[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55719-55720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22952]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
    Title and purpose of information collection: RUIA Claims 
Notification and Verification System; OMB 3220-0171.
    Section 5(b) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
requires that effective January 1, 1990, when a claim for benefits is 
filed with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), the RRB shall provide 
notice of the claim to the claimant's base year employer(s) to provide 
them an opportunity to submit information relevant to the claim before 
making an initial determination. If the RRB determines to pay benefits 
to the claimant under the RUIA, the RRB shall notify the base-year 
employer(s).
    The purpose of the RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System 
is to provide two notices, pre-payment Form ID-4K, Prepayment Notice of 
Employees' Applications and Claims for Benefits Under the Railroad 
Unemployment Insurance Act, and post-payment Form ID-4E, Notice of RUIA 
Claim Determination.
    Prepayment Form ID-4K provides notice to a claimant's base-year 
employer(s), of each unemployment application and unemployment and 
sickness claim filed for benefits under the RUIA and provides the 
employer an opportunity to convey information relevant to the proper 
adjudication of the claim. The railroad employer can elect to receive 
notices of applications and claims by one of three options: A computer-
generated Form Letter ID-4K paper notice, an Electronic Data 
Interchange (EDI) version of the Form Letter ID-4K notice, or an 
Internet equivalent ID-4K, which is transmitted through the RRB's 
Internet-based Employer Reporting System (ERS).
    The railroad employer can respond to the ID-4K notice by telephone, 
manually by mailing a completed ID-4K back to the RRB, or 
electronically via EDI or ERS. Completion is voluntary. No changes are 
being proposed to any of the ID-4K options.
    Once the RRB determines to pay a claim post-payment Form Letter ID-
4E, Notice of RUIA Claim Determination, is used to notify the base-year 
employer(s). This gives the employer a second opportunity to challenge 
the claim for benefits.
    The mainframe-generated ID-4E paper notice and the EDI and Internet 
equivalent versions are transmitted on a daily basis, generally on the 
same day that the claims are approved for payment. Railroad employers 
who are mailed Form ID-4E are instructed to write if they want a 
reconsideration of the RRB's determination to pay. Employers who 
receive the ID-4E electronically, may file a reconsideration request by 
completing the ID-4E by either EDI or ERS. Completion is voluntary. No 
changes are being proposed to any of the ID-4E options.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ID-4K (Manual)..................................................           1,250               2              42
ID-4K (EDI).....................................................          24,215              **             210
ID-4K (Internet)................................................          52,300               2           1,743
ID-4E (Manual)..................................................              50               2               2
ID-4E (Internet)................................................             120               2               4
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          77,935  ..............           2,001
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** The burden for the 5 participating employers who transmit EDI responses is calculated at 10 minutes each per
  day, 251 workdays a year or 210 total hours of burden.

    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or 
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms, 
and/or supporting material, contact Charles Mierzwa, the RRB Clearance 
Officer, at

[[Page 55720]]

(312) 751-3363 or [email protected]. Comments regarding the 
information collection should be addressed to Patricia Henaghan, 
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 
60611-2092 or e-mailed to [email protected]. Written comments 
should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-22952 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P