[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16038-16040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04725]


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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

[[Page 16039]]

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: Statement Regarding 
Contributions and Support; OMB 3220-0099.
    Under section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231a), 
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. The RRB proposes a minor editorial 
changes to Form G-134 to change the date under section 1 ``General 
Instructions''.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-134
    With Assistance.............................................              11             147              27
    Without assistance..........................................               4             180              12
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total...................................................              15  ..............              39
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Title and purpose of information collection: Financial 
Disclosure Statement; OMB 3220-0127.
    Under section 10 of the Railroad Retirement Act and section 2(d) of 
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 231i), the RRB may 
recover overpayments of annuities, pensions, death benefits, 
unemployment benefits, and sickness benefits that were made 
erroneously. An overpayment may be waived if the beneficiary was not at 
fault in causing the overpayment and recovery would cause financial 
hardship. The regulations for the recovery and waiver of erroneous 
payments are contained in 20 CFR 255 and CFR 340.
    The RRB utilizes Form DR-423, Financial Disclosure Statement, to 
obtain information about the overpaid beneficiary's income, debts, and 
expenses if that person indicates that (s)he cannot make restitution 
for the overpayment. The information is used to determine if the 
overpayment should be waived as wholly or partially uncollectible. If 
waiver is denied, the information is used to determine the size and 
frequency of installment payments. The beneficiary is made aware of the 
overpayment by letter and is offered a variety of methods for recovery. 
One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is voluntary. 
However, failure to provide the requested information may result in a 
denial of the waiver request. The RRB proposes no changes to Form DR-
423.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR-423.......................................................           1,200               85            1,700
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Title and purpose of information collection: collection: 
Representative Payee Monitoring; OMB 3220-0151.
    Under section 12 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 
231k), the RRB may pay annuity benefits to a representative payee when 
an employee, spouse, or survivor annuitant is incompetent or a minor. 
The RRB is responsible for determining if direct payment to an 
annuitant or a representative payee would best serve the annuitant's 
best interest. The accountability requirements authorizing the RRB to 
conduct periodic monitoring of representative payees, including a 
written accounting of benefit payments received, are prescribed in 20 
CFR 266.7. The RRB utilizes the following forms to conduct its 
representative payee monitoring program.
    Form G-99a, Representative Payee Report, is used to obtain 
information needed to determine whether the benefit payments certified 
to the representative payee have been used for the annuitant's current 
maintenance and personal needs and whether the representative payee 
continues to be concerned with the annuitant's welfare. RRB Form G-99c, 
Representative Payee Evaluation Report, is used to obtain more detailed 
information from a representative payee who fails to complete and 
return Form G-99a or in situations when the returned Form G-99a 
indicates the possible misuse of funds by the representative payee. 
Form G-99c contains specific questions concerning the representative 
payee's performance and is used by the RRB to determine whether or not 
the representative payee should continue in that capacity. The RRB 
proposes no changes to Form G-99a or Form G-99c.
    Form G-106, Statement of Care and Responsibility to Annuitant is 
used in cases where the representative payee does not have custody of 
the annuitant. Form G-106 is used to solicit information about the 
representative

[[Page 16040]]

payee's performance and the annuitant's well-being from the custodian 
of the annuitant. The form contains specific questions concerning the 
representative payee's performance and is used by the RRB to determine 
whether or not the representative payee should continue in that 
capacity. Completion of the forms in this collection is required to 
retain benefits.
    The RRB proposes the following changes for Form G-106:
     Add a drop-down box `Second Request' at the top of the 
form to when the RRB needs to follow-up with a Third-Party Custodian 
who did not respond to the initial request.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-99a (legal and all other, excepting parent for child).........           5,300              18           1,590
G-99c (Parts I and II)..........................................             300              24             120
G-99c (Parts I, II, and III)....................................             120              31              62
G-106...........................................................             500              10              83
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................           6,220  ..............           1,855
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. Title and purpose of information collection: Earnings 
Information Request; OMB 3220-0184.
    Under section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231a), an 
annuity is not payable, or is reduced for any month(s) in which the 
beneficiary works for a railroad or earns more than prescribed amounts. 
The provisions relating to the reduction or non-payment of annuities by 
reason of work are prescribed in 20 CFR 230.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-19-F, Earnings Information Request, to 
obtain earnings information that either had not been previously 
reported or erroneously reported by a beneficiary. Currently the 
claimant is asked to enter the date they stopped working, if 
applicable. If a respondent fails to complete the form, the RRB may be 
unable to pay them benefits. One response is requested of each 
respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to the Form G-19-F.

                                      Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                            Form No.                                 responses    Time (minutes)  Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-19-F..........................................................             700               8              93
    Total.......................................................             700  ..............              93
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 Money 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 Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-04725 Filed 3-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P