[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40657-40659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16795]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirement of Section 3506 (c)(2)(A)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which provides opportunity for
public comment on new or revised data collections, the Railroad
Retirement Board (RRB) will publish periodic summaries of proposed data
collections.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed information
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information has practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the RRB's estimate of the burden of the collection
of the information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize
the burden related to the collection of information on respondents,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
1. Title and purpose of information collection: Employee
Representative's Status and Compensation Reports; OMB 3220-0014.
Under Section 1(b)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the
term ``employee'' includes an individual who is an employee
representative. As defined in Section 1(c) of the RRA, an employee
representative is an officer or official representative of a railway
labor organization other than a labor organization included in the term
``employer,'' as defined in the RRA, who before or after August 29,
1935, was in the service of an employer under the RRA and who is duly
authorized and designated to represent employees in accordance with the
Railway Labor Act, or, any individual who is regularly assigned to or
regularly employed by such officer or official representative in
connection with the duties of his or her office. The requirements
relating to the application for employee representative status and the
periodic reporting of the compensation resulting from such status is
contained in 20 CFR 209.10.
The RRB utilizes Forms DC-2a, Employee Representative's Status
Report, and DC-2, Employee Representative's Report of Compensation, to
obtain the information needed to determine employee representative
status and to maintain a record of creditable service and compensation
resulting from such status. Completion is required to obtain or retain
a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent. The RRB
proposes a minor editorial change to both Forms DC-2a and DC-2.
[[Page 40658]]
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC-2a........................................................... 3 15 1
DC-2............................................................ 65 30 33
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 68 .............. 34
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Title and purpose of information collection: Nonresident
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0145.
Under Public Laws 98-21 and 98-76, benefits under the Railroad
Retirement Act payable to annuitants living outside the United States
may be subject to taxation under United States income tax laws. Whether
the social security equivalent and non-social security equivalent
portions of Tier I, Tier II, vested dual benefit, or supplemental
annuity payments are subject to tax withholding, and whether the same
or different rates are applied to each payment, depends on a
beneficiary's citizenship and legal residence status, and whether
exemption under a tax treaty between the United States and the country
in which the beneficiary is a legal resident has been claimed. To
effect the required tax withholding, the Railroad Retirement Board
(RRB) needs to know a nonresident's citizenship and legal residence
status.
To secure the required information, the RRB utilizes Form RRB-1001,
Nonresident Questionnaire, as a supplement to an application as part of
the initial application process, and as an independent vehicle for
obtaining the needed information when an annuitant's residence or tax
treaty status changes. Completion is voluntary. One response is
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form RRB-
1001.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RRB-1001 (Initial Filing)....................................... 300 30 250
RRB-1001 (Tax Renewal).......................................... 1,000 30 400
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 1,300 .............. 650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Title and purpose of information collection: Statement of
Claimant or Other Person; OMB 3220-0183.
To support an application for an annuity under Section 2 of the
Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) or for unemployment benefits under
Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), pertinent
information and proofs must be furnished for the RRB to determine
benefit entitlement. Circumstances may require an applicant or other
person(s) having knowledge of facts relevant to the applicant's
eligibility for an annuity or benefits to provide written statements
supplementing or changing statements previously provided by the
applicant. Under the railroad retirement program these statements may
relate to a change in an annuity beginning date(s), date of
marriage(s), birth(s), prior railroad or non-railroad employment, an
applicant's request for reconsideration of an unfavorable RRB
eligibility determination for an annuity or various other matters. The
statements may also be used by the RRB to secure a variety of
information needed to determine eligibility to unemployment and
sickness benefits. Procedures related to providing information needed
for RRA annuity or RUIA benefit eligibility determinations are
prescribed in 20 CFR parts 217 and 320 respectively.
The RRB utilizes Form G-93, Statement of Claimant or Other Person,
to obtain from applicants or other persons, the supplemental or
corrective information needed to determine applicant eligibility for an
RRA annuity or RUIA benefits. Completion is voluntary. One response is
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-93.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-93......................................................... 900 15 225
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms,
and/or supporting material, contact Dana Hickman at (312) 751-4981 or
[email protected]. Comments regarding the information collection
should be addressed to Charles Mierzwa, Railroad Retirement Board, 844
North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 or emailed to
[email protected]. Written
[[Page 40659]]
comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.
Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-16795 Filed 7-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P