[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54686-54687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21493]


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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 1995 which provides opportunity for public 
comment on new or revised data collections, the Railroad Retirement 
Board (RRB) will 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) was 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

    Pension Plan Reports: OMB 3220-0089.
    Under Section 2(b) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the 
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays supplemental annuities to 
qualified RRB employee annuitants. A supplemental annuity, which is 
computed according to Section 3(e) of the RRA, can be paid at age 60 if 
the employee has at least 30 years of creditable railroad service or at 
age 65 if the employee has 25-29 years of railroad service. In addition 
to 25 years of service, a ``current connection'' with the railroad 
industry is required. Eligibility is further limited to employees who 
had at least one month of rail service before October 1981 and were 
awarded regular annuities after June 1966. Further, if an employee's 
65th birthday was prior to September 2, 1981, he or she must not have 
worked in rail service after certain closing dates (generally the last 
day of the month following the month in which age 65 is attained).
    Under Section 2(h)(2) of the RRA, the amount of the supplemental 
annuity is reduced if the employees receive monthly pension payments, 
or lump-sum pension payments, from heir former railroad employer, which 
are based in whole or in part on contributions from that railroad 
employer. The employees' own contributions to their pension accounts do 
not cause a reduction. An employer private pension is described in 20 
CFR 216.40-216.42.
    The RRB requires the following information from railroad employers 
to calculate supplemental pension plans cause reductions to the RRB 
supplemental annuity; (b) the amount of the employer private pension 
being paid to the employee; (c) whether or not the employer make 
contributions to the pension; (d) whether or not the employee was 
cashed out before attaining retirement age under the employer pension 
plan or received the pension in a lump-sum payment in lieu of monthly 
pension payments; (e) whether the employer pension plan continues when 
the employer status under the RRA changes. The requirement that 
railroad employers furnish pension information to the RRB is contained 
in 20 CFR 209.2.
    The RRb currently utilizes Form(s) G-88p (Employer's Supplemental 
Pension Report), G-88r (Request for Information About New or Revised 
Pension Plan), and G-88.1 (Request for Additional Information about 
Employer Pension Plan in Case of Change of Employer Status or 
Termination of Pension Plan), to obtain the necessary information from 
railroad employers. One response is requested of each respondent. 
Completion mandatory.
    The RRB proposed significant burden impacting changes to Form G-
88p. New items requesting information regarding lump-sum payments paid 
in lieu of a monthly pension have been added as well as items 
instructing employers to retain a copy of the form for later 
transmittal are being proposed. The RRB also is proposing to delete 
several items

[[Page 54687]]

of information from Form G-88p including items no longer needed due to 
the Railroad Retirement and Survivor's Improvement Act (RRSIA).
    The RRB also proposes to delete information no longer needed due to 
RRSIA from Forms G-88r and G-88r.1. Non burden impacting editorial and 
formatting changes are also proposed to all of the forms.

Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden

    The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Annual     Time     Burden
            Form (s)              responses    (min)    (hrs.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-88p....................................      1,500         8       200
G-88r....................................         10        10         2
G-88r.1..................................          5         7         1
                                          ------------------------------
    Total................................      1,515  ........       203
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. 02-21493 Filed 8-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M