[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7717-7719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02805]


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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 3 
Information Collection Requests (ICR) to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Our 
ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. 
Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate 
paperwork burdens.
    The RRB invites comments on the proposed collections of information 
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 the 
RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper 
consideration of your comments, it is best if the RRB and OIRA receive 
them within 30 days of the publication date.
    1. Title and purpose of information collection: Certification 
Regarding Rights to Unemployment Benefits; OMB 3220-0079.
    Under Section 4 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
an employee who leaves work voluntarily is disqualified for 
unemployment benefits unless the employee left work for good cause and 
is not qualified for unemployment benefits under any other law. RRB 
Form UI-45, Claimant's Statement--Voluntary Leaving of Work, is used by 
the RRB to obtain the claimant's statement when the claimant, the 
claimant's employer, or another source indicates that the claimant has 
voluntarily left work.
    Completion of Form UI-45 is required to obtain or retain benefits. 
One response is received from each respondent.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (78 FR 70358 on November 25, 2013) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Certification Regarding Rights to Unemployment Benefits.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0079.
    Form(s) submitted: UI-45.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: In administering the disqualification for the voluntary 
leaving of work provision of Section 4 of the Railroad Unemployment 
Insurance Act, the Railroad Retirement Board investigates an 
unemployment claim that indicates the claimant left voluntarily. The 
certification obtains

[[Page 7718]]

information needed to determine if the leaving was for good cause.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form UI-45.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses     Time  (minutes)  Burden  (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UI-45........................................................             200               15               50
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    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Railroad Separation 
Allowance or Severance Pay Report; OMB 3220-0173.
    Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act provides for a lump-sum 
payment to an employee or the employee's survivors equal to the Tier II 
taxes paid by the employee on a separation allowance or severance 
payment for which the employee did not receive credits toward 
retirement. The lump-sum is not payable until retirement benefits begin 
to accrue or the employee dies. Also, Section 4 (a-1)(iii) of the 
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act provides that a railroad employee 
who is paid a separation allowance is disqualified for unemployment and 
sickness benefits for the period of time the employee would have to 
work to earn the amount of the allowance. The reporting requirements 
are specified in 20 CFR 209.14.
    In order to calculate and provide payments, the Railroad Retirement 
Board (RRB) must collect and maintain records of separation allowances 
and severance payments which were subject to Tier II taxation from 
railroad employers. The RRB uses Form BA-9, Report of Separation 
Allowance or Severance Pay, to obtain information from railroad 
employers concerning the separation allowances and severance payments 
made to railroad employees and/or the survivors of railroad employees. 
Employers currently have the option of submitting their reports on 
paper Form BA-9 (or in like format) on a CD-ROM disk, or by File 
Transfer Protocol (FTP), or secure Email. Completion is mandatory. One 
response is requested of each respondent.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (78 FR 70358 on November 25, 2013) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Railroad Separation Allowance or Severance Pay Report.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0173.
    Form(s) submitted: BA-9.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for profits.
    Abstract: Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act provides for a 
lump-sum payment to an employee or the employee's survivor equal to the 
Tier II taxes paid by the employee on a separation allowance or 
severance payment for which the employee did not receive credits toward 
retirement. The collection obtains information concerning the 
separation allowances and severance payments paid from railroad 
employers.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form BA-9.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BA-9 (paper)....................................................             265              76             336
BA-9 (CD-ROM)...................................................              60              76              76
BA-9 (secure Email).............................................              25              76              32
BA-9 (FTP)......................................................              10              76              13
    Total.......................................................             360  ..............             457
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    3. Title and purpose of information collection: Earnings 
Information Request; OMB 3220-0184. Under Section 2 of the Railroad 
Retirement Act, an annuity is not payable, or is reduced for any 
month(s) in which the beneficiary works for a railroad or earns more 
than prescribed amounts.
    The provisions relating to the reduction or non-payment of 
annuities by reason of work are prescribed in 20 CFR 230.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-19-F, Earnings Information Request, to 
obtain earnings information that either had not been previously 
reported or erroneously reported by a beneficiary. The claimant is 
asked to enter the date they stopped working, if applicable.
    If a respondent fails to complete the form, the RRB may be unable 
to pay them benefits. One response is requested of each respondent.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (78 FR 70359 on November 25, 2013) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Earnings Information Request.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0184.
    Form(s) submitted: G-19-F.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act, an 
annuity is not payable, or is reduced for any month(s) in which the 
beneficiary works for a railroad or earns more than prescribed amounts. 
The collection obtains earnings information not previously or 
erroneously reported by a beneficiary.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to revise the G-19-F to allow 
the claimant who has not stopped working to indicate if they will stop 
working within 90 days.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

[[Page 7719]]



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                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses     Time  (minutes)  Burden  (hours)
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G-19-F.......................................................             900                8              120
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    Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the forms and 
supporting documents can be obtained from 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 [email protected] and to the OMB 
Desk Officer for the RRB, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].

Charles Mierzwa,
Chief of Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-02805 Filed 2-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P