[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18446-18447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07813]


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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. 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: Appeal Under the 
Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act; OMB 3220-
0007.
    Under section 7(b)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), and 
section 5(c) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) any 
person aggrieved by a decision made by an office of the RRB on his or 
her application for an annuity or benefit under those Acts has the 
right to appeal to the RRB. This right is prescribed in 20 CFR part 260 
and 20 CFR part 320. The notification letter, which is provided at the 
time of filing the original application, informs the applicant of such 
right. When an applicant protests a decision, the concerned RRB office 
reviews the entire file and any additional evidence submitted and sends 
the applicant a letter explaining the basis of the determination. The 
applicant is then notified that to protest further, they can appeal to 
the RRB's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals. The appeal process is 
prescribed in 20 CFR 260.5 and 260.9 and 20 CFR 320.12 and 320.38.
    To file a request for an appeal the applicant must complete Form 
HA-1, Appeal Under the Railroad Retirement Act or Railroad Unemployment 
Insurance Act. The form asks the applicant to explain the basis for 
their request for an appeal and, if necessary, to describe any 
additional evidence they wish to submit in support of the appeal. 
Completion is voluntary, however, if the information is not provided 
the RRB cannot process the appeal.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (80 FR 3266, on January 22, 2015) required by 44 
U.S.C.

[[Page 18447]]

3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Appeal Under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad 
Unemployment Insurance Act.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0007.
    Form(s) submitted: HA-1.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under section 7(b)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act and 
section 5(c) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, a person 
aggrieved by a decision on his or her application for an annuity or 
other benefit has the right to appeal to the RRB. The collection 
provides the means for the appeal action.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form HA-1.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-1.........................................................             550               20              185
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    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Annual Earnings 
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0179.
    Under section 2(e)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an 
annuity is not payable for any month in which a beneficiary works for a 
railroad. In addition, an annuity is reduced for any month in which the 
beneficiary works for an employer other than a railroad employer and 
earns more than a prescribed amount. Under the 1988 amendments to the 
RRA, the Tier II portion of the regular annuity and any supplemental 
annuity must be reduced by one dollar for each two dollars of Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment (LPE) earnings for each month of 
such service. However, the reduction cannot exceed fifty percent of the 
Tier II and supplemental annuity amount for the month to which such 
deductions apply. The LPE generally refers to an annuitant's last 
employment with a non-railroad person, company, or institution prior to 
retirement, which was performed at the same time as railroad employment 
or after the annuitant stopped railroad employment. The collection 
obtains earnings information needed by the RRB to determine if possible 
reductions in annuities are in order due to LPE.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-19L, Annual Earnings Questionnaire, to 
obtain LPE earnings information from annuitants. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is required to retain a 
benefit.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (80 FR 3266, on January 22, 2015) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Annual Earnings Questionnaire for Annuitants in Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0179.
    Form submitted: G-19L.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under section 2(e)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act, an 
annuity is not payable or is reduced for any month in which the 
beneficiary works for a railroad or earns more than the prescribed 
amounts. The collection obtains earnings information needed by the 
Railroad Retirement Board to determine possible reductions in annuities 
because of earnings.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form GL-19L.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 Responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-19L...........................................................             300              15              75
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             300  ..............              75
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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. 2015-07813 Filed 4-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P