[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 176 (Wednesday, September 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43052-43054]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19442]


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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, 
the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding an 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: Supplemental 
Information on Accident and Insurance; OMB 3220-0036.
    Under Section 12(o) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act 
(RUIA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is entitled to 
reimbursement of the sickness benefits paid to a railroad employee if 
the employee receives a sum or damages for the same infirmity for which 
the benefits are paid. Section 2(f) of the RUIA requires employers to 
reimburse the RRB for days in which salary, wages, pay for time lost or 
other remuneration is later determined to be payable. Reimbursements 
under section 2(f) generally result from the award of pay for time lost 
or the payment of guaranteed wages. The RUIA prescribes that the amount 
of benefits paid be deducted and held by the employer in a special fund 
for reimbursement to the RRB.
    The RRB currently utilizes Forms SI-1c, Supplemental Information on 
Accident and Insurance; SI-5, Report of Payments to Employee Claiming 
Sickness Benefits Under the RUIA; ID-3s and ID-3s (Internet), Request 
for Lien Information--Report of Settlement; ID-3s-1, Lien Information 
Under Section 12(o) of the RUIA; ID-3u and ID-3u (Internet), Request 
for Section 2(f) Information; ID-30k, Notice to Request Supplemental 
Information on Injury or Illness; and ID-30k-1, Notice to Request 
Supplemental Information on Injury or Illness; to obtain the necessary 
information from claimants and railroad employers. Completion is 
required to obtain benefits. One response is requested of each 
respondent.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (82 FR 31108 on July 5, 2017) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Supplemental Information on Accident and Insurance.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0036.
    Form(s) submitted: SI-1c, SI-5, ID-3s, ID-3s (Internet), ID-3s.1, 
ID3u, ID-3u (Internet), ID-30k, and ID-30k.1.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: The Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act provides for the 
recovery of sickness benefits paid if an employee receives a settlement 
for the same injury for which benefits were paid. The collection 
obtains information that is needed to determine the amount of the RRB's 
reimbursement from the person or company responsible for such payments.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the 
collection.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SI-1c...........................................................             475               5              40
SI-5............................................................               7               5               1
ID-3s (Paper & Telephone).......................................           4,000               3             200
ID-3s (Internet)................................................           2,000               3             100
ID-3s-1 (Paper & Telephone).....................................           3,000               3             150
ID-3u (Paper & Telephone).......................................             400               3              20
ID-3u (Internet)................................................             200               3              10
ID-30k..........................................................              55               5               5
ID-30k.1........................................................              65               5               5
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          10,202  ..............             531
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and Purpose of information collection: Pension Plan 
Reports; OMB 3220-0089. Under Section 2(b) of the Railroad Retirement 
Act (RRA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays supplemental 
annuities to qualified RRB employee annuitants. A supplemental annuity, 
which is computed according to Section 3(e) of the RRA, can be paid at 
age 60 if the employee has at least 30 years of creditable railroad 
service or at age 65 if the employee has 25-29 years of railroad 
service. In addition to 25 years of service, a ``current connection'' 
with the railroad industry is required. Eligibility is further limited 
to employees who had at least 1 month of rail service before October 
1981 and were awarded regular annuities after June 1966. Further, if an 
employee's 65th birthday was prior to September 2, 1981, he or she must 
not have worked in rail service after certain closing dates (generally 
the last day of the month following the month in which age 65 is 
attained). Under Section 2(h)(2) of the RRA, the amount of the 
supplemental annuity is reduced if the employee receives monthly 
pension payments, or a lump-sum pension payment from a

[[Page 43053]]

private pension from a railroad employer, to the extent the payments 
are based on contributions from that employer. The employee's own 
contribution to their pension account does not cause a reduction. A 
private railroad employer pension is defined in 20 CFR 216.42.
    The RRB requires the following information from railroad employers 
to calculate supplemental annuities: (a) The current status of railroad 
employer pension plans and whether such plans cause reductions to the 
supplemental annuity; (b) whether the employee receives monthly 
payments from a private railroad employer pension, elected to receive a 
lump sum in lieu of monthly pension payments from such a plan, or was 
required to receive a lump sum from such a plan due to the plan's small 
benefit provision; and (c) the amount of the payments attributable to 
the railroad employer's contributions. The requirement that railroad 
employers furnish pension information to the RRB is contained in 20 CFR 
209.2.
    The RRB currently utilizes Form G-88p and G-88p (Internet), 
Employer's Supplemental Pension Report, and Form G-88r, Request for 
Information About New or Revised Employer Pension Plan, to obtain the 
necessary information from railroad employers. One response is 
requested of each respondent. Completion is mandatory.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (82 FR 31108 on July 5, 2017) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Pension Plan Reports.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0089.
    Forms submitted: G-88p and G-88r.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Affected public: Businesses or other for-profits.
    Abstract: The Railroad Retirement Act provides for payment of a 
supplemental annuity to a qualified railroad retirement annuitant. The 
collection obtains information from the annuitant's employer to 
determine (a) the existence of railroad employer pension plans and 
whether such plans, if they exist, require a reduction to supplemental 
annuities paid to the employer's former employees and (b) the amount of 
supplemental annuities due railroad employees.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to revise Forms G-88p and G-88p 
(Internet) to acquire more accurate employee pension information by 
asking the employer whether the employee is currently eligible for a 
pension and instructing the employer to indicate whether the employee 
filed for the pension or instead elected to defer distribution from the 
pension account in Items 11a and 11b (paper) and Items 10a and 10b 
(Internet). The RRB also proposes to make other editorial changes. The 
RRB proposes no changes to Form G-88r.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-88p...........................................................             100               8              13
G-88p (Internet)................................................             200               6              20
G-88r...........................................................              10               8               1
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             310  ..............              34
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and Purpose of information collection: Statement Regarding 
Contributions and Support; OMB 3220-0099.
    Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act, dependency on an 
employee for one-half support at the time of the employee's death can 
affect (1) entitlement to a survivor annuity when the survivor is a 
parent of the deceased employee; (2) the amount of spouse and survivor 
annuities; and (3) the Tier II restored amount payable to a widow(er) 
whose annuity was reduced for receipt of an employee annuity, and who 
was dependent on the railroad employee in the year prior to the 
employee's death. One-half support may also negate the public service 
pension offset in Tier I for a spouse or widow(er). The Railroad 
Retirement Board (RRB) utilizes Form G-134, Statement Regarding 
Contributions and Support, to secure information needed to adequately 
determine if the applicant meets the one-half support requirement. One 
response is completed by each respondent. Completion is required to 
obtain benefits.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (82 FR 31109 on July 5, 2017) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Statement Regarding Contributions and Support.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0099.
    Form(s) submitted: G-134.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Dependency on the employee for one-half support at the 
time of the employee's death can be a condition affecting eligibility 
for a survivor annuity provided for under Section 2 of the Railroad 
Retirement Act. One-half support is also a condition which may negate 
the public service pension offset in Tier I for a spouse or widow(er).
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-134.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual           Time           Burden
                            Form No.                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-134:
    With Assistance.............................................              75             147             184
    Without assistance..........................................              25             180              75
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total...................................................             100  ..............             259
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[[Page 43054]]

    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 Brian Foster, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 
Chicago, Illinois, 60611-1275 or [email protected] and to the OMB 
Desk Officer for the RRB, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: 
[email protected].

Brian D. Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-19442 Filed 9-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P