[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 72431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30787]


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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 
Survivor Death Benefits: OMB 3220-0031.
    Under section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), lump-sum 
death benefits are payable to surviving widow and widowers, children 
and certain other dependents. Lump-sum death benefits are payable after 
the death of a railroad employee only if there are no qualified 
survivors of the employee immediately eligible for annuities. With the 
exception of the residual death benefit, eligibility for survivor 
benefits depend on whether the employee was ``insured'' under the RRA 
at the time of death. If a deceased employee was not so insured, 
jurisdiction of any survivor benefits payable is transferred to the 
Social Security Administration and survivor benefits are paid by that 
agency instead of the RRB. The collection obtains the information 
required by the RRB to determine entitlement to and amount of the 
survivor death benefits applied for.
    The RRB currently utilizes form(s) AA-11a (Designation for Change 
of Beneficiary for Residual Lump-Sum), AA-21cert, (Application Summary 
and Certification), AA-21 (Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment and 
Annuities Unpaid at Death), G-131 (Authorization of Payment and Release 
of All Claims to a Death Benefit or Accrued Annuity Payment), and G-
273a (Funeral Director's Statement of Burial Charges), to obtain the 
necessary information. One response is requested of each respondent. 
Completion is required to obtain benefits.

Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden

    The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual
                        Form (s)                            responses      Time  (min)    Burden  (hrs)
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AA-11a..........................................................             400              10              67
AA-21cert (with assistance).....................................           9,700              20           3,233
AA-21 manual (without assistance)...............................             300              40             200
G-131...........................................................             600               5              50
G-273a..........................................................           9,600              10           1,600
                                                                 -----------------
    Total.......................................................          20,600  ..............           5,150
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    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. 02-30787 Filed 12-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M