[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 54 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12159-12161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6223]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments

    Summary: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding 
two (2) Information Collection Requests (ICR) to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Our ICR describes the information we seek

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to collect from the public. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we 
impose appropriate paperwork burdens.
    The RRB invites comments on the proposed collections of information 
to determine (1) The practical utility of the collections; (2) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections; (3) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information that is the 
subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to RRB or 
OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper 
consideration of your comments, it is best if RRB and OIRA receive them 
within 30 days of publication date.
    1. Title and Purpose of Information Collection: Employer's 
Quarterly Report of Contributions Under the RUIA, 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 estimated completion for the manual and 
Internet version of Form DC-1 is estimated at 25 minutes.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (74 FR 3115 on January 16, 2009) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Employer's Quarterly Report of Contributions Under the RUIA.
    Form(s) submitted: DC-1.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0012.
    Expiration date of current OMB clearance: 3/31/2009.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 540.
    Total annual responses: 2,160.
    Total annual reporting hours: 900.
    Abstract: Railroad employers are required to make contributions to 
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance fund quarterly or annually equal to 
a percentage of the creditable compensation paid to each employee. The 
information furnished on the report accompanying the remittance is used 
to determine correctness of the amount paid.
    Changes Proposed: 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 section 7201 establishes an anti-
discrimination policy. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 
section 2000e-8 [section 709], requires agencies to make and keep 
relevant records to identify unlawful employment practices. 29 CFR 
section 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 form is destroyed after the 
position is filled. The information maintained does not include the 
applicant's name or other identifier.
    Completion of one form EEO-44 is requested of each respondent and 
completion is voluntary. The RRB estimates the completion time Form 
EEO-44 at 5 minutes.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (74 FR 3115 on January 16, 2008) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Applicant Background Survey.
    Form(s) submitted: EEO-44.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0201.
    Expiration date of current OMB clearance: 3/31/2009.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households, Business or other for-
profit.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 800.
    Total annual responses: 800.
    Total annual reporting hours: 67.
    Abstract: To meet reporting requirements of Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission (EEO) Management Directive 715, the RRB collects 
information needed to properly assess the impact of its recruitment 
process on the hiring of minorities, women, and people with 
disabilities.
    Changes Proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form EEO-44.
    Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the form and 
supporting documents can be obtained from Charles Mierzwa, the agency 
clearance officer at (312-751-3363) or [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

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[email protected] and to the OMB Desk Officer for the RRB, at the 
Office of Management and Budget, Room 10230, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E9-6223 Filed 3-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P