[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 216 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60287-60288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29476]


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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: Application for 
Employee Annuity Under the Railroad Retirement Act; OMB 3220-0002.
    Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), provides for 
payment of age and service, disability and supplemental annuities to 
qualified employees. The basic requirements for a regular employee 
annuity retirement annuity under the RRA is 120 months (10 years)

[[Page 60288]]

of creditable railroad service. Benefits then become payable after the 
employee meets certain other requirements, which depend, in turn, on 
the type of annuity payable.
    The requirements relating to the annuities are prescribed in 20 CFR 
216, and 220.
    The forms used by the RRB to collect information needed for 
determining entitlement to and the amount of an employee retirement 
annuity follow: Form AA-1, Application for Employee Annuity Under the 
Railroad Retirement Act is completed by an applicant for either an age 
and service or disability annuity. It obtains information about the 
applicants marital history, work history, military service, benefits 
from other governmental agencies and railroad pensions. Form AA-1d, 
Application for Determination of Employee Disability, is completed by 
an employee who is filing for a disability annuity under the RRA, or a 
disability freeze under the Social Security Act for early Medicare 
based on a disability. Form G-204, Verification of Workers 
Compensation/Public Disability Benefit Information, is used to obtain 
and verify information concerning worker's compensation or public 
disability benefits that are or will be paid by a public agency to a 
disabled railroad employee. Completion of the forms is required to 
obtain a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent.
    The RRB proposes to revise Form AA-1 to add items that secure 
information pertaining to the direct deposit of benefits and Medicare 
processing and delete items no longer required. Forms AA-1, AA-1d and 
G-204 will be revised to add language required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. Minor non-burden impacting cosmetic and 
editorial changes will also be made to all three forms. The RRB 
estimates that 13,400 Form AA-1's, 5,650 AA-1d's and 175 G-204's are 
completed annually. The completion time for Form AA-1 is estimated to 
37 to 62 minutes per response. The completion time for AA-1d is 
estimated at 35 to 60 minutes per response. The completion time for 
Form G-204 is estimated at 5 minutes per response.
    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. 97-29476 Filed 11-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M