[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 144 (Monday, July 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44369-44370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19095]


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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.
    The and purpose of information collection: Job Information Report, 
OMB 3220-0193. In July of 1997, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) 
adopted standards for the adjudication of occupational disabilities 
under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA). As part of these standards, 
the RRB requests job information to determine an applicant's 
eligibility for an occupational disability. The job information 
received from the railroad employer and railroad employee is compared, 
reconciled (if needed), and then used in the occupational disability 
determination process. The process of obtaining information from 
railroad employers used to determine an applicant's eligibility for an 
occupational disability is outlined in 20 CFR 220.13.
    To determine an occupational disability, the RRB determines if an 
employee is precluded from performing the full range of duties of his 
or her regular railroad occupation. This is accomplished by comparing 
the restrictions on impairment(s) causes against an employee's ability 
to perform his/her normal duties. To collect information needed to 
determine the effect of a disability on an applicant's ability to work, 
the RRB needs the applicant's work history. The RRB currently utilizes 
Form G-251, Vocational Report (OMB 3220-0141), to obtain this 
information from the employee applicant.

    Note: Form G-251 is provided to all applicants for employee 
disability annuities and to those applicants for a widow(er)'s 
disability annuity who indicate that they have been employed at some 
time.

    In accordance with the standards, the RRB also requests pertinent 
job information from employers. The employer is given thirty days from 
the date of the notice to respond. The responses are not required, but 
are voluntary. If the job information is received timely, it is 
compared to the job information provided by the employee. Any material 
differences are resolved by an RRB disability examiner. Once resolved, 
the information is compared to the restrictions caused by the medical 
impairment. If the restrictions prohibit the performance of the regular 
railroad occupation, the claimant is found occupationally disabled.
    The RRB uses two forms to secure job information data from the 
railroad employer. RRB Form G-251a, Employer Job Information (job 
description), is released to an employer when an application for an 
occupational disability is filed by an employee whose regular railroad 
occupation is one of the more common types of railroad jobs (locomotive 
engineer, conductor,

[[Page 44370]]

switchman, etc.) If is accompanied by a *generic job description* for 
that particular railroad job. The generic job descriptions describe how 
these select occupations are generally performed in the railroad 
industry. However, not all occupations are performed the same way from 
railroad to railroad. Thus, the employer is given an opportunity to 
comment on whether the job description matches the employee's actual 
duties. If the employer concludes that the generic job description 
accurately describes the work performed by the applicant, no further 
action will be necessary. If the employer determines that the tasks are 
different, it may provide the RRB with a description of the actual job 
tasks. The employer has thirty days from the date the form is released 
to reply .

    Note: The generic job descriptions were prepared and approved by 
a joint committee consisting of representatives of railroad and 
railroad management.

    Proposed Form G-251b, Employer Job Information (general), is 
released to an employer when an application for an RRB occupational 
disability is filed by an employee whose regular railroad occupation 
does not have a generic job description. It notifies the employer that 
the employee has filed for a disability annuity and that, if the 
employer wishes, it may provide the RRB with job duty information. The 
type of information the RRB is seeking is outlined on the form. The 
employer has thirty days from the date the form is released to reply.
    The RRB proposes no changes to Forms G-251a and G-251b.
    The completion time for Form G-251a and G-251b is estimated at 20 
minutes. Completion is voluntary. The RRB estimates that approximately 
125 G-251a's and 305 G-251b's are completed annually.
    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. 03-19095 Filed 7-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M