[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 157 (Monday, August 16, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50403-50404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18618]


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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:
    Self-Employment and Substantial Service Questionnaire; OMB 3220-
0138.
    Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (``RRA'') provides for 
payment of annuities to qualified employees and their spouses. In order 
to receive an age and service annuity, Section 2(e)(3) states that an 
applicant must stop all railroad work and give up any rights to return 
to such work. A disability applicant must give up all railroad work, 
but does not have to relinquish rights to return to railroad work until 
he or she attains full retirement age, or, if earlier, a spouse annuity 
or supplemental annuity becomes payable. Under the 1988 amendments to 
the RRA, an applicant is no longer required to stop work for a ``Last 
Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad Employer''(``LPE''). LPE is defined as any 
non-railroad individual, company, or institution for whom an annuitant 
is working on the annuity beginning date, or for whom they stopped 
working in order to receive an annuity. Section 2(f)(6) of the RRA 
requires that a portion of the employee's Tier II benefit and 
supplemental annuity be deducted for earnings from an ``LPE'' employer.
    The RRB currently utilizes Form AA-4, Self-Employment and 
Substantial Service Questionnaire, when an applicant claims to be self-
employed to obtain information needed to determine if the applicant's 
work is LPE, railroad service, or self-employment. If the work is self-
employment, the questionnaire identifies any months in which the

[[Page 50404]]

applicant did not perform substantial service. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is voluntary. However, failure 
to complete the form could result in the nonpayment of benefits.
    The RRB proposes significant, burden-impacting, editorial, and 
formatting changes to Form AA-4. The addition of many new items of 
information regarding an applicant's self-employment, largely intended 
to provide clarification regarding whether an applicant is a self-
employed independent contractor or an employee of his client 
corporation, is being proposed. Other changes include dividing items 
that currently contain multiple questions into separate Yes/No 
responses. Checklists have also been added to many items to obtain more 
detailed and standardized responses. The completion time for the AA-4 
is estimated at between 45 and 75 minutes. The RRB estimates that 
approximately 600 AA-4'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 or send an E-mail request to [email protected]. 
Comments regarding the information collection should be addressed to 
Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 or send an E-mail to 
[email protected]. Written comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-18618 Filed 8-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P