[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31108-31109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14067]
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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: Supplemental
Information on Accident and Insurance; OMB 3220-0036.
Under Section 12(o) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act
(RUIA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is entitled to
reimbursement of the sickness benefits paid to a railroad employee if
the employee receives a sum or damages for the same infirmity for which
the benefits are paid. Section 2(f) of the RUIA requires employers to
reimburse the RRB for days in which salary, wages, pay for time lost or
other remuneration is later determined to be payable. Reimbursements
under section 2(f) generally result from the award of pay for time lost
or the payment of guaranteed wages. The RUIA prescribes that the amount
of benefits paid be deducted and held by the employer in a special fund
for reimbursement to the RRB.
The RRB currently utilizes Forms SI-1c, Supplemental Information on
Accident and Insurance; SI-5, Report of Payments to Employee Claiming
Sickness Benefits Under the RUIA; ID-3s and ID-3s (Internet), Request
for Lien Information--Report of Settlement; ID-3s-1, Lien Information
Under Section 12(o) of the RUIA; ID-3u and ID-3u (Internet), Request
for Section 2(f) Information; ID-30k, Notice to Request Supplemental
Information on Injury or Illness; and ID-30k-1, Notice to Request
Supplemental Information on Injury or Illness; to obtain the necessary
information from claimants and railroad employers. Completion is
required to obtain benefits. One response is requested of each
respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the collection.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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SI-1c........................................................... 475 5 40
SI-5............................................................ 7 5 1
ID-3s (Paper & Telephone)....................................... 4,000 3 200
ID-3s (Internet)................................................ 2,000 3 100
ID-3s-1 (Paper & Telephone)..................................... 3,000 3 150
ID-3u (Paper & Telephone)....................................... 400 3 20
ID-3u (Internet)................................................ 200 3 10
ID-30k.......................................................... 55 5 5
ID-30k.1........................................................ 65 5 5
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Total....................................................... 10,202 .............. 531
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2. Title and purpose of information collection: Pension Plan
Reports; OMB 3220-0089.
Under Section 2(b) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays supplemental annuities to
qualified RRB employee annuitants. A supplemental annuity, which is
computed according to Section 3(e) of the RRA, can be paid at age 60 if
the employee has at least 30 years of creditable railroad service or at
age 65 if the employee has 25-29 years of railroad service. In addition
to 25 years of service, a ``current connection'' with the railroad
industry is required. Eligibility is further limited to employees who
had at least 1 month of rail service before October 1981 and were
awarded regular annuities after June 1966. Further, if an employee's
65th birthday was prior to September 2, 1981, he or she must not have
worked in rail service after certain closing dates (generally the last
day of the month following the month in which age 65 is attained).
Under Section 2(h)(2) of the RRA, the amount of the supplemental
annuity is reduced if the employee receives monthly pension payments,
or a lump-sum pension payment from a private pension from a railroad
employer, to the extent the payments are based on contributions from
that employer. The employee's own contribution to their pension account
does not cause a reduction. A private railroad employer pension is
defined in 20 CFR 216.42.
The RRB requires the following information from railroad employers
to calculate supplemental annuities: (a) The current status of railroad
employer pension plans and whether such plans cause reductions to the
supplemental annuity; (b) whether the employee receives monthly
payments from a private railroad employer pension, elected to receive a
lump sum in lieu of monthly pension payments from such a plan, or was
required to receive a lump sum from such a plan due to the plan's small
benefit provision; and (c) the amount of the payments attributable to
the railroad employer's contributions. The requirement that railroad
employers furnish pension information to the RRB is contained in 20 CFR
209.2.
The RRB currently utilizes Form G-88p and G-88p (Internet),
Employer's Supplemental Pension Report, and Form G-88r, Request for
Information About New or Revised Employer Pension Plan, to obtain the
necessary information from railroad employers. One response is
requested of each respondent. Completion is mandatory.
The RRB proposes to revise Forms G-88p and G-88p (Internet) to
acquire
[[Page 31109]]
more accurate employee pension information by asking the employer
whether the employee is currently eligible for a pension and
instructing the employer to indicate whether the employee filed for the
pension or instead elected to defer distribution from the pension
account in Items 11a and 11b (paper) and Items 10a and 10b (Internet).
The RRB also proposes to make other editorial changes. The RRB proposes
no changes to Form G-88r.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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G-88p........................................................... 100 8 13
G-88p (Internet)................................................ 200 6 20
G-88r........................................................... 10 8 1
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Total....................................................... 310 .............. 34
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3. Title and purpose of information collection: Statement Regarding
Contributions and Support; OMB 3220-0099.
Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act, dependency on an
employee for one-half support at the time of the employee's death can
affect (1) entitlement to a survivor annuity when the survivor is a
parent of the deceased employee; (2) the amount of spouse and survivor
annuities; and (3) the Tier II restored amount payable to a widow(er)
whose annuity was reduced for receipt of an employee annuity, and who
was dependent on the railroad employee in the year prior to the
employee's death. One-half support may also negate the public service
pension offset in Tier I for a spouse or widow(er). The Railroad
Retirement Board (RRB) utilizes Form G-134, Statement Regarding
Contributions and Support, to secure information needed to adequately
determine if the applicant meets the one-half support requirement. One
response is completed by each respondent. Completion is required to
obtain benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-134.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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G-134
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With Assistance............................................. 75 147 184
Without assistance.......................................... 25 180 75
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Total................................................... 100 .............. 259
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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 Brian Foster, Railroad Retirement Board, 844
North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275 or emailed to
[email protected]. Written comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Brian D. Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-14067 Filed 7-3-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P