[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5734-5736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03036]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    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 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: Employer Reporting; 
3220-0005.
    Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), and Section 6 
of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), railroad employers 
are required to submit reports of employee service and compensation to 
the RRB as needed for administering the RRA and RUIA. To pay benefits 
due on a deceased employee's earnings records or determine entitlement 
to, and amount of

[[Page 5735]]

annuity applied for, it is necessary at times to obtain from railroad 
employers current (lag) service and compensation not yet reported to 
the RRB through the annual reporting process. The reporting 
requirements are specified in 20 CFR 209.6 and 209.7. The RRB currently 
utilizes the following forms to collect information to obtain the 
required lag service and related information from railroad employers: 
Form AA-12, Notice of Death and Request for Service Needed for 
Eligibility, Form G-88A.1 (or its internet equivalent, Form G-88A.1 
(internet)), Request for Verification of Date Last Worked, and Form G-
88A.2 (or its internet equivalent, Form G-88A.2 (internet)), Notice of 
Retirement and Request for Service Needed for Eligibility. Form AA-12 
obtains a report of lag service and compensation from the last railroad 
employer of a deceased employee. This report covers the lag period 
between the date of the latest record of employment processed by the 
RRB and the date an employee last worked, the date of death or the date 
the employee may have been entitled to benefits under the Social 
Security Act. The information is used by the RRB to determine benefits 
due on the deceased employee's earnings record. Form G-88A.1 is sent by 
the RRB via a computer-generated listing or transmitted electronically 
via the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) to employers. ERS 
consists of a series of screens with completion instructions and 
collects essentially the same information as the approved manual 
version. Form G-88A.1 is used for the specific purpose of verifying 
information previously provided to the RRB regarding the date last 
worked by an employee. If the information is correct, the employer need 
not reply. If the information is incorrect, the employer is asked to 
provide corrected information. Form G-88A.2 is used by the RRB to 
secure lag service and compensation information when it is needed to 
determine benefit eligibility. The RRB proposes minor non-burden 
impacting changes to Forms AA-12, G-88A.1 (internet), G-88A.2 
(internet). The RRB proposes no changes to Forms G-88A.1 and G-88A.2.
    In addition, 20 CFR 209.12(b) requires all railroad employers to 
furnish the RRB with the home addresses of all employees hired within 
the last year (new-hires). Form BA-6a, Form BA-6 Address Report (or its 
internet equivalent, Form BA-6a (internet)) is used by the RRB to 
obtain home address information of employees from railroad employers 
who do not have the home address information computerized and who 
submit the information in a paper format. The form also serves as an 
instruction sheet to railroad employers who submit the information 
electronically by CD-ROM. Completion of the forms is mandatory. 
Multiple responses may be filed by respondent. The RRB proposes minor 
non-burden impacting editorial changes to Form BA-6a (internet). The 
RRB proposes no changes to Form BA-6a.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA-12...........................................................              60               5               5
G-88A.1.........................................................             100               5               8
G-88A.1 Internet................................................             260               4              17
G-88A.1 Internet (Class I railroads)............................             144              16              38
G-88A.2.........................................................             100               5               8
G-88A.2 (Internet)..............................................           1,200             2.5              50
BA-6a (CD-ROM)..................................................              14              15               4
BA-6a (E-mail)..................................................              30              15               8
BA-6a (File Transfer Protocol)..................................              10              15               3
BA-6a Internet (RR initiated)...................................             250              17              71
BA-6a Internet (RRB initiated)..................................             250              12              50
BA-6a Paper (RR initiated)......................................              80              32              43
BA-6a Paper (RRB initiated).....................................             250              32             133
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           2,748  ..............             438
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Employee 
Representative's Status and Compensation Reports; OMB 3220-0014.
    Under Section 1(b)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the 
term ``employee'' includes an individual who is an employee 
representative. As defined in Section 1(c) of the RRA, an employee 
representative is an officer or official representative of a railway 
labor organization other than a labor organization included in the term 
``employer,'' as defined in the RRA, who before or after August 29, 
1935, was in the service of an employer under the RRA and who is duly 
authorized and designated to represent employees in accordance with the 
Railway Labor Act, or, any individual who is regularly assigned to or 
regularly employed by such officer or official representative in 
connection with the duties of his or her office. The requirements 
relating to the application for employee representative status and the 
periodic reporting of the compensation resulting from such status is 
contained in 20 CFR 209.10.
    The RRB utilizes Form DC-2, Employee Representative's Report of 
Compensation, to obtain the information needed to determine employee 
representative status and to maintain a record of creditable service 
and compensation resulting from such status. Completion is required to 
obtain or retain a benefit. One response is requested of each 
respondent. The RRB proposes minor non-burden impacting editorial 
changes to Form DC-2.

[[Page 5736]]



                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC-2............................................................              82              30              41
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................              82  ..............              41
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and purpose of information collection: Survivor 
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0032.
    Under Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), benefits that 
may be due on the death of a railroad employee or a survivor annuitant 
include (1) a lump-sum death benefit (2) a residual lump-sum payment 
(3) accrued annuities due but unpaid at death, and (4) monthly survivor 
insurance payments. The requirements for determining the entitlement of 
possible beneficiaries to these benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR 234.
    When the RRB receives notification of the death of a railroad 
employee or survivor annuitant, an RRB field office utilizes Form RL-
94-F, Survivor Questionnaire, to secure additional information from 
surviving relatives needed to determine if any further benefits are 
payable under the RRA. Completion is voluntary. One response is 
requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes minor non-burden 
impacting editorial changes to Form RL-94-F.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RL-94-F Items 5-10, and 18......................................              50               9               8
RL-94-F, Items 5-18.............................................           5,000              11             917
RL-94-F, Item 18 only...........................................             400               5              34
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           5,450  ..............             959
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. Title and purpose of information collection: Employer's Deemed 
Service Month Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0156
    Section 3 (i) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), as amended by 
Public Law 98-76, provides that the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), 
under certain circumstances, may deem additional months of service in 
cases where an employee does not actually work in every month of the 
year, provided the employee satisfies certain eligibility requirements, 
including the existence of an employment relation between the employee 
and his or her employer. The procedures pertaining to the deeming of 
additional months of service are found in the RRB's regulations at 20 
CFR 210, Creditable Railroad Service.
    The RRB utilizes Form GL-99, Employer's Deemed Service Months 
Questionnaire, to obtain service and compensation information from 
railroad employers to determine if an employee can be credited with 
additional deemed months of railroad service. Completion is mandatory. 
One response is required for each RRB inquiry. The RRB proposes non-
burden impacting editorial changes to Form GL-99.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GL-99........................................................           2,000                2               67
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or 
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms, 
and/or supporting material, contact Brian Foster at (312) 751-4826 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 Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-03036 Filed 2-21-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7905-01-P