[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 184 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54643-54644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22076]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Proposed Data Collection(s) Available for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

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 
collections are 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.

1. Title and Purpose of Information Collection

    Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act Applications; OMB 3220-0039.
    Under Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
sickness benefits are payable to qualified railroad employees who are 
unable to work because of illness or injury. In addition, sickness 
benefits are payable to qualified female employees if they are unable 
to work, or if working would be injurious, because of pregnancy, 
miscarriage or childbirth. Under Section 1(k) of the RUIA, a statement 
of sickness with respect to days of sickness of an employee is to be 
filed with the RRB within a 10-day period from the first day claimed as 
a day of sickness. The RRB's authority for requesting supplemental 
medical information is Section 12(i) and 12(n) of the RUIA. The 
procedures for claiming sickness benefits and for the RRB to obtain 
supplemental medical information needed to determine a claimant's 
eligibility for such benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR Part 335. The 
forms currently used by the RRB to obtain information needed to 
determine eligibility for and the amount of sickness benefits due a 
claimant follows: Form SI-1a, Application for Sickness Benefits; Form 
SI-1b, Statement of Sickness; Form SI-3, Claim for Sickness Benefits; 
Form SI-7, Supplemental Doctor's Statement; Form SI-8, Verification of 
Medical Information; Form ID-7h, Non-Entitlement to Sickness Benefits 
and Information on Unemployment Benefits; Form ID-11a, Requesting 
Reason for Late Filing of Sickness Benefit and ID-11b, Notice of 
Insufficient Medical and Late Filing. Completion is required to obtain 
or retain benefits. One response is requested of each respondent.
    Consistent with requirements of the Health Insurance Portability 
and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the RRB proposes revisions to Form SI-
1b, SI-7, and SI-8 to replace the term ``Tax Identification Number'' 
with ``National Provider Identifier''. No other changes are proposed.
    The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:

                  Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Annual                  Burden
          Form (s)            responses  Time (min)     (hrs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SI-1a...............................      22,200          10       3,700
SI-1b (Doctor)......................      22,200           8       2,960
SI-3................................     145,000           5      12,083
SI-7................................      22,600           8       3,013
SI-8................................          50           5           4
ID-7H...............................          50           5           4
ID-11A..............................         800           4          53
ID-11B..............................       1,000           4          67
                                     -----------------------------------
    Total...........................     213,900  ..........      21,884
------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Title and purpose of information collection

Annual Earnings Questionnaire for Annuitants in Last Pre-Retirement 
Non-Railroad Employment; OMB 3220-0179

    Under section 2(e)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an 
annuity is not payable for any month in which a beneficiary works for a 
railroad. In addition, an annuity is reduced for any month in which the 
beneficiary works for an employer other than a railroad employer and 
earns more than a prescribed amount. Under the 1988 amendments to the 
RRA, the Tier II portion of the regular annuity and any supplemental 
annuity must be reduced by one dollar for each two dollars of Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment (LPE) earnings for each month of 
such service. However, the reduction cannot exceed fifty percent of the 
Tier II and supplemental annuity

[[Page 54644]]

amount for the month to which such deductions apply. LPE generally 
refers to an annuitant's last employment with a non-railroad person, 
company, or institution prior to retirement which was performed whether 
at the same time of, or after an annuitant stopped railroad employment. 
The collection obtains earnings information needed by the RRB to 
determine if possible reductions in annuities because of Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment Earnings (LPE) are in order. The RRB 
utilizes Form G-19L to obtain LPE earnings information from annuitants. 
Companion Form G-19L.1, which serves as an instruction sheet and 
contains the Paperwork Reduction/Privacy Act Notice for the collection 
accompanies each Form G-19L sent to an annuitant. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is required to retain a 
benefit. The RRB proposes the addition of a subitem requesting that an 
annuitant provide an Employer's Identification Number (EIN). Non-burden 
impacting editorial and reformatting changes are also proposed.
    The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Annual                  Burden
          Form (s)            responses  Time (min)     (hrs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-19L...............................         300          15          75
                                     -----------------------------------
    Total...........................         300  ..........          75
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information 
regarding either of the information collections listed above or to 
obtain copies of the information collection justifications, 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 collections should be addressed to Ronald J. 
Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, 
Illinois 60611-2092 or via an e-mail to [email protected]. Written 
comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-22076 Filed 9-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P