[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3998-4000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01299]
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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 ICRdescribes 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: Application for
Benefits Due But Unpaid at Death; OMB 3220-0055.
Under Section 2(g) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act,
benefits that accrued but were not paid because of the death of the
employee shall be paid to the same individual(s) to whom benefits are
payable under Section 6(a)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act. The
provisions relating to the payment of such benefits are prescribed in
20 CFR 325.5 and 20 CFR 335.5.
The RRB provides Form UI-63, Application for Benefits Due But
Unpaid at Death, to those applying for the accrued sickness or
unemployment benefits unpaid at the death of the employee and for
obtaining the information needed to identify the proper payee. One
response is requested of each respondent. Completion is required to
obtain a benefit.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 66002 on November 6, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Application for Benefits Due but Unpaid at Death.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0055.
Form(s) submitted: UI-63.
Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected public: Individuals or Households.
Abstract: The collection obtains the information needed by the
Railroad Retirement Board to pay benefits accrued under section 2(g) of
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, but not paid because of the
death of the employee.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form UI-63.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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UI-63........................................................... 25 7 3
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2. Title and Purpose of information collection: Medicare; OMB 3220-
0082.
Under Section 7(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the Medicare program for
persons covered by the railroad retirement system. The RRB uses Form
AA-6, Employee Application for Medicare; Form AA-7, Spouse/Divorced
Spouse Application for Medicare; and Form AA-8, Widow/Widower
Application for Medicare; to obtain the information needed to determine
whether individuals who have not yet filed for benefits under the RRA
are qualified for Medicare payments provided under Title XVIII of the
Social Security Act.
Further, in order to determine if a qualified railroad retirement
beneficiary who is claiming supplementary medical insurance coverage
under Medicare is entitled to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) and/or
premium surcharge relief because of coverage under an Employer Group
Health Plan (EGHP), the RRB needs to obtain information regarding the
claimant's EGHP coverage, if any. The RRB uses Form RL-311-F, Evidence
of Coverage Under An Employer Group Health Plan, to obtain the basic
information needed to establish EGHP coverage for a qualified railroad
retirement beneficiary.
Completion of the forms is required to obtain a benefit. One
response is requested of each respondent.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 66003 on November 6, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Medicare.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0082.
Form submitted: AA-6, AA-7, AA-8 and RL-311-F.
Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected public: Individuals or Households; Businesses or other for
profits.
Abstract: The Railroad Retirement Board administers the Medicare
program for persons covered by the railroad retirement system. The
forms in the collection obtain both information needed to enroll non-
retired employees and survivor applicants in the plan and information
from railroad employers needed to determine if a railroad retirement
beneficiary is entitled to a special enrollment period when applying
for supplemental medical coverage under Medicare.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Forms AA-6, AA-7,
AA-8 or RL-311-F.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
[[Page 3999]]
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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AA-6............................................................ 180 8 24
AA-7............................................................ 50 8 7
AA-8............................................................ 10 8 1
RL-311-F........................................................ 2,000 10 333
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Total....................................................... 2,240 .............. 365
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3. Title and Purpose of information collection: Request to Non-
Railroad Employer for Information About Annuitant's Work and Earnings;
OMB 3220-0107.
Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), a railroad
employee's retirement annuity or an annuity paid to the spouse of a
railroad employee is subject to work deductions in the Tier II
component of the annuity and any employee supplemental annuity for any
month in which the annuitant works for a Last Pre-Retirement Non-
Railroad Employer (LPE). The LPE is defined as the last person,
company, or institution, other than a railroad employer, that employed
an employee or spouse annuitant. In addition, the employee, spouse, or
divorced spouse Tier I annuity benefit is subject to work deductions
under Section 2(f)(1) of the RRA for earnings from any non-railroad
employer that are over the annual exempt amount. The regulations
pertaining to non-payment of annuities by reason of work and LPE are
contained in 20 CFR 230.1 and 230.2.
The RRB utilizes Form RL-231-F, Request to Non-Railroad Employer
for Information About Annuitant's Work and Earnings, to obtain the
information needed to determine if a work deduction should be applied
because an annuitant worked in non-railroad employment after the
annuity beginning date. 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 66003 on November 6, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Request to Non-Railroad Employer for Information About
Annuitant's Work and Earnings.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0107.
Form(s) submitted: RL-231-F.
Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for-profits,
Not-for-profit institutions.
Abstract: Under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), benefits are not
payable if an annuitant works for an employer covered under the RRA or
last non-railroad employer. The collection obtains information
regarding an annuitant's work and earnings from a non-railroad
employer. The information is used to determine whether benefits should
be withheld.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form RL-231-F.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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RL-231-F..................................................... 300 30 150
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4. Title and Purpose of information collection: Gross Earnings
Report; OMB 3220-0132.
In order to carry out the financial interchange provisions of
section 7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the RRB obtains
annually from railroad employer's the gross earnings for their
employees on a one-percent basis, i.e., 1% of each employer's railroad
employees. The gross earnings sample is based on the earnings of
employees whose social security numbers end with the digits ``30.'' The
gross earnings are used to compute payroll taxes under the financial
interchange.
The gross earnings information is essential in determining the tax
amounts involved in the financial interchange with the Social Security
Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Besides
being necessary for current financial interchange calculations, the
gross earnings file tabulations are also an integral part of the data
needed to estimate future tax income and corresponding financial
interchange amounts. These estimates are made for internal use and to
satisfy requests from other government agencies and interested groups.
In addition, cash flow projections of the social security equivalent
benefit account, railroad retirement account and cost estimates made
for proposed amendments to laws administered by the RRB are dependent
on input developed from the information collection.
The RRB utilizes Form BA-11 to obtain gross earnings information
from railroad employers. Employers have the option of preparing and
submitting BA-11 reports online via the RRB's Employer Reporting System
or on paper (or in like format) on magnetic tape cartridges, by File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), or secure Email. The online BA-11 includes the
option to file a ``negative report'' (no employees, or no employees
with the digits ``30''). Completion is mandatory. One response is
requested of each respondent.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 66003 on November 6, 2014) required by 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Gross Earnings Report.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0132.
Form(s) submitted: BA-11, BA-11 (Internet).
Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for-profits.
Abstract: Section 7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act requires a
financial interchange between the OASDHI trust funds and the railroad
retirement account. The collection obtains gross earnings of railway
employees on a 1% basis. The information is used to determine the
amount which would place the OASDHI
[[Page 4000]]
trust funds in the position they would have been if railroad service
had been covered by the Social Security and FIC Acts.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to formally eliminate the paper
and magnetic tape cartridge versions of Form BA-11 from the information
collection.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
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Annual Time Burden
Form No. responses (minutes) (hours)
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BA-11 File Transfer Protocol.................................... 7 300 (5 hours) 35
BA-11 CD-ROM.................................................... 5 30 2
BA-11 Secure E-mail............................................. 5 30 2
BA-11 (Internet)--Positive...................................... 137 30 68
BA-11 (Internet)--Negative...................................... 329 15 82
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Total....................................................... 483 .............. 189
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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. 2015-01299 Filed 1-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P