[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78505-78507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30497]
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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 an
forwarding 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 collections of information
to determine (1) the practical utility of the collections; (2) the
accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections; (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.
1. Title and purpose of information collection: Railroad Service
and Compensation Reports/System Access Application; OMB 3220-0008.
Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and Section 6
of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) the Railroad
Retirement Board (RRB) maintains for each railroad employee, a record
of compensation paid to that employee by all railroad employers for
whom the employee worked after 1936. This record, which is used by the
RRB to determine eligibility for, and amount of, benefits due under the
laws it administers, is conclusive as to the amount of compensation
paid to an employee during such period(s) covered by the report(s) of
the compensation by the employee's railroad employer(s), except in
cases when an employee files a protest pertaining to his or her
reported compensation within the statute of limitations cited in
Section 9 of the RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA.
To enable the RRB to establish and maintain the record of
compensation, employers are required to file with the RRB, reports of
their employees' compensation, in such manner and form and at such
times as the RRB prescribes. Railroad employers' reports and
responsibilities are prescribed in 20 CFR 209. The RRB currently
utilizes Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation, and Form
BA-4, Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments, to secure the
required information from railroad employers. Form BA-3 provides the
RRB with information regarding annual creditable service and
compensation for each individual who worked for a railroad employer
covered by the RRA and RUIA in a given year. Form BA-4 provides for the
adjustment of any previously submitted reports and also the opportunity
to provide any service and compensation that had been previously
omitted. Requirements specific to Forms BA-3 and BA-4 are prescribed in
20 CFR 209.8 and 209.9.
Employers currently have the option of submitting BA-3 and BA-4
reports electronically by CD-ROM, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), secure
Email, or online via the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS).
The information collection also includes RRB Form BA-12,
Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access, and Form G-440,
Report Specifications Sheet. Form BA-12 is completed by railroad
employers to obtain system access to ERS. Once access is obtained,
authorized employees may submit reporting forms online to the RRB. The
form determines what degree of access (view/only, data entry/
modification or approval/submission) is appropriate for that employee.
It is also used to terminate an employee's access to ERS. Form G-440,
Report Specifications Sheet, serves as a certification document for
various RRB employer reporting forms (Form BA-3, Form BA-4, Form BA-6a,
BA-6, Address Report (OMB 3220-0005), Form BA-9, Report of Separation
Allowance or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173) and Form BA-11, Report of
Gross Earnings (OMB 3220-0132)). It records the type of medium the
report was submitted on, and serves as a summary recapitulation sheet
for reports filed on paper.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 63652 on October 24, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). On November 25, 2014, the RRB received comments from
the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA),
strongly supporting the RRB's continued collection of the data on Forms
BA-3 and BA-4 stating ``these forms are our main data source for key
components of BEA's economic statistics.''
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Railroad Service and Compensation Reports/System Access
Application.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0008.
Form(s) submitted: BA-3, BA-3 (Internet), BA-4, BA-4 (Internet),
BA-12 and G-440.
Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for-profits.
Abstract: Under the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act, employers are required to report service
and compensation for each employee to update Railroad Retirement Board
records for payments of benefits. The collection obtains service and
compensation information and information needed to ensure secure system
access from employers who voluntarily opt to use the RRB's Internet-
based Employer Reporting System to submit reporting forms and
information needed to certify employer reporting transactions.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to eliminate the paper version
of Form BA-3 and to make minor non-burden impacting changes to Forms
BA-12.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
[[Page 78506]]
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Burden
Reporting Responses Time (minutes) (hours)
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BA-3: .............. ................................ ..............
Electronic Media.......................... 96 46.25 (2,775 min)............... 4,440
BA-3 (Internet)........................... 617 46.25 (2,775 min)............... 28,536
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Total BA-3............................ 713 ................................ 32,976
BA-4: .............. ................................ ..............
Paper..................................... 160 1.25 (75 min)................... 200
Electronic Media.......................... 285 1.00 (60 min)................... 285
BA-4 (Internet)........................... 3,852 .33 (20 min).................... 1,284
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Total BA-4............................ 4,297 ................................ 1,769
BA-12: .............. ................................ ..............
