[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72034-72036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28467]


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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 an 
forwarding Information Collection Request (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: Student Beneficiary 
Monitoring; OMB 3220-0123.
    Under provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), there are 
two types of benefit payments that are based on the status of a child 
being in full-time elementary or secondary school attendance at age 18-
19: a survivor child's annuity benefit under Section 2(d)(1)(iii) and 
an increase in the employee retirement annuity under the Special 
Guaranty computation as prescribed in section 3(f)(2) and 20 CFR 229.
    The survivor student annuity is usually paid by direct deposit to a 
financial institution either into the student's checking or savings 
account or into a joint bank account with a parent. The requirements 
for eligibility as a student are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.74, and 
include students in independent study and home schooling.
    To help determine if a child is entitled to student benefits, the 
RRB requires evidence of full-time school attendance. This evidence is 
acquired through the RRB's student monitoring program, which utilizes 
the following forms. Form G-315, Student Questionnaire, obtains 
certification of a student's full-time school attendance as well as 
information on the student's marital status, social security benefits, 
and employment, which are needed to determine entitlement or continued 
entitlement to benefits under the RRA. Form G-315A, Statement of School 
Official, is used to obtain, from a school, verification of a student's 
full-time attendance when the student fails to return a monitoring Form 
G-315. Form G-315A.1, School Official's Notice of Cessation of Full-
Time School Attendance, is used by a school to notify the RRB that a 
student has ceased full-time school attendance.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 57988 on September 26, 2014) required by 
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Student Beneficiary Monitoring.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0123.
    Form(s) submitted: G-315, G-315A, G-315A.1.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), a student 
benefit is not payable if the student ceases full-time school 
attendance, marries, works in the railroad industry, has excessive 
earnings or attains the upper age limit under the RRA. The report 
obtains information to be used to determine if benefits should cease or 
be reduced.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes minor editorial and formatting 
changes to Forms G-315, G-315A, and G-315A.1.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-315...........................................................             860              15             215
G-315a..........................................................              20               3               1
G-315a.1........................................................              20               2               1
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------

[[Page 72035]]

 
    Total.......................................................             900  ..............             217
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    2. 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 Form ID-4K by one of 
three options: A computer-generated paper notice, by Electronic Data 
Interchange (EDI), or online via the RRB's 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. The RRB 
proposes no changes 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 ID-4E mainframe-generated paper notice, EDI, and Internet 
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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (79 FR 57988 on September 26, 2014) required by 
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0171.
    Form(s) submitted: ID-4K, ID-4K (INTERNET), ID-4E, ID-4E 
(INTERNET).
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for-profits.
    Abstract: Section 5(b) of the 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 such claim to 
the claimant's base-year employer(s) and afford such employer(s) an 
opportunity to submit information relevant to the claim before making 
an initial determination on the claim. When the RRB determines to pay 
benefits to a claimant under the RUIA, the RRB shall provide notice of 
such determination to the claimant's base year employer.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the 
collection.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ID-4K (Manual)..................................................           1,250               2              42
ID-4K (EDI).....................................................          17,500             (*)             210
ID-4K (Internet)................................................          57,000               2           1,900
ID-4E (Manual)..................................................              50               2               2
ID-4E (Internet)................................................             120               2               4
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          75,920  ..............           2,158
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* 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: 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. 2014-28467 Filed 12-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P