[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5613-5615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00962]


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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

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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.
    1. Title and purpose of information collection: Application and 
Claim for Unemployment Benefits and Employment Service; OMB 3220-0022.
    Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 
provides unemployment benefits for qualified railroad employees. These 
benefits are generally payable for each day of unemployment in excess 
of four during a registration period (normally a period of 14 days).
    Section 12 of the RUIA provides that the RRB establish, maintain 
and operate free employment facilities directed toward the reemployment 
of railroad employees. The procedures for applying for the unemployment 
benefits and employment service and for registering and claiming the 
benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR 325. 20 CFR 321 provides for applying 
and filing claims for unemployment benefits electronically.
    The RRB utilizes the following forms to collect the information 
necessary to pay unemployment benefits. Form UI-1 (or its Internet 
equivalent, Form UI-1 (Internet)), Application for Unemployment 
Benefits and Employment Service, is completed by a claimant for 
unemployment benefits once in a benefit year, at the time of first 
registration. Completion of Form UI-1 or UI-1 (Internet) also registers 
an unemployment claimant for the RRB's employment service.
    The RRB also utilizes Form UI-3 (or its Internet equivalent Form 
UI-3 (Internet)), Claim for Unemployment Benefits, for use in claiming 
unemployment benefits for days of unemployment in a particular 
registration period, normally a period of 14 days.
    Completion of Forms UI-1, UI-1(Internet), UI-3, and UI-3 (Internet) 
is required to obtain or retain benefits. The number of responses 
required of each claimant varies, depending on their period of 
unemployment. The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in this 
information collection.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UI-1............................................................           8,003              10           1,334
UI-1 (Internet).................................................           5,542              10             924
UI-3............................................................          37,584               6           3,758
UI-3 (Internet).................................................          45,011               6           4,501
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          96,140  ..............          10,517
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Public Service 
Pension Questionnaires; OMB 3220-0136.
    Public Law 95-216 amended the Social Security Act of 1977 by 
providing, in part, that spouse or survivor benefits may be reduced 
when the beneficiary is in receipt of a pension based on employment 
with a Federal, State, or local governmental unit. Initially, the 
reduction was equal to the full amount of the government pension. 
Public Law 98-21 changed the reduction to two-thirds of the amount of 
the government pension.
    Public Law 108-203 amended the Social Security Act by changing the 
requirement for exemption to a public service offset, so that Federal 
Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes are deducted from the public 
service wages for the last 60 months of public service employment, 
rather than just the last day of public service employment.
    Sections 4(a)(1) and 4(f)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) 
provides that a spouse or survivor annuity should be equal in amount to 
what the annuitant would receive if entitled to a like benefit from the 
Social Security Administration. Therefore, the public service pension 
(PSP) provisions apply to RRA annuities. RRB regulations pertaining to 
the collection of evidence relating to public service pensions or 
worker's compensation paid to spouse or survivor applicants or 
annuitants are prescribed in 20 CFR 219.64c.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-208, Public Service Pension Questionnaire, 
and Form G-212, Public Service Monitoring Questionnaire, to obtain 
information used to determine whether an annuity reduction is in order. 
Completion of the forms is voluntary. However, failure to complete the 
forms could result in the nonpayment of benefits. One response is 
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to the forms 
in the collection.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-208...........................................................              70              16            19.0
G-212...........................................................           1,100              15           275.0
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           1,170  ..............           294.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and purpose of information collection: Report of Medicaid 
State Office on Beneficiary's Buy-In Status; OMB 3220-0185.
    Under Section 7(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act, the RRB 
administers the Medicare program for persons covered by the railroad 
retirement system. Under Section 1843 of the Social Security Act, 
states may enter into ``buy-in agreements'' with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services for the purpose of enrolling certain groups 
of low-income individuals under the

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Medicare medical insurance (Part B) program and paying the premiums for 
their insurance coverage. Generally, these individuals are 
categorically needy under Medicaid and meet the eligibility 
requirements for Medicare Part B. States can also include in their buy-
in agreements, individuals who are eligible for medical assistance 
only. The RRB utilizes Form RL-380-F, Report of Medicaid State Office 
on Beneficiary's Buy-In Status, to obtain information needed to 
determine if certain railroad beneficiaries are entitled to receive 
Supplementary Medical Insurance program coverage under a state buy-in 
agreement in the states in which they reside. Completion of Form RL-
380-F is voluntary. One response is received from each respondent. The 
RRB proposes no changes to Form RL-380-F.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RL-380-F.....................................................             600               10              100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 Brian Foster, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 
North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275 or emailed to 
[email protected]. Written comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Brian D. Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-00962 Filed 1-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P