[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40657-40659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16795]


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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. The RRB 
proposes a minor editorial change to both Forms DC-2a and DC-2.

[[Page 40658]]



                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form  No.                                responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC-2a...........................................................               3              15               1
DC-2............................................................              65              30              33
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................              68  ..............              34
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 required 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 proposes no changes to Form RRB-
1001.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form  No.                                responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RRB-1001 (Initial Filing).......................................             300              30             250
RRB-1001 (Tax Renewal)..........................................           1,000              30             400
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           1,300  ..............             650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and purpose of information collection: 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 a change in an annuity beginning date(s), date of 
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 parts 217 and 320 respectively.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-93, Statement of Claimant or Other Person, 
to obtain from applicants or other persons, the supplemental or 
corrective information needed to determine applicant eligibility for an 
RRA annuity or RUIA benefits. Completion is voluntary. One response is 
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-93.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                          Form  No.                               responses     Time  (minutes)  Burden  (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-93.........................................................             900               15              225
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or 
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms, 
and/or supporting material, contact Dana Hickman at (312) 751-4981 or 
[email protected]. Comments regarding the information collection 
should be addressed to Charles Mierzwa, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 
North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 or emailed to 
[email protected]. Written

[[Page 40659]]

comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-16795 Filed 7-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P