[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63652-63654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25312]
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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: 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 (Forms BA-3, BA-4, Form BA-6a, BA-
6, Address Report (OMB 3220-0005), BA-9, Report of Separation Allowance
or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173) and 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. The RRB proposes minor non-burden impacting changes to
Form BA-12 and G-440.
[[Page 63653]]
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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Burden
Reporting Responses Time (minutes) (hours)
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BA-3:
Paper..................................... 24 116.85 (7,011 min).............. 2,804
Electronic Media.......................... 96 46.25 (2,775 min)............... 4,440
BA-3 (Internet)........................... 593 46.25 (2,775 min)............... 27,426
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Total BA-3............................ 713 ................................ 34,670
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 ................................ 36,768
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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(ers), 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.
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.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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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
[[Page 63654]]
RL-11D.......................................................... 250 10 42
RL-250.......................................................... 11,950 10 1,992
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Total....................................................... 35,900 .............. 10,001
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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. 2014-25312 Filed 10-23-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P