[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20250-20251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08136]
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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments
Summary: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding
an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public.
Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate
paperwork burdens.
The RRB invites comments on the proposed collection of information
to determine (1) the practical utility of the collection; (2) the
accuracy of the estimated burden of the collection; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information that is the
subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of
collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to the
RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper
consideration of your comments, it is best if the RRB and OIRA receive
them within 30 days of the publication date.
Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) provides for the
payment of disability annuities to qualified employees. Section 2 also
provides that if the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) receives a report
of an annuitant working for a railroad or earning more than prescribed
dollar amounts from either nonrailroad employment or self-employment,
the annuity is no longer payable, or can be reduced, for the months
worked. The regulations related to the nonpayment or reduction of the
annuity by reason of work are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.160-164.
Some activities claimed by the applicant as ``self-employment'' may
actually be employment for someone else (e.g. training officer,
consultant, salesman). 20 CFR 216.22(c) states, for example, that an
applicant is considered an employee, and not self-employed, when acting
as a corporate officer, since the corporation is the applicant's
employer. Whether the RRB classifies a particular activity as self-
employment or as work for an employer depends upon the circumstances in
each case. The circumstances are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.21-216-23.
Certain types of work may actually indicate an annuitant's recovery
from disability. Regulations related to an annuitant's recovery from
disability of work are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.17-220-20.
In addition, the RRB conducts continuing disability reviews, (also
known as a CDR) to determine whether the annuitant continues to meet
the disability requirements of the law. Payment of disability benefits
and/or a beneficiary's period of disability will end if medical
evidence or other information shows that an annuitant is not disabled
under the standards prescribed in Section 2 of the RRA. Continuing
disability reviews are generally conducted if one or more of the
following conditions are met: (1) The annuitant is scheduled for a
routine periodic review, (2) the annuitant returns to work and
successfully completes a trial work period, (3) substantial earnings
are posted to the annuitant's wage record, or (4) information is
received from the annuitant or a reliable source that the annuitant has
recovered or returned to work. Provisions relating to when and how
often the RRB conducts disability reviews are prescribed in 20 CFR
220.186.
To enhance program integrity activities, the RRB utilizes Form G-
252, Self-Employment/Corporate Officer Work and Earnings Monitoring.
Form G-252 obtains information from a disability annuitant who claims
to be self-employed or a corporate officer or who the RRB determines to
be self-employed or a corporate officer after a continuing disability
review. The continuing disability review may be prompted by a report of
work, return to railroad service, an allegation of a medical
improvement or a routine disability review call-up. The information
gathered is used to determine entitlement and/or continued entitlement
to, and the amount of, the disability annuity, as prescribed in 20 CFR
220.176. Completion is required to retain benefits. One response is
required of each respondent.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 5471 on January 31, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
[[Page 20251]]
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Self-Employment/Corporate Officer Work and Earnings
Monitoring.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0202.
Form(s) submitted: G-252.
Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected public: Individuals or Households.
Abstract: To determine entitlement or continued entitlement to a
disability annuity, the RRB will obtain information from disability
annuitants who claim to be self-employed or a corporate officer or who
the RRB determines to be self-employed or a corporate officer after a
continuing disability review.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-252.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
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Annual Time Burden
Form number responses (minutes) (hours)
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G-252........................................................... 100 20 33
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Total................................................... 100 .............. 33
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Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the forms and
supporting documents can be obtained from 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 [email protected] and to the OMB
Desk Officer for the RRB, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].
Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-08136 Filed 4-10-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P