[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38507-38509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15479]


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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 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: Railroad Service 
and Compensation Reports/System Access Application; OMB 3220-0008.
    Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 
231h) and Section 6 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) 
(45 U.S.C. 356), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) maintains for each 
railroad employee, a record of compensation paid to that employee by 
all railroad employers for whom the employee worked after 1936. This 
record, which is used by the RRB to determine eligibility for, and 
amount of, benefits due under the laws it administers, is conclusive as 
to the amount of compensation paid to an employee during such period(s) 
covered by the report(s) of the compensation by the employee's railroad 
employer(s), except in cases when an employee files a protest 
pertaining to his or her reported compensation within the statute of 
limitations cited in Section 9 of the RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA.
    To enable the RRB to establish and maintain the record of 
compensation, employers are required to file with the RRB, reports of 
their employees' compensation, in such manner and form and at such 
times as the RRB prescribes. Railroad employers' reports and 
responsibilities are prescribed in 20 CFR 209. The RRB currently 
utilizes Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation, and Form 
BA-4, Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments, to secure the 
required information from railroad employers. Form BA-3 provides the 
RRB with information regarding annual creditable service and 
compensation for each individual who worked for a railroad employer 
covered by the RRA and RUIA in a given year. Form BA-4 provides for the 
adjustment of any previously submitted reports and also the opportunity 
to provide any service and compensation that had been previously 
omitted. Requirements specific to Forms BA-3 and BA-4 are prescribed in 
20 CFR 209.8 and 209.9.
    Employers currently have the option of submitting BA-3 and BA-4 
reports electronically by CD-ROM, secure Email, File Transfer Protocol 
(FTP), or online via the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS).
    The information collection also includes RRB Form BA-12, 
Application for Employer Reporting internet Access, and Form G-440, 
Report Specifications Sheet. Form BA-12 is completed by railroad 
employers to obtain system access to ERS. Once access is obtained, 
authorized employees may submit reporting forms online to the RRB. The 
form determines what degree of access (view/only, data entry/
modification or approval/submission) is appropriate for that employee. 
It is also used to terminate an employee's access to ERS. Form G-440, 
Report Specifications Sheet, serves as a certification document for 
Forms BA-3 and BA-4 as well as other RRB employer reporting forms (Form 
BA-6a, BA-6 Address Report (OMB 3220-0005), Form BA-9, Report of 
Separation Allowance or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173) and Form BA-11, 
Report of Gross Earnings (OMB 3220-0132). It records the type of medium 
the report was submitted on, and serves as a summary recapitulation 
sheet for reports filed on paper. The RRB proposes no changes to Forms 
BA-3 (internet), BA-4 (internet), BA-12, and G-440. The RRB proposes to 
remove Form BA-3 (Paper) and BA-4 (Paper) from the Information 
Collection due to less than 10 responses per year.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                                                 Current Burden
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                   Reporting                       Responses             Time (minutes)           Burden (hours)
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BA-3:
    Electronic Media 2/.......................              96  46.25 (2,775 min)...............           4,440
    BA-3 (Internet)...........................             617  46.25 (2,775 min)...............          28,536
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Total BA-3............................             713  ................................          32,976
BA-4:

[[Page 38508]]

