[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5081-5082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2433]
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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.
Title and Purpose of information collection: Employee Non-Covered
Service Pension Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0154. Section 215(a)(7) of the
Social Security Act provides for a reduction in social security
benefits based on employment not covered under the Social Security Act
or the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA). This provision applies a
different social security benefit formula to most workers who are first
eligible after 1985 to both a pension based in whole or in part on
noncovered employment and a social security retirement or disability
benefit. There is a guarantee provision that limits the reduction in
the social security benefit to one-half of the portion of the pension
based on noncovered employment after 1956. Section 8011 of Pub. L. 100-
647 changed the effective date of the onset from the first month of
eligibility to the first month of concurrent entitlement to the
noncovered service benefit and the RRA benefit.
Section 3(a)(1) of the RRA provides that the Tier I benefit of an
employee annuity will be equal to the amount (before any reduction for
age or deduction for work) the employee would receive if he or she
would have been entitled to a like benefit under the Social Security
Act. The reduction for a noncovered service pension also applies to a
Tier I portion of employees under the RRA where the annuity or
noncovered service pension begins after 1985. Since the amount of a
Tier I benefit of a spouse is one-half of the employee's Tier I, the
spouse annuity is also affected by the employee's noncovered service
pension reduction of his or her Tier I benefit.
The RRB utilizes Form G-209, Employee Noncovered Service Pension
Questionnaire, to obtain needed information from railroad retirement
employee applicants or annuitants about the receipt of a pension based
on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement Act or the
Social Security Act. It is used as both a supplement to the employee
annuity application, and as an independent questionnaire to be
completed when an individual who is already receiving an employee
annuity becomes entitled to a pension. One response is requested of
each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits.
The RRB proposes a minor non-burden impacting editorial change to Form
G-209.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:
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Annual Burden
Form #(s) responses Time (Min) (Hrs)
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G-209 (partial questionnaire).... 100 1 2
[[Page 5082]]
G-209 (full questionnaire)....... 400 8 53
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Total........................ 500 ........... 55
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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, please call the RRB Clearance Officer at
(312) 751-3363. Comments regarding the information collection should be
addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 N. Rush
Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. Written comments should be
received within 60 days of this notice.
Chuck Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-2433 Filed 2-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M