[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 76336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29846]


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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: Self-Employment and 
Substantial Service Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0138.
    Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) provides for payment 
of annuities to qualified employees and their spouses. In order to 
receive an age and service annuity, Section 2(e)(3) states that an 
applicant must stop all railroad work and give up any rights to return 
to such work. However, applicants are not required to stop nonrailroad 
work or self-employment.
    The RRB considers some work claimed as ``self-employment'' to 
actually be employment for an employer. Whether the RRB classifies a 
particular activity as self-employment or as work for an employer 
depends upon the circumstances of each case. These circumstances are 
prescribed in 20 CFR 216.
    Under the 1988 amendments to the RRA, an applicant is no longer 
required to stop work for a ``Last Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad 
Employer'' (LPE). However, Section 2(f)(6) of the RRA requires that a 
portion of the employee's Tier II benefit and supplemental annuity be 
deducted for earnings from the ``LPE'' employer.
    ``LPE'' is defined as the last person, company, or institution with 
whom the employee or spouse applicant was employed concurrently with, 
or after, the applicant's last railroad employment and before their 
annuity beginning date. If a spouse never worked for a railroad, the 
LPE employer is the last person for whom he or she worked.
    The RRB utilizes Form AA-4, Self-Employment and Substantial Service 
Questionnaire, when an applicant claims to be self-employed to obtain 
information needed to determine if the applicant's work is LPE, 
railroad service or self-employment. If the work is self-employment, 
the questionnaire identifies any months in which the applicant did not 
perform substantial service. One response is requested of each 
respondent. Completion is voluntary. However, failure to complete the 
form could result in the nonpayment of benefits. The RRB proposes no 
changes to Form AA-4.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                             [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows]
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                                                                      Annual
                              Form                                   responses      Time (min)     Burden (hrs)
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AA-4 (With assistance)..........................................             570              40             380
AA-4 (Without assistance).......................................              30              70              35
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    Total.......................................................             600  ..............             415
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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 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 comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-29846 Filed 12-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P