83 FR 55580 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 215 (November 6, 2018)

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: Employer's Quarterly Report of Contributions under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act; OMB 3220-0012. Under Section 8 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), as amended by the Railroad Unemployment Improvement Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-647), the RRB determines the amount of an employer's contribution, primarily on the basis of the RUIA benefits paid, both unemployment and sickness, to the employees of the railroad employer. These experienced-based contributions take into account the frequency, volume, and duration of the employees' unemployment and sickness benefits. Each employer's contribution rate includes a component for administrative expenses as well as a component to cover costs shared by all employers. The regulations prescribing the manner and conditions for remitting the contributions and for adjusting overpayments or underpayments of contributions are contained in 20 CFR 345. RRB Form DC-1, Employer's Quarterly Report of Contributions under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, is used by railroad employers to report and remit their quarterly contributions to the RRB. Employers can use either the manual version of the form or its internet equivalent. One response is requested quarterly of each respondent and completion is mandatory. The RRB proposes the following changes to the manual and electronic versions of Form DC-1: <bullet> Manual version--Minor non-burden impacting editorial changes. <bullet> Pay.gov version. <bullet> Combined Paperwork Reduction Act link and form instructions link into one that reads ``Click for Instructions and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.'' <bullet> Other minor non-burden impacting editorial changes.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55580-55581]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24236]


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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: Employer's 
Quarterly Report of Contributions under the Railroad Unemployment 
Insurance Act; OMB 3220-0012.
    Under Section 8 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
as amended by the Railroad Unemployment Improvement Act of 1988 (Pub. 
L. 100-647), the RRB determines the amount of an employer's 
contribution, primarily on the basis of the RUIA benefits paid, both 
unemployment and sickness, to the employees of the railroad employer. 
These experienced-based contributions take into account the frequency, 
volume, and duration of the employees' unemployment and sickness 
benefits. Each employer's contribution rate includes a component for 
administrative expenses as well as a component to cover costs shared by 
all employers. The regulations prescribing the manner and conditions 
for remitting the contributions and for adjusting overpayments or 
underpayments of contributions are contained in 20 CFR 345.
    RRB Form DC-1, Employer's Quarterly Report of Contributions under 
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, is used by railroad employers 
to report and remit their quarterly contributions to the RRB. Employers 
can use either the manual version of the form or its internet 
equivalent. One response is requested quarterly of each respondent and 
completion is mandatory. The RRB proposes the following changes to the 
manual and electronic versions of Form DC-1:
     Manual version--Minor non-burden impacting editorial 
changes.
     Pay.gov version.
     Combined Paperwork Reduction Act link and form 
instructions link into one that reads ``Click for Instructions and 
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.''
     Other minor non-burden impacting editorial changes.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                           Form number                               responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC-1 (RRB.Gov)..................................................             720              25             300
DC-1 (Pay.Gov)..................................................           1,680              25             700
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           2,400  ..............           1,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Nonresident 
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0145.
    Under Public Laws 98-21 and 98-76, benefits under the Railroad 
Retirement Act payable to annuitants living outside the United States 
may be subject to taxation under United States income tax laws. Whether 
the social security equivalent and non-social security equivalent 
portions of Tier I, Tier II, vested dual benefit, or supplemental 
annuity payments are subject to tax withholding, and whether the same 
or different rates are applied to each payment, depends on a 
beneficiary's citizenship and legal residence status, and whether 
exemption under a tax treaty between the United States and the country 
in which the beneficiary is a legal resident has been claimed. To 
effect the required tax withholding, the Railroad Retirement Board 
(RRB) needs to know a nonresident's citizenship and legal residence 
status.
    To secure the required information, the RRB utilizes Form RRB-1001, 
Nonresident Questionnaire, as a supplement to an application as part of 
the initial application process, and as an independent vehicle for 
obtaining the needed information when an annuitant's residence or tax 
treaty status changes. Completion is voluntary. One response is 
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes the following changes to 
Form RRB-1001:
     Renumbered Items A through C and G to Items 1 through 4.
     Renumbered Items 1 through 5 to Items 5 through 9.
     Removed Item D, CNTRY CODE; Item E, CITZ CODE; and Item F, 
NRA TAX CODE as the information collected by them is no longer needed.
     Removed the General Instructions and the Paperwork 
Reduction Act and Privacy Act Notices from the back of the form as they 
are included in the Form TB-26 instructions, which is an enclosure.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                           Form number                               responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RRB-1001........................................................             300              30             250
(initial filing)................................................

[[Page 55581]]

 
RRB-1001........................................................           1,000              30             400
(tax renewal)...................................................
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           1,300  ..............             650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and purpose of information collection: Statement of 
Claimant or Other Person; OMB 3220-0183.
    To support an application for an annuity under Section 2 of the 
Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) or for unemployment benefits under 
Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), pertinent 
information and proofs must be furnished for the RRB to determine 
benefit entitlement. Circumstances may require an applicant or other 
person(s) having knowledge of facts relevant to the applicant's 
eligibility for an annuity or benefits to provide written statements 
supplementing or changing statements previously provided by the 
applicant. Under the railroad retirement program these statements may 
relate to a change in an annuity beginning date(s), date of 
marriage(s), birth(s), prior railroad or non-railroad employment, an 
applicant's request for reconsideration of an unfavorable RRB 
eligibility determination for an annuity or various other matters. The 
statements may also be used by the RRB to secure a variety of 
information needed to determine eligibility to unemployment and 
sickness benefits. Procedures related to providing information needed 
for RRA annuity or RUIA benefit eligibility determinations are 
prescribed in 20 CFR 217 and 320 respectively.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-93, Statement of Claimant or Other Person, 
to obtain from applicants or other persons, the supplemental or 
corrective information needed to determine applicant eligibility for an 
RRA annuity or RUIA benefits. Completion is voluntary. One response is 
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-93.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual       Time (minutes)
                         Form number                              responses            1/         Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-93.........................................................              60               15               15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-24236 Filed 11-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P