Initial Access............................ 295 .33 (20 min).................... 98
Access Termination........................ 38 .166 (10 min)................... 6
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Total BA-12........................... 333 ................................ 105
G-440 (Certification):........................ .............. ................................ ..............
Form BA-3 (zero employees)................ 19 .25 (15 min).................... 5
Form BA-11 (zero employees)............... 60 .25 (15 min).................... 15
Paper forms (without recap)............... 7 .25 (15 min).................... 2
Electronic transactions................... 94 .50 (30 min).................... 47
BA-3 and BA-4 (with recap)................ 125 1.25 (75 min)................... 156
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Total G-440........................... 305 ................................ 224
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Grand Total....................... 5,648 ................................ 35,074
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2. Title and Purpose of information collection: Medical Reports;
OMB 3220-0038.
Under sections 2(a)(1)(iv) and 2(a)(1)(v) of the Railroad
Retirement Act (RRA), annuities are payable to qualified railroad
employees whose physical or mental condition makes them unable to (1)
work in their regular occupation (occupational disability) or (2) work
at all (permanent total disability). The requirements for establishing
disability and proof of continuing disability under the RRA are
prescribed in 20 CFR 220.
Under Sections 2(c)(1)(ii)(C) and 2(d)(1)(ii) of the RRA, annuities
are also payable to qualified spouses and widow(er)s, respectively, who
have a qualifying child who became disabled before age 22. Annuities
are also payable to surviving children on the basis of disability under
section 2(d)(1)(iii)(C) if the child's disability began before age 22
as well as to widow(er)s on the basis of disability under section
2(d)(1)(i)(B). To meet the disability standard, the RRA provides that
individuals must have a permanent physical or mental condition that
makes them unable to engage in any regular employment.
Under section 2(d)(1)(v) of the RRA, annuities are also payable to
remarried widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses on the basis of,
among other things, disability or having a qualifying disabled child in
care. However, the disability standard in these cases is that found in
the Social Security Act. That is, individuals must be unable to engage
in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment. The RRB also determines
entitlement to a Period of Disability and entitlement to early Medicare
based on disability for qualified claimants in accordance with Section
216 of the Social Security Act.
When making disability determinations, the RRB needs evidence from
acceptable medical sources. The RRB currently utilizes Forms G-3EMP,
Report of Medical Condition by Employer; G-197, Authorization to
Release Medical Information to the Railroad Retirement Board; G-250,
Medical Assessment; G-250A, Medical Assessment of Residual Functional
Capacity; G-260, Report of Seizure Disorder; RL-11B, Disclosure of
Hospital Medical Records; RL-11D, Disclosure of Medical Records from a
State Agency; and RL-250, Request for Medical Assessment, to obtain the
necessary medical evidence. One response is requested of each
respondent. Completion is voluntary.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 63653 on October 24, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2).
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Medical Reports.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0038.
Form(s) submitted: G-3EMP, G-197, G-250, G-250a, G-260, RL-11B, RL-
11D, RL-250.
Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection of
information.
Affected public: Individuals or households; Private Sector; State,
Local and Tribal Government.
Abstract: The Railroad Retirement Act provides disability annuities
for qualified railroad employees whose physical or mental condition
renders them incapable of working in their regular occupation
(occupational disability) or any occupation (total disability). The
medical reports obtain information needed for determining the nature
and severity of the impairment.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to add a fraud statement;
request a doctor's National Provider Number; and make other minor non-
burden impacting editorial and cosmetic changes to Forms G-250, G-250A,
and G-260. The RRB also proposes to revise Form G-197 to include
authorization to disclose educational records from various sources, as
well as make other minor non-burden impacting editorial changes. There
are no proposed changes to Forms RL-11B, RL-11D, RL-250.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
[[Page 78507]]
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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G-3EMP.......................................................... 600 10 100
G-197........................................................... 6,000 10 1,000
G-250........................................................... 11,950 30 5,975
G-250A.......................................................... 50 20 17
G-260........................................................... 100 25 42
RL-11B.......................................................... 5,000 10 833
RL-11D.......................................................... 250 10 42
RL-250.......................................................... 11,950 10 1,992
35,900 .............. 10,001
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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. 2014-30497 Filed 12-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P