[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 184 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58848-58849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24293]


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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.
    Title and purpose of information collection: Pension Plan Reports; 
OMB 3220-0089. Under Section 2(b) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), 
the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays supplemental annuities to 
qualified RRB employee annuitants. A supplemental annuity, which is 
computed according to Section 3(e) of the RRA, can be paid at age 60 if 
the employee has at least 30 years of creditable railroad service or at 
age 65 if the employee has 25-29 years of railroad service. In addition 
to 25 years of service, a ``current connection'' with the railroad 
industry is required. Eligibility is further limited to employees who 
had at least one month of rail service before October 1981 and were 
awarded regular annuities after June 1966. Further, if an employee's 
65th birthday was prior to September 2, 1981, he or she must not have 
worked in rail service after certain closing dates (generally the last 
day of the month following the month in which age 65 is attained). 
Under Section 2(h)(2) of the RRA, the amount of the supplemental 
annuity is reduced if the employee receives monthly pension payments, 
or a lump-sum pension payment, including a distribution from a 401(k) 
savings plan, from a private pension from a railroad employer, to the 
extent the payments are based on contributions from that employer. The 
employee's own contribution to their pension account does not cause a 
reduction. A private railroad employer pension is defined in 20 CFR 
216.40-216.42.
    The RRB requires the following information from railroad employers 
to calculate supplemental annuities: (a) The current status of railroad 
employer pension plans and whether such plans cause reductions to the 
supplemental annuity; (b) whether the employee receives monthly 
payments from a private railroad employer pension, elected to receive a 
lump-sum in lieu of month pension payments from such a plan, or 
received a lump-sum distribution from a 401(k) savings plan; (c) the 
date monthly pension payments began or a lump-sum payment was received; 
and (d) the amount of the payments attributable to the railroad 
employer's contributions. The requirement that railroad employers 
furnish pension information to the RRB is contained in 20 CFR 209.2.
    The RRB currently utilizes Forms G-88p, Employer's Supplemental 
Pension Report, G-88r, Request for Information About New or Revised 
Employer Pension Plan, and G-88r.1, Request for Additional Information 
about Employer Pension Plan in Case of Change of Employer Status or 
Termination of Pension Plan, to obtain the necessary information from 
railroad employers. One response is requested of each respondent. 
Completion is mandatory.
    The RRB proposes the following changes to the information 
collection. Forms G-88p and G-88r will be revised to include 
information related to the reporting of 401(k) savings plans and to 
remove items that are no longer relevant. Form G-88r.1 will no longer 
be utilized.
    The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:

[[Page 58849]]



                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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                                                                      Annual
                           Form number                               responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
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G-88p...........................................................             750               8             100
G-88r...........................................................              10               8               1
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             760  ..............             101
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    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 (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. 2011-24293 Filed 9-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P