 
    Electronic Media 2/.......................             355  1.00 (60 min)...................             355
    BA-4 (Internet)...........................           3,942  .33 (20 min)....................           1,314
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Total BA-4............................           4,297  ................................           1,669
BA-12:
    Initial Access............................             295  .33 (20 min)....................              98
    Access Termination........................              38  .166 (10 min)...................               7
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Total BA-12...........................             333  ................................             105
G-440 (certification):
    Form BA-3 (no employees)..................              19  .25 (15 min)....................               5
    Form BA-11 (no employees).................              60  .25 (15 min)....................              15
    Paper forms (without recap)...............               7  .25 (15 min)....................               1
    Form BA-15................................             600  .25 (15 min)....................             150
    Electronic transactions...................              94  .50 (30 min)....................              47
    BA-3 and BA-4 (with recap)................             125  1.25 (75 min)...................             156
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Total G-440...............................             905  ................................             374
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
            Grand Total.......................           6,248  ................................          35,194
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    2. Evidence for Application of Overall Minimum: OMB 3220-0083.
    Under Section 3(f)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 
U.S.C. 231b), the total monthly benefits payable to a railroad employee 
and his/her family are guaranteed to be no less than the amount which 
would be payable if the employee's railroad service had been covered by 
the Social Security Act. This is referred to as the Social Security 
Overall Minimum Guarantee, which is prescribed in 20 CFR 229. To 
administer this provision, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) requires 
information about a retired employee's spouse and child(ren) who would 
not be eligible for benefits under the RRA but would be eligible for 
benefits under the Social Security Act if the employee's railroad 
service had been covered by that Act. The RRB obtains the required 
information by the use of Forms G-319, Statement Regarding Family and 
Earnings for Special Guaranty Computation, and G-320, Student 
Questionnaire for Special Guaranty Computation. One response is 
required of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain 
benefits. The RRB proposes no changes to Forms G-319 and G-320.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
                                                 Current Burden
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                                                    Annual
                   Form No.                        responses             Time (minutes)           Burden (hours)
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G-319 (completed by the employee):
    With assistance...........................               5  26..............................               2
    Without assistance:.......................             230  55..............................             211
G-319 (completed by spouse):
    With assistance...........................               5  30..............................               2
    Without assistance........................              10  60..............................              10
G-320:
    (Age 18 at Special Guaranty Begin Date or               30  15..............................               7
     Special Guaranty Age 18 Attainments).
G-320:
    (Student Monitoring done in Sept, March                 10  15..............................               2
     and at end of school year).
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        Total.................................             290  ................................             234
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    3. Title and purpose of information collection: Gross Earnings 
Report; OMB 3220-0132.
    In order to carry out the financial interchange provisions of 
Section 7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 231f), 
the RRB obtains annually from railroad employer's the gross earnings 
for their employees on a one-percent basis, i.e., 1% of each employer's 
railroad employees. The gross earnings sample is based on the earnings 
of employees whose social security numbers end with the digits ``30.'' 
The gross earnings are used to compute payroll taxes under the 
financial interchange.
    The gross earnings information is essential in determining the tax 
amounts involved in the financial interchange with the Social Security 
Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Besides 
being necessary for current financial interchange calculations, the 
gross earnings file tabulations are also an integral part of the data 
needed to estimate future tax income and corresponding financial 
interchange amounts. These estimates are made for internal use and to 
satisfy requests from other government agencies and interested groups. 
In addition, cash flow

[[Page 38509]]

projections of the social security equivalent benefit account, railroad 
retirement account and cost estimates made for proposed amendments to 
laws administered by the RRB are dependent on input developed from the 
information collection.
    The RRB utilizes Form BA-11 to obtain gross earnings information 
from railroad employers. Employers have the option of preparing and 
submitting BA-11 reports online via the RRB's Employer Reporting System 
or on paper (or in like format) by File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or 
secure Email. The online BA-11 includes the option to file a ``negative 
report'' (no employees, or no employees with the digits ``30''). 
Completion is mandatory. One response is requested of each respondent. 
The RRB proposes no changes to Form BA-11.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
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BA-11 CD-ROM....................................................               0              30               0
BA-11 File Transfer Protocol....................................              11             300              55
BA-11 Secure Email..............................................               0              30               0
BA-11 (Internet)--Positive......................................             154              30              77
BA-11 (Internet)--Negative......................................             424              15             106
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             589  ..............             238
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    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or 
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms, 
and/or supporting material, contact Kennisha Tucker at (312) 469-2591 
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. 2021-15479 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P