[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 250 (Friday, December 30, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77432-77433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-8140]


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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

[[Page 77433]]

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 their 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 annuities: (a) The current status of railroad 
employer pension plans and whether such employer 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 made 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; and (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-88r.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 is mandatory.
    The RRB proposes the addition of several new items to Form G-88p 
which include ``skip patterns'' intended to allow employers to bypass 
items when no response is needed. The RRB also proposes editorial and 
reformatting changes for clarification purposes to several existing 
items on G-88p. The RRB proposes no changes to Forms G-88r and G-88r.1.

                                      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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G-88p...........................................................             750               8             100
G-88r...........................................................              10              10               2
G-88r.1.........................................................               5               7               1
                                                                 -----------------
    Total.......................................................             765  ..............             103
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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 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. E5-8140 Filed 12-29-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P