82 FR 37133 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 151 (August 8, 2017)

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: Certification of Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights; OMB 3220-0016. Under Section 2(e)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an age and service annuity, spouse annuity, or divorced spouse annuity cannot be paid unless the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has evidence that the applicant has ceased railroad employment and relinquished rights to return to the service of a railroad employer. Under Section 2(f)(6) of the RRA, earnings deductions are required for each month an annuitant works in certain non-railroad employment termed Last Pre-Retirement Non-Railroad Employment. Normally, the employee, spouse, or divorced spouse relinquishes rights and certifies that employment has ended as part of the annuity application process. However, this is not always the case. In limited circumstances, the RRB utilizes Form G-88, Certification of Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights, to obtain an applicant's report of termination of employment and relinquishment of rights. One response is required of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-88.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37133-37135]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16672]


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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: Certification of 
Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights; OMB 3220-0016.
    Under Section 2(e)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an age 
and service annuity, spouse annuity, or divorced spouse annuity cannot 
be paid unless the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has evidence that 
the applicant has ceased railroad employment and relinquished rights to 
return to the service of a railroad employer. Under Section 2(f)(6) of 
the RRA, earnings deductions are required for each month an annuitant 
works in certain non-railroad employment termed Last Pre-Retirement 
Non-Railroad Employment.
    Normally, the employee, spouse, or divorced spouse relinquishes 
rights and certifies that employment has ended as part of the annuity 
application process. However, this is not always the case. In limited 
circumstances, the RRB utilizes Form G-88, Certification of Termination 
of Service and Relinquishment of Rights, to obtain an applicant's 
report of termination of employment and relinquishment of rights. One 
response is required of each respondent. Completion is required to 
obtain or retain benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-88.

[[Page 37134]]



                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                         Form number                              responses     Time  (minutes)  Burden  (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-88.........................................................           3,600                6              360
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Statement of 
Authority to Act for Employee; OMB 3220-0034.
    Under Section 5(a) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act 
(RUIA), claims for benefits are to be made in accordance with such 
regulations as the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) shall prescribe. The 
provisions for claiming sickness benefits as provided by Section 2 of 
the RUIA are prescribed in 20 CFR 335.2. Included in these provisions 
is the RRB's acceptance of forms executed by someone else on behalf of 
an employee if the RRB is satisfied that the employee is sick or 
injured to the extent of being unable to sign forms.
    The RRB utilizes Form SI-10, Statement of Authority to Act for 
Employee, to provide the means for an individual to apply for authority 
to act on behalf of an incapacitated employee and also to obtain the 
information necessary to determine that the delegation should be made. 
Part I of the form is completed by the applicant for the authority and 
Part II is completed by the employee's doctor. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain 
benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form SI-10.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                         Form number                              responses     Time  (minutes)  Burden  (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SI-10........................................................              32                6                3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. 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 non-covered 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 non-covered employment after 1956. 
Section 8011 of Public Law 100-647 changed the effective date of the 
onset from the first month of eligibility to the first month of 
concurrent entitlement to the non-covered service benefit and the RRA 
benefit.
    Section 3(a)(1) of the RRA provides that the Tier I benefit of an 
employee annuity shall be equal to the amount (before any reduction for 
age or deduction for work) the employee would receive if entitled to a 
like benefit under the Social Security Act. The reduction for a non-
covered service pension also applies to a Tier I portion of the 
employee annuity under the RRA when the annuity or non-covered service 
pension begins after 1985. Since the amount of a spouse's Tier I 
benefit is one-half of the employee's Tier I, the spouse annuity is 
also affected.
    Form G-209, Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire, is 
used by the RRB to obtain needed information (1) from a railroad 
employee who while completing Form AA-1, Application for Employee 
Annuity (OMB No. 3220-0002), indicates entitlement to or receipt of a 
pension based on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement 
Act or the Social Security Act; or (2) from a railroad employee when an 
independently-entitled divorced spouse applicant believes the employee 
to be entitled to a non-covered service pension. However, this 
development is unnecessary if RRB records indicate the employee has 30 
or more years of coverage; or (3) from an employee annuitant who 
becomes entitled to a pension based on employment not covered under the 
Railroad Retirement Act or the Social Security Act. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or 
retain benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-209.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                           Form number                               responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-209 (Partial Questionnaire)...................................              50               1               1
G-209 (Full Questionnaire)......................................             100               8              13
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             150  ..............              14
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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].

[[Page 37135]]

Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Martha P. Rico,
Secretary to the Board.
[FR Doc. 2017-16672 Filed 8-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P