[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 188 (Tuesday, September 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58526-58527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24641]


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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 
an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information 
and

[[Page 58527]]

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 collection of information 
to determine (1) the practical utility of the collection; (2) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden of the collection; (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.
    Under Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), lump-sum 
death benefits are payable to surviving widow(er)s, children, and 
certain other dependents. Lump-sum death benefits are payable after the 
death of a railroad employee only if there are no qualified survivors 
of the employee immediately eligible for annuities. With the exception 
of the residual death benefit, eligibility for survivor benefits 
depends on whether the deceased employee was ``insured'' under the RRA 
at the time of death. If the deceased employee was not insured, 
jurisdiction of any survivor benefits payable is transferred to the 
Social Security Administration and survivor benefits are paid by that 
agency instead of the RRB. The requirements for applying for benefits 
are prescribed in 20 CFR 217, 219, and 234.
    The collection obtains the information required by the RRB to 
determine entitlement to and amount of the survivor death benefits 
applied for. To collect the information, the RRB uses Forms AA-11a, 
Designation for Change of Beneficiary for Residual Lump-Sum; AA-21, 
Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment and Annuities Unpaid at Death; 
AA-21cert, Application Summary and Certification; G-131, Authorization 
of Payment and Release of All Claims to a Death Benefit or Accrued 
Annuity Payment; and G-273a, Funeral Director's Statement of Burial 
Charges. One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is 
required to obtain benefits.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (80 FR 44402 on July 27, 2015) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Application for Survivor Death Benefits.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0031.
    Form(s) submitted: AA-11a, AA-21cert, AA-21, G-131, G-273a.
    Type of request: Revision of an approved collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: The collection obtains the information needed to pay 
death benefits and annuities due but unpaid at death under the Railroad 
Retirement Act. Benefits are paid to designated beneficiaries or to 
survivors in a priority designated law.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes the following changes to the 
forms in the information collection:
     Form AA-11a--Remove from the information collection due to 
less than 10 responses a year.
     Form AA-21--Add clarifying language to better define who 
qualifies for a child's annuity and other minor editorial changes.
     Form G-131--For clarity, add an Instructions section and 
space for the RRB to enter the applicant's name and the waived share 
amount.
     Form G-273a--Add clarifying language to Item 2, regarding 
the total amount of charges the funeral home should enter; and what the 
funeral home should list as types of payments received or expected to 
be received to Item 3.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
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AA-21 (without assistance)......................................             200              40             133
AA-21cert (with assistance).....................................           3,500              20           1,167
G-131...........................................................             100               5               8
G-273a..........................................................           4,000              10             667
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           7,800  ..............           1,975
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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. 2015-24641 Filed 9-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P