[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 166 (Monday, August 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51833-51835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20980]
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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: Employer Reporting;
3220-0005.
Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), and Section 6
of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), railroad employers
are required to submit reports of employee service and compensation to
the RRB as needed for administering the RRA and RUIA. To pay benefits
due on a deceased employee's earnings records or determine entitlement
to, and amount of annuity applied for, it is necessary at times to
obtain from railroad employers current (lag) service and compensation
not yet reported to the RRB through the annual reporting process. The
reporting requirements are specified in 20 CFR 209.6 and 209.7. The RRB
currently utilizes Form G-88A.1, Notice of Retirement and Verification
of Date Last Worked, Form G-88A.2, Notice of Retirement and Request for
Service Needed for Eligibility, and Form AA-12, Notice of Death and
Compensation, to obtain the required lag service and related
information from railroad employers. Form G-88A.1 is a computer-
generated listing sent by the RRB to railroad employers and used for
the specific purpose of verifying information previously provided to
the RRB regarding the date last worked by an employee. If the
information is correct, the employer need not reply. If the information
is incorrect, the employer is asked to provide corrected information.
Form G-88A.2 is used by the RRB to secure lag service and compensation
information when it is needed to determine benefit eligibility. Form
AA-12 obtains a report of lag service and compensation from the last
railroad employer of a deceased employee. This report covers the lag
period between the date of the latest record of employment processed by
the RRB and the date an employee last worked, the date of death or the
date the employee may have been entitled to benefits under the Social
Security Act. The information is used by the RRB to determine benefits
due on the deceased employee's earnings record. The RRB proposes no
changes to Forms AA-12 or G-88A.2; minor editorial changes to the paper
version of Form G-88A.1 and the implementation of an Internet
equivalent version of Forms G-88A.1 and G-88A.2 that can be submitted
through the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS).
In addition, 20 CFR 209.12(b) requires all railroad employers to
furnish the RRB with the home addresses of all employees hired within
the last year (new-hires). Form BA-6a, Form BA-6 Address Report, is
used by the RRB to obtain home address information of employees from
railroad employers who do not have the home address information
computerized and who
[[Page 51834]]
submit the information in a paper format. The form also serves as an
instruction sheet to railroad employers who can submit the information
electronically by magnetic tape cartridge, CD-ROM, PC diskette, secure
Email, or via ERS. The RRB proposes no changes to Form BA-6a.
Completion of the forms is mandatory. Multiple responses may be
filed by respondent.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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AA-12........................................................... 60 5 5
G-88A.1......................................................... 100 5 8
G-88A.1 Internet................................................ 260 4 17
G-88A.1 Internet (Class 1 railroads)............................ 144 16 38
G-88A.2......................................................... 100 5 8
G-88A.2 (Internet).............................................. 1,200 2.5 50
BA-6a Electronic Equivalent*.................................... 14 15 4
BA-6a (E-mail).................................................. 30 15 8
BA-6a (File Transfer Protocol).................................. 10 15 3
BA-6a Internet (RR initiated)................................... 250 17 71
BA-6a Internet (RRB initiated).................................. 250 12 50
BA-6a Paper (RR initiated)...................................... 80 32 43
BA-6a Paper (RRB initiated)..................................... 250 32 133
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Total....................................................... 2,748 .............. 438
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2. Title and purpose of information collection: Survivor
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0032.
Under Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), benefits that
may be due on the death of a railroad employee or a survivor annuitant
include (1) a lump-sum death benefit (2) a residual lump-sum payment
(3) accrued annuities due but unpaid at death, and (4) monthly survivor
insurance payments. The requirements for determining the entitlement of
possible beneficiaries to these benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR part
234.
When the RRB receives notification of the death of a railroad
employee or survivor annuitant, an RRB field office utilizes Form RL-
94-F, Survivor Questionnaire, to secure additional information from
surviving relatives needed to determine if any further benefits are
payable under the RRA. Completion is voluntary. One response is
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes collecting identifying
information when a trustee pays the burial expenses; minor non-burden
impacting clarification; and editorial changes to Form RL-94-F.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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RL-94-F, Items 5-10, and 18..................................... 50 9 8
RL-94-F, Items 5-18............................................. 7,200 11 1,320
RL-94-F, Item 18 only........................................... 750 5 63
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Total....................................................... 8,000 .............. 1,391
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3. Title and purpose of information collection: Employer's Deemed
Service Month Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0156.
Section 3(i) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), as amended by
Public Law 98-76, provides that the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB),
under certain circumstances, may deem additional months of service in
cases where an employee does not actually work in every month of the
year, provided the employee satisfies certain eligibility requirements,
including the existence of an employment relation between the employee
and his or her employer. The procedures pertaining to the deeming of
additional months of service are found in the RRB's regulations at 20
CFR part 210, Creditable Railroad Service.
The RRB utilizes Form GL-99, Employer's Deemed Service Months
Questionnaire, to obtain service and compensation information from
railroad employers to determine if an employee can be credited with
additional deemed months of railroad service.
The RRB is proposing revisions to Form GL-99 to obtain only a
``Yes'' or ``No'' response regarding whether an employee was in an
employment relationship with an employer during any months indicated on
the GL-99 as not worked. Other minor non-burden impacting editorial
changes are also proposed. Completion is mandatory. One response is
required for each RRB inquiry.
[[Page 51835]]
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
[The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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GL-99........................................................ 4,000 2 133
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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 comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-20980 Filed 8-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P