[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 28 (Monday, February 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6284-6285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3179]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

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 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

RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System: OMB 3220-0171

    Section 5(b) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as amended 
by the Railroad Unemployment Insurance and Retirement Improvement Act 
of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-647), requires that ``when a claim for benefits is 
filed with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), the RRB shall provide 
notice of such claim to the claimant's base year employer or employers 
and afford such employer or employers an opportunity to submit 
information relevant to the claim before making an initial 
determination on the claim.'' The purpose of the claims notification 
system is to provide to each unemployment and sickness claimant's base 
year employer or current employer, notice of each application and claim 
for benefits under the RUIA and to provide an opportunity for employers 
to convey information relevant to the proper adjudication of the claim. 
Railroad employers receive notice of applications and claims by one of 
two options. The first option, Form Letter ID-4K, is a computer 
generated form letter notice of all unemployment applications, 
unemployment claims and sickness claims received from employees of a 
railroad company on a particular day. Form Letters ID-4K are mailed on 
a daily basis to officials designated by railroad employers. The second 
option is an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) version of the Form 
Letter ID-4K notice. EDI notices of applications are transmitted to 
participating railroads on a daily basis, generally on the same day 
that applications are received. Railroad

[[Page 6285]]

employees can respond to RRB notices of applications and claims 
manually by mailing a completed ID-4K back to the RRB or electronically 
via EDI. No changes are being proposed to Form Letter ID-4K.

                  Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Annual      Time     Burden
              RRB messages                responses     (min)     (hrs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ID-4K (EDI version)....................       16,100       \1\       377
ID-4K (manual).........................        2,500         2        83
                                        --------------------------------
    Total..............................       18,600  ........       460
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The burden for the 9 participating employers who transmit EDI
  responses is calculated at 10 minutes each per day, 251 workdays a
  year or 377 total hours of burden.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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. 02-3179 Filed 2-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M