[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 42899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20492]



[[Page 42899]]

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PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION


Proposed Submission of Information Collection for OMB Review; 
Comment Request; Annual Financial and Actuarial Information Reporting

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of intention to request extension of OMB approval.

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SUMMARY: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (``PBGC'') intends to 
request that the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') extend 
approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of the collection of 
information under its regulation on Annual Financial and Actuarial 
Information Reporting, 29 CFR Part 4010 (OMB control number 1212-0049; 
expires December 31, 2001). This notice informs the public of the 
PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of 
information.

DATES: Comments should be submitted by October 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the Office of the General Counsel, 
suite 340, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20005-4026, or delivered to that address between 9 a.m. 
and 4 p.m. on business days. Written comments will be available for 
public inspection at the PBGC's Communications and Public Affairs 
Department, suite 240 at the same address, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on 
business days.
    Copies of the collection of information may be obtained without 
charge by writing to the PBGC's Communications and Public Affairs 
Department at the address given above or calling 202-326-4040. (TTY and 
TDD users may call the Federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-
8339 and ask to be connected to 202-326-4040.) The regulation on Annual 
Financial and Actuarial Information Reporting can be accessed on the 
PBGC's Web site at http://www.pbgc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah C. Murphy, Attorney, Office of 
the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026, 202-326-4024. (For TTY and TDD, 
call the Federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 and request 
connection to 202-326-4024).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 4010 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires each member of a 
controlled group to submit identifying, financial, and actuarial 
information to the PBGC in certain circumstances. Reporting is required 
(1) if the aggregate unfunded vested benefits of all defined benefit 
pension plans maintained by the controlled group exceed $50 million, 
(2) if the controlled group maintains any plan with missed 
contributions aggregating more than $1 million (unless paid within a 
ten-day grace period), or (3) if the controlled group maintains any 
plan with funding waivers in excess of $1 million and any portion is 
still outstanding (taking into account certain credit balances in the 
funding standard account). The PBGC's regulation on Annual Financial 
and Actuarial Information Reporting (29 CFR Part 4010) implements 
section 4010.
    The regulation requires the controlled group to file certain 
identifying information, certain financial information, each plan's 
actuarial valuation report, certain participant information, and a 
determination of the amount of each plan's benefit liabilities. The 
information submitted under the regulation allows the PBGC (1) to 
detect and monitor financial problems with the contributing sponsors 
that maintain severely underfunded pension plans and their controlled 
group members and (2) to respond quickly when it learns that a 
controlled group with severely underfunded pension plans intends to 
engage in a transaction that may significantly reduce the assets 
available to pay plan liabilities.
    The collection of information under the regulation has been 
approved by OMB under control number 1212-0049 through December 31, 
2001. The PBGC intends to request that OMB extend its approval for 
another three years. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person 
is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    The PBGC estimates that an average of 70 controlled groups per year 
respond to this collection of information. The PBGC further estimates 
that the average annual burden of this collection of information is 7.9 
hours and $10,000 per controlled group, for a total burden of 552 hours 
and $700,000.
    The PBGC is soliciting public comments to--
     Evaluate whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 9th day of August, 2001.
Stuart Sirkin,
Director, Corporate Policy and Research Department, Pension Benefit 
Guaranty Corporation.
[FR Doc. 01-20492 Filed 8-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7708-01-P