[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55425-55426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25133]


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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: Application for 
Employee Annuity Under the Railroad Retirement Ac; OMB 3220-0002.
    Section 2(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) provides for 
payments of age and service, disability, and supplemental annuities to 
qualified employees. An annuity cannot be paid until the employee stops 
working for a railroad employer. In addition, the age and service 
employee must relinquish any rights held to such jobs. A disabled 
employee does not need to relinquish employee rights until attaining 
Full Retirement Age, or if earlier, when their spouse is awarded a 
spouse annuity. Benefits become payable after the employee meets 
certain other requirements, which depend on the type of annuity 
payable. The requirements for obtaining the annuities are prescribed in 
20 CFR 216 and 220.
    To collect the information needed to help determine an applicant's 
entitlement to, and the amount of, an employee retirement annuity the 
RRB uses Forms AA-1, Application for Employee Annuity; AA-1d, 
Application for Determination of Employee Disability; G-204, 
Verification of Workers Compensation/Public Disability Benefit 
Information, and electronic Forms AA-1cert, Application Summary and 
Certification, and AA-1sum, Application Summary.
    The AA-1 application process obtains information from an applicant 
about their marital history, work history, military service, benefits 
from other governmental agencies, railroad pensions and Medicare 
entitlement for either an age and service or disability annuity. An RRB 
representative interviews the applicant either at a field office, an 
itinerant point, or by telephone. During the interview, the RRB 
representative enters the information obtained into an on-line 
information system. Upon completion of the interview, the on-line 
information system generates Form AA-1cert, Application Summary and 
Certification, or Form AA-1sum, Application Summary, a summary of the 
information that was provided for the applicant to review and approve. 
Form AA-1cert documents approval using the traditional pen and ink 
``wet'' signature, and Form AA-1sum documents approval using the 
alternative signature method called Attestation. When the RRB 
representative is unable to contact the applicant in person or by 
telephone, for example, the applicant lives in another country, a 
manual version of Form AA-1 is used.
    Form AA-1d, Application for Determination of Employee's Disability, 
is completed by an employee who is filing for a disability annuity 
under the RRA, or a disability freeze under the Social Security Act, 
for early Medicare based on a disability. Form G-204, Verification of 
Worker's Compensation/Public Disability Benefit Information, is used to 
obtain and verify information concerning a worker's compensation or a 
public disability benefit that is or will be paid by a public agency to 
a disabled railroad employee.
    One response is requested of each respondent. Completion of the 
forms is required to obtain/retain a benefit.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (82 FR 43415 on September 15, 2017) required by 
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Application for Employee Annuity Under the Railroad 
Retirement Act.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0002.
    Form(s) submitted: AA-1, AA-1cert, AA-1d, AA-1sum and G-204.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: The Railroad Retirement Act provides for payment of age, 
disability and supplemental annuities to qualified employees. The 
application and related forms obtain information about the applicant's 
family work history, military service, disability benefits from other 
government agencies and public or private pensions. The information is 
used to determine entitlement to and the amount of the annuity applied 
for.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes to add the following two new 
items--``Are you expecting a newborn?'' and its possible ``Yes'' 
response--``Expected Date'' to Form AA-1. This information will help 
determine if the applicant can potentially receive an additional 
benefit amount. The RRB also proposes the implementation of an Internet 
equivalent version of Form AA-1 that can be completed by the applicant 
and submitted through the RRB's Web site at www.rrb.gov. The RRB 
proposes no changes to Forms AA-1d or G-204.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA-1 (without assistance).......................................              35              62              36
AA-1cert (with assistance)......................................           7,050              30           3,525
AA-1sum (with assistance).......................................           2,415              29           1,167
AA-1 (Internet) (without assistance)............................           3,220              45           2,415
AA-1d (with assistance).........................................           2,600              60           2,600

[[Page 55426]]

 
AA-1d (without assistance)......................................               5              85               7
G-204...........................................................              20              15               5
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          15,345  ..............           9,755
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    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Availability for 
Work; OMB 3220-0164.
    Under Section 1(k) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 
unemployment benefits are not payable for any day for which the 
claimant is not available for work.
    Under Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) regulation 20 CFR 327.5, 
``available for work'' is defined as being willing and ready for work. 
A claimant is ``willing'' to work if willing to accept and perform for 
hire such work as is reasonably appropriate to his or her employment 
circumstances. A claimant is ``ready'' for work if he or she (1) is in 
a position to receive notice of work and is willing to accept and 
perform such work, and (2) is prepared to be present with the customary 
equipment at the location of such work within the time usually 
allotted.
    Under RRB regulation 20 CFR 327.15, a claimant may be requested at 
any time to show, as evidence of willingness to work, that reasonable 
efforts are being made to obtain work. In order to determine whether a 
claimant is; (a) available for work, and (b) willing to work, the RRB 
utilizes Forms UI-38, UI Claimant's Report of Efforts to Find Work, and 
UI-38s, School Attendance and Availability Questionnaire, to obtain 
information from the claimant and Form ID-8k, Questionnaire--
Reinstatement of Discharged or Suspended Employee, from the union 
representative. One response is completed by each respondent.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (82 FR 42368 on September 7, 2017) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Availability for Work.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0164.
    Form(s) submitted: UI-38, UI-38s, and ID-8k.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households, Non-profit 
institutions.
    Abstract: Under Section 1(k) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance 
Act, unemployment benefits are not payable for any day in which the 
claimant is not available for work. The collection obtains information 
needed by the RRB to determine whether a claimant is willing and ready 
to work.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes the following changes to Forms 
UI-38 and UI-38s and proposes no changes to Form ID-8k.

 Form UI-38.
    [cir] We propose adding that the claimant can now use online 
options when searching for a job.
    [cir] We propose to inform the claimant to register with the State 
Employment Service and provide proof of the registration to the RRB.
 Form UI-38s--We propose to add an online school selection for 
students who cannot provide their class hours because their courses are 
online.

    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UI-38s (in person) *............................................              59               6               6
UI-38s (by mail) *..............................................             119              10              20
UI-38...........................................................           3,485            11.5             668
ID-8k...........................................................           6,461               5             538
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          10,124  ..............           1,232
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. 2017-25133 Filed 11-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P