The Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual is available to Social Security Administration (SSA) staff online under PolicyNet, and to the public at socialsecurity.gov. The HALLEX user has two ways to locate specific information: browsing through a Table of Contents online and using the “search” functions in PolicyNet.

To cite to a specific HALLEX reference, use the following elements: HALLEX, volume, division or part, chapter, section, and, as appropriate, subsection. For example, use “HALLEX I-1-2-58 C.1.a.” to refer to HALLEX material issued in Volume I (General Subjects), Division 1, Chapter 2, Section 58, subsection C, sub-subsection 1, and 3rd level subsection a. Note that a space separates the section indicator (58) from the subsection indicator (C). Periods (.) separate a subsection and its subordinate segments.

• •

  Citations that include only the section or subsection levels do not end with a period. For example, I-1-2-58 and I-1-2-58 C are proper citations.

• •

  Citations that go beyond the subsection level include periods after each segment subordinate to the subsection. For example, I-1-2-58 C.1. and I-1-2-58 C.1.a. are proper citations.

A numbered transmittal sheet (TS) accompanies initial or revised material. We number the TS sequentially within each division or part. When multiple sections in the same division are updated, only one transmittal sheet is prepared. For example, if sections I-2-1-45 and I-2-7-35 are updated only one transmittal sheet is needed because both sections are in Division 2. However, if sections I-3-7-13 and I-4-3-45 are updated, two transmittal sheets are needed: one for the Division 3 material and one for the Division 4 material.

Each TS provides the following information:

• •

  A brief background statement of actions or events that led to the issuance of the instructions; and

• •

  An explanation of substantive changes to previously issued material.

EXCEPTIONS:

• •

  Temporary Instructions (TI) in Division 5 generally do not have a TS because the background statement or discussion of the events that led to issuance of the TI are contained in the body of the TI, usually under “Background.” However, when it is necessary to revise or replace only a portion of an existing TI, a TS will usually accompany the revision to explain the changes to the previously issued material.

• •

  HALLEX Action Items do not require a TS. (See HA 01105.007 E.)

Each Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) field office must make HALLEX available for public inspection and copying under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In OHO headquarters, the FOIA staff in the Office of Executive Operations and Human Resources is responsible for making HALLEX available for public inspection and copying. In the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO), the Office of Appellate Operation's Executive Director's Office is responsible for making HALLEX available for public inspection and copying. (See 20 CFR §§ 402.50 and 402.60). OHO and OARO employees may refer the public to HALLEX online as an alternative to onsite inspection or copying. (See HA 01105.004 A.)