82 FR 55426 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 223 (November 21, 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. Title and purpose of information collection: Student Beneficiary Monitoring; OMB 3220-0123. Under provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), there are two types of benefit payments that are based on the status of a child being in full-time elementary or secondary school attendance at age 18-19: (1) A survivor child's annuity benefit under Section 2(d)(1)(iii) and (2) an increase in the employee retirement annuity under the Special Guaranty computation as prescribed in section 3(f)(2) and 20 CFR 229. The survivor student annuity is usually paid by direct deposit to a financial institution either into the student's checking or savings account or into a joint bank account with a parent. The requirements for eligibility as a student are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.74, and include students in independent study and home schooling. To help determine if a child is entitled to student benefits, the RRB requires evidence of full-time school attendance. This evidence is acquired through the RRB's student monitoring program, which utilizes the following forms. Form G-315, Student Questionnaire, obtains certification of a student's full-time school attendance as well as information on the student's marital status, social security benefits, and employment, which are needed to determine entitlement or continued entitlement to benefits under the RRA. Form G-315A, Statement of School Official, is used to obtain, from a school, verification of a student's full-time attendance when the student fails to return a monitoring Form G-315. Form G-315A.1, School Official's Notice of Cessation of Full- Time School Attendance, is used by a school to notify the RRB that a student has ceased full-time school attendance. The RRB proposes no changes to Forms G-315, G-315a, or G-315a.1.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55426-55427]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25171]


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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: Student Beneficiary 
Monitoring; OMB 3220-0123. Under provisions of the Railroad Retirement 
Act (RRA), there are two types of benefit payments that are based on 
the status of a child being in full-time elementary or secondary school 
attendance at age 18-19: (1) A survivor child's annuity benefit under 
Section 2(d)(1)(iii) and (2) an increase in the employee retirement 
annuity under the Special Guaranty

[[Page 55427]]

computation as prescribed in section 3(f)(2) and 20 CFR 229.
    The survivor student annuity is usually paid by direct deposit to a 
financial institution either into the student's checking or savings 
account or into a joint bank account with a parent. The requirements 
for eligibility as a student are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.74, and 
include students in independent study and home schooling.
    To help determine if a child is entitled to student benefits, the 
RRB requires evidence of full-time school attendance. This evidence is 
acquired through the RRB's student monitoring program, which utilizes 
the following forms. Form G-315, Student Questionnaire, obtains 
certification of a student's full-time school attendance as well as 
information on the student's marital status, social security benefits, 
and employment, which are needed to determine entitlement or continued 
entitlement to benefits under the RRA. Form G-315A, Statement of School 
Official, is used to obtain, from a school, verification of a student's 
full-time attendance when the student fails to return a monitoring Form 
G-315. Form G-315A.1, School Official's Notice of Cessation of Full-
Time School Attendance, is used by a school to notify the RRB that a 
student has ceased full-time school attendance. The RRB proposes no 
changes to Forms G-315, G-315a, or G-315a.1.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Form No.                          Annual responses    Time (minutes)     Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-315..................................................                860                 15                215
G-315a.................................................                 20                  3                  1
G-315a.1...............................................                 20                  2                  1
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
    Total..............................................                900  .................                217
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. 2017-25171 Filed 11-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P