[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 177 (Friday, September 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53761-53762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23215]


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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: RUIA Investigations 
and Continuing Entitlement, OMB 3220-0025. Under section 1(k) of the 
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), unemployment and sickness 
benefits are not payable for any day with respect to which remuneration 
is payable or accrues to the claimant. Also section 4(a-1) of the RUIA 
provides that unemployment or sickness benefits are not payable for any 
day the claimant receives the same benefits under any law other than 
the RUIA. Under Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) regulations, 20 CFR 
322.4(a), a claimant's certification or statement on an RRB provided 
claim form that he or she did not work on any day claimed and did not 
receive income such as vacation pay or pay for time lost shall 
constitute sufficient evidence unless there is conflicting evidence. 
Further, under 20 CFR 322.4(b), when there is a question raised as to 
whether or not remuneration is payable or has accrued to a claimant 
with respect to a claimed day or days, investigation shall be made with 
a view to obtaining information sufficient for a finding. The RRB 
utilizes the following four forms to obtain information from railroad 
employers, nonrailroad employers and claimants, that are needed to 
determine whether a claimed days or days of unemployment or sickness 
were improperly or fraudulently claimed: Form ID-51, Letter to Non-
Railroad Employers on Employment and Earnings of a Claimant; Form ID-
5R(SUP), Report of Employees Paid RUIA Benefits for Every Day in Month 
Reported as Month of Creditable Service; Form ID-49R, Letter to 
Railroad Employer for Payroll Information; and Form UI-48, Claimant's 
Statement Regarding Benefit Claim for Days of Employment. Completion is 
voluntary. One response is requested of each respondent. The RRB 
proposes no changes to these forms.
    To qualify for unemployment or sickness benefits payable under 
section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), a railroad 
employee must have certain qualifying earnings in the applicable base 
year. In addition, to qualify for extended or accelerated benefits 
under section 2 of the RUIA, a railroad employee who has exhausted his 
or her rights to normal benefits must have at least 10 years of

[[Page 53762]]

railroad service (under certain conditions, military service may be 
credited as months of railroad service). Accelerated benefits are 
unemployment or sickness benefits that are payable to a railroad 
employee before the regular July 1 beginning date of a benefit year if 
an employee has 10 or more years of service and is not qualified for 
benefits in the current benefit year.
    During the RUIA claims review process, the RRB may determine that 
unemployment or sickness benefits cannot be awarded because RRB records 
show insufficient qualifying service and/or compensation. When this 
occurs, the RRB allows the claimant the opportunity to provide 
additional information if they believe that the RRB service and 
compensation records are incorrect.
    Depending on the circumstances, the RRB provides the following 
form(s) to obtain information needed to determine if a claimant has 
sufficient service or compensation to qualify for unemployment or 
sickness benefits. Form UI-9, Applicant's Statement of Employment and 
Wages, Form UI-23, Claimant's Statement of Service for Railroad 
Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Form UI-44, Claim for Credit for 
Military Service (RUIA), Form ID-4F, Advising of Ineligibility for RUIA 
Benefits, Form ID-4U, Advising of Service/Earnings Requirements for 
RUIA Benefits, Form ID-4X, Advising of Service/Earnings Requirements 
for Sickness Benefits, Form ID-4Y, Advising of Ineligibility for 
Sickness Benefits, Form ID-20-1, Advising that Normal Unemployment 
Benefits Are About to Be Exhausted, Form ID-20-2, Advising that Normal 
Sickness Benefits Are About to Be Exhausted, and Form ID-20-4, Advising 
That Normal Sickness Benefits Are About to Be Exhausted/Non-
Entitlement. Completion of these forms is required to obtain or retain 
a benefit. One response is required of each respondent. The RRB 
proposes no changes to these forms.
    The burden associated with the information collection is estimated 
as follows:

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                                                                             Completion time
                     Form                        Annual responses      (minutes)         Burden hours
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ID-5I..................................................              4,500                 15              1,125
ID-5R(SUP).............................................                900                 10                150
ID-49R.................................................                250                 15                 63
UI-48..................................................                250                 12                 50
UI-9...................................................                800                 10                133
UI-23..................................................                600                  5                 50
UI-44..................................................                150                  5                 13
ID-4F..................................................                 25                  5                  2
ID-4U..................................................                150                  5                 13
ID-4X..................................................                100                  5                  8
ID-4Y..................................................                 25                  5                  2
ID-20-1................................................                 50                  5                  4
ID-20-2................................................                100                  5                  8
ID-20-4................................................                  5                  5                  1
                                                        --------------------
    Total..............................................              7,905  .................              1,622
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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. 03-23215 Filed 9-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M