, Congressional offices or Congressional staff without the express approval of either, a quorum of the Panel or at the direction of the Panel Chairperson.
Nothing in this section precludes Panel members from speaking to such entities or individuals at public forums as a member of the Panel. Panel members will clarify when they are presenting their personal views on issues and not formally representing the Panel.
Section XI: Amendments to Operating Procedures
These operating procedures may be amended at any meeting of the Panel if approved by at least 8 Members of the Panel, provided that a copy of the operating procedures to be amended and the proposed amendments are provided to the Panel members 30 days in advance of the meeting at which the operating procedures will be voted upon.
Section XII: Requests for Information or Analysis from Individual Panel Members
Individual Panel members may request specific information or policy analysis from the Executive Director (ED). If the request is related to Committee work, the Panel member will discuss the request with the Chair of the Committee and the Committee Chair should request assistance from the analyst assigned as lead staff for that Committee. The analyst and the Chair will decide whether the Executive Director needs to be consulted.
If the request appears to pose time management problems for staff and the ED determines that responding would take time away from higher priority work of the Panel staff and Committees, the ED will consult with the Panel Chair for direction on prioritizing the work of the Panel.
Nothing in this paragraph precludes Panel members from contacting staff for routine information necessary to carry out their roles as Panel members or to carry out their Committee assignments.
Section XIII: Handling of SSA contract-related documents by TWWI Advisory Panel Members
The members of the Panel are governed by the provisions of the Federal Standards of Conduct and the Code of Ethics for special government employees and must adhere to the Federal Acquisition Regulations and the procedures set forth by the Office of Acquisitions and Grants in the Social Security Administration.
Click here for the Panel's original Operating Procedures
Adopted by a vote of the Panel August 27, 2003.
