[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35804-35806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12700]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35), 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: Employee 
Representative's Status and Compensation Reports; OMB 3220-0014.
    Under Section 1(b)(1) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 
U.S.C. 231b), 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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (87 FR 19538 on April 4, 2022) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Employee Representative's Status and Compensation Reports.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0014.
    Form(s) submitted: DC-2.

[[Page 35805]]

    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Private Sector; Businesses or other for-profits.
    Abstract: Benefits are provided under the Railroad Retirement Act 
(RRA) for individuals who are employee representatives as defined in 
section 1 of the RRA. The collection obtains information regarding the 
status of such individuals and their compensation.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form DC-2.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Application for 
Survivor Insurance Annuities; OMB 3220-0030.
    Under Section 2(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 
231a), monthly survivor annuities are payable to surviving widow(er)s, 
parents, unmarried children, and in certain cases, divorced spouses, 
mothers (fathers), remarried widow(er)s, and grandchildren of deceased 
railroad employees if there are no qualified survivors of the employee 
immediately eligible for an annuity. The requirements relating to the 
annuities are prescribed in 20 CFR 216, 217, 218, and 219.
    To collect the information needed to help determine an applicant's 
entitlement to, and the amount of, a survivor annuity the RRB uses 
Forms AA-17, Application for Widow(er)'s Annuity; AA-17b, Applications 
for Determination of Widow(er)'s Disability; AA-18, Application for 
Mother's/Father's and Child's Annuity; AA-19, Application for Child's 
Annuity; AA-19a, Application for Determination of Child's Disability; 
AA-20, Application for Parent's Annuity, and electronic Forms AA-
17cert, Application Summary and Certification and AA-17sum, Application 
Summary.
    The on-line automated survivor annuity application (Forms AA-17, 
AA-18, AA-19, and AA-20) process obtains information about an 
applicant's marital history, work history, benefits from other 
government agencies, and Medicare entitlement for a survivor annuity. 
An RRB representative interviews the applicant either at a field office 
(preferred), 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 system 
generates, for the applicant's review, either Form AA-17cert or AA-
17sum, which provides a summary of the information that the applicant 
provided or verified. Form AA-17cert, Application Summary and 
Certification, requires a tradition pen and ink ``wet'' signature. Form 
AA-17sum, Application Summary, documents the alternate signing method 
called ``Attestation,'' which is an action taken by the RRB 
representative to confirm and annotate in the RRB records (1) the 
applicant's intent to file an application; (2) the applicant's 
affirmation under penalty of perjury that the information provided is 
correct; and (3) the applicant's agreement to sign the application by 
proxy. 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 the appropriate form is used. One response 
is requested of each respondent. Completion of the forms is required to 
obtain a benefit.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (87 FR 19538 on April 4, 2022) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Application for Survivor Insurance Annuities.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0030.
    Form(s) submitted: AA-17b, AA-17cert, AA-17sum, and AA-19a.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under Section 2(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act, 
monthly survivor annuities are payable to surviving widow(er)s, 
parents, unmarried children, and in certain cases, divorced wives 
(husbands), mothers (fathers), remarried widow(er)s and grandchildren 
of deceased railroad employees. The collection obtains information 
needed by the RRB to determine entitlement to and the amount of the 
annuity applied for.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to forms AA-17b, AA-
17cert, AA-17sum, and AA-19a.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA-17 Application Process:
    AA-17cert...................................................             900              20             300
    AA-17sum....................................................           2,100              19             665
AA-17b:
    (With assistance)...........................................             250              45             188
    (Without assistance)........................................              20              55              18
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
AA-19a:
    (With assistance)...........................................             200              45             150
    (Without assistance)........................................              15              65              16
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           3,485  ..............           1,337
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 35806]]

    3. Title and Purpose of information collection: Nonresident 
Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0145.
    Under Public Laws 98-21 (45 U.S.C. 410) and 98-76 (45 U.S.C.231t), 
benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act payable to annuitants living 
outside the United States may be subject to taxation under United 
States income tax laws. Whether the social security equivalent and non-
social security equivalent portions of Tier I, Tier II, vested dual 
benefit, or supplemental annuity payments are subject to tax 
withholding, and whether the same or different rates are applied to 
each payment, depends on a beneficiary's citizenship and legal 
residence status, and whether exemption under a tax treaty between the 
United States and the country in which the beneficiary is a legal 
resident has been claimed. To effect the required tax withholding, the 
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) needs to know a nonresident's 
citizenship and legal residence status.
    To secure the required information, the RRB utilizes Form RRB-1001, 
Nonresident Questionnaire, as a supplement to an application as part of 
the initial application process, and as an independent vehicle for 
obtaining the needed information when an annuitant's residence or tax 
treaty status changes. One response is requested of each respondent. 
Completion is voluntary.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (87 FR 19539 on April 4, 2022) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Nonresident Questionnaire.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0145.
    Forms submitted: RRB-1001.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under the Railroad Retirement Act, the benefits payable 
to an annuitant living outside the United States may be subject to 
withholding under Public Laws 98-21 and 98-76. The form obtains the 
information needed to determine the amount to be withheld.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form RRB-1001.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RRB-1001 (Initial Filing).......................................             300              30             250
RRB-1001 (Tax Renewal)..........................................           1,000              30             400
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           1,300  ..............             650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the forms and 
supporting documents can be obtained from 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 
[email protected].
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

Brian Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-12700 Filed 6-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P