[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 11 (Friday, January 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3115-3116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-970]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Proposed Data Collection 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: Employer's 
Quarterly Report of Contributions Under the Railroad Unemployment 
Insurance Act; RRB Form DC-1; OMB 3220-0012
    Under section 8 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
as amended by the Railroad Unemployment Improvement Act of 1988 (Pub. 
L. 100-647), the amount of each employer's contribution is determined 
by the RRB, primarily on the basis of RUIA benefit payments made to the 
employees of that employer. These experienced based contributions, take 
into account the frequency, volume and duration of RUIA benefits, both 
unemployment and sickness, attributable to a railroad's employees. Each 
employer's contribution rate includes a component for administrative 
expenses and a component to cover costs shared by all employers. The 
regulations prescribing the manner and conditions for remitting the 
contributions and for adjusting overpayments or underpayments of 
contributions are contained in 20 CFR 345.
    RRB Form DC-1, Employer's Quarterly Report of Contributions Under 
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, is currently utilized by the 
RRB for the reporting and remitting of quarterly contributions by 
railroad employers. The RRB utilizes a manual version of Form DC-1 and 
also provides railroad employers with the option of reporting the 
required information and remitting their quarterly contributions via an 
Internet equivalent version Form DC-1.
    One response is requested quarterly of each respondent and 
completion is mandatory. The RRB estimates that 2,160 responses are 
received annually. The estimated completion for the manual and Internet 
version of Form DC-1 is estimated at 25 minutes. The total burden for 
the collection is estimated at 900 hours. The RRB proposes no changes 
to Form DC-1.
    2. Title and Purpose of Information Collection: Applicant 
Background Survey: RRB Form EEO-44, OMB 3220-0201
    This information collection is needed to comply with Federal laws 
and regulations. 5 U.S.C. Chapter 72 Sec.  7201 establishes an anti-
discrimination policy. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sec.  
2000e-8 [Sec.  709], requires agencies to make and keep relevant 
records to identify unlawful employment practices. 29 CFR 1602 allows 
agencies to collect data to determine if there is any adverse impact on 
employment practices such as recruitment or selection.
    The RRB's Equal Employment Office collects data to assess the 
impact of the agency's recruitment processes on the hiring of 
minorities, women and people with disabilities. To obtain the 
information necessary to conduct a proper assessment, the RRB utilizes 
Form EEO-44, Applicant Background Survey, which collects information 
about the racial or ethnic identity, gender and disability of 
applicants for RRB jobs from outside of the Federal government.
    Form EEO-44 is only viewed by RRB Human Resources personnel and 
Equal Employment Opportunity officials. Summarized data from all 
external applicants for a position is used to identify hiring barriers 
which limit or tends to limit employment opportunities for members of a 
particular sex, race, or ethnic background, or based on an individual's 
disability status.
    The EEO-44 contains a ``Plain English'' assurance that the 
information will be kept highly confidential and only shared with 
authorized RRB officials. This assurance specifically states that the 
information obtained is kept as a running tally which cannot be 
disaggregated into individual names, that information from the form is 
not entered into the RRB's personnel database, that the information is 
not provided to selecting officials or any others who can affect the 
selection, or to the public, and that the forms is destroyed after the 
position is filled. The information maintained does not include the 
applicant's name or other identifier.
    Completion of one form is requested of each respondent and is 
voluntary. The RRB estimates that 800 EEO-44's are completed annually 
at an estimated completion time of 5 minutes. The total burden for the 
collection is estimated at 67 hours. The RRB proposes no changes to 
Form EEO-44.
    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

[[Page 3116]]

comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-970 Filed 1-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P