[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 73 (Friday, April 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 17895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8817]


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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.
    1. Title and purpose of information collection: Employee 
Representative's Status and Compensation Reports; OMB 3220-0014.
    Under Section 1(b)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the 
term ``employee'' includes an individual who is an employee 
representative. As defined in Section 1(c) of the RRA, an employee 
representative is an officer or official representative of a railway 
labor organization other than a labor organization included in the term 
``employer,'' as defined in the RRA, who before or after August 29, 
1935, was in the service of an employer under the RRA and who is duly 
authorized and designated to represent employees in accordance with the 
Railway Labor Act, or, any individual who is regularly assigned to or 
regularly employed by such officer or official representative in 
connection with the duties of his or her office. The requirements 
relating to the application for employee representative status and the 
periodic reporting of the compensation resulting from such status is 
contained in 20 CFR 209.10.
    The RRB utilizes Forms DC-2a, Employee Representative's Status 
Report, and DC-2, Employee Representative's Report of Compensation, to 
obtain the information needed to determine employee representative 
status and to maintain a record of creditable service and compensation 
resulting from such status. Completion is required to obtain or retain 
a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent.
    No changes are proposed to Form DC-2a and Form DC-2. The completion 
time for Form DC-2 is estimated at 30 minutes per response. The RRB 
estimates that approximately 65 Form DC-2's are completed annually. The 
RRB estimates that less than 10 Form DC-2a's are completed annually.
    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Nonresident 
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0145.
    Under Public Laws 98-21 and 98-76, benefits under the Railroad 
Retirement Act payable to annuitants living outside the United States 
may be subject to taxation under United States income tax laws. Whether 
the social security equivalent and non-social security equivalent 
portions of Tier I, Tier II, vested dual benefit, or supplemental 
annuity payments are subject to tax withholding, and whether the same 
or different rates are applied to each payment, depends on a 
beneficiary's citizenship and legal residence status, and whether 
exemption under a tax treaty between the United States and the country 
in which the beneficiary is a legal resident has been claimed. To 
effect the tax withholding, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) needs 
to know a nonresident's citizenship and legal residence status.
    To secure the required information, the RRB utilizes Form RRB-1001, 
Nonresident Questionnaire, as a supplement to an application as part of 
the initial application process, and as an independent vehicle for 
obtaining the needed information when an annuitant's residence or tax 
treaty status changes. Completion is voluntary. One response is 
requested of each respondent.
    The RRB estimates that 1,300 Form RRB-1001's are completed 
annually. The completion time for Form RRB-1001 is estimated at 30 
minutes. No changes are proposed to Form RRB-1001.
    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. Comments regarding the information collection should be 
addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North 
Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. Written comments should be 
received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-8817 Filed 4-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P