[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 136 (Friday, July 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34804-34806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16968]


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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 
three (3) Information Collection Requests (ICR) to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB).
    The RRB invites comments on the proposed ICR's 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. 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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (74 FR 17895 on April 17, 2009) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Employee Representatives' Status and Compensation Reports.

[[Page 34805]]

    OMB Control Number: OMB 3220-0014.
    Form(s) submitted: DC-2a, DC-2.
    Expiration date of current OMB clearance: 7/31/2009.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Business or other-for-profit.
    Abstract: Benefits are provided under the Railroad Retirement Act 
(RRA) for individuals who are employee representatives as defined in 
section 1 of the RRA. The collection obtains information regarding the 
status of such individuals and their compensation.
    Changes Proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the 
collection.
    The total burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 65.
    Total annual responses: 65.
    Total annual reporting hours: 33.

2. Employer's Deemed Service Month Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0156

    Section 3 (i) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), as amended by 
Public Law 98-76, provides that the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), 
under certain circumstances, may deem additional months of service in 
cases where an employee does not actually work in every month of the 
year, provided the employee satisfies certain eligibility requirements, 
including the existence of an employment relation between the employee 
and his or her employer. The procedures pertaining to the deeming of 
additional months of service are found in the RRB's regulations at 20 
CFR 210, Creditable Railroad Service.
    The RRB utilizes Form GL-99, Employer's Deemed Service Months 
Questionnaire, to obtain service and compensation information from 
railroad employers needed to determine if an employee can be credited 
with additional deemed months of railroad service.
    The RRB proposes non-burden impacting, editorial and formatting 
changes to Form GL-99. Completion is mandatory. One response is 
required for each RRB inquiry. The completion time for Form GL-99 is 
estimated at 2 minutes per response. The RRB estimates that 
approximately 4,000 responses are received annually.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (74 FR 18409 on April 22, 2009) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Employer's Deemed Service Month Questionnaire.
    OMB Control Number: OMB 3220-0156.
    Form(s) submitted: GL-99.
    Expiration date of current OMB clearance: 7/31/2009.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected public: Business or other-for-profit.
    Abstract: Under Section 3(i) of the Railroad Retirement Act, the 
Railroad Retirement Board may deem months of service in cases where an 
employee does not actually work in every month of the year. The 
collection obtains service and compensation information from railroad 
employers needed to determine if an employee may be credited with 
additional months of railroad service.
    Changes Proposed: The RRB proposes minor non-burden impacting 
editorial and formatting changes to Form GL-99.
    The total burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 150.
    Total annual responses: 4,000.
    Total annual reporting hours: 133.

3. Statement of Claimant or Other Person; OMB 3220-0183

    To support an application for an annuity under Section 2 of the 
Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) or for unemployment benefits under 
Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), pertinent 
information and proofs must be furnished for the RRB to determine 
benefit entitlement. Circumstances may require an applicant or other 
person(s) having knowledge of facts relevant to the applicant's 
eligibility for an annuity or benefits to provide written statements 
supplementing or changing statements previously provided by the 
applicant. Under the railroad retirement program these statements may 
relate to changes in annuity beginning date(s), dates for marriage(s), 
birth(s), prior railroad or non-railroad employment, an applicant's 
request for reconsideration of an unfavorable RRB eligibility 
determination for an annuity or various other matters. The statements 
may also be used by the RRB to secure a variety of information needed 
to determine eligibility to unemployment and sickness benefits. 
Procedures related to providing information needed for RRA annuity or 
RUIA benefit eligibility determinations are prescribed in 20 CFR 217 
and 320 respectively.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-93, Statement of Claimant or Other Person, 
to obtain the supplemental or corrective information from applicants or 
other persons needed to determine applicant eligibility for an RRA 
annuity or RUIA benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-93. 
Completion is voluntary. One response is requested of each respondent. 
The completion time for Form G-93 is estimated at 15 minutes per 
response. The RRB estimates that approximately 900 responses are 
received annually.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (74 FR 7274-7275 on February 13, 2009) required 
by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request solicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Statement of Claimant or Other Person.
    OMB Control Number: OMB 3220-0183.
    Form(s) submitted: G-93.
    Expiration date of current OMB clearance: 7/31/2009.
    Type of request: Extension with change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-
profit.
    Abstract: Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act and the 
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, pertinent information and proofs 
must be submitted by an applicant so that the Railroad Retirement Board 
can determine his or her entitlement to benefits. The collection 
obtains information supplementing or changing information previously 
provided by an applicant.
    Changes Proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the 
collection.
    The total burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 900.
    Total annual responses: 900.
    Total annual reporting hours: 225.
    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 [email protected] and to the OMB 
Desk Officer for the RRB, at the Office of Management and Budget,

[[Page 34806]]

Room 10230, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-16968 Filed 7-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P