[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44719-44721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11103]



[[Page 44719]]

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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: 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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (89 FR 16039 on March 6, 2024) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Statement Regarding Contributions and Support.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0099.
    Form(s) submitted: G-134.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Dependency on the employee for one-half support at the 
time of the employee's death can be a condition affecting eligibility 
for a survivor annuity provided for under Section 2 of the Railroad 
Retirement Act. One-half support is also a condition which may negate 
the public service pension offset in Tier I for a spouse or widow(er).
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes a minor editorial change to Form 
G-134 to change the date under Section 1 ``General Instructions''.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (89 FR 16039 on March 6, 2024) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Financial Disclosure Statement.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0127.
    Form(s) submitted: DR-423.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under the Railroad Retirement and the Railroad 
Unemployment Insurance Acts, the Railroad Retirement Board has 
authority to secure from an overpaid beneficiary a statement of the 
individual's assets and liabilities if waiver of the overpayment is 
requested.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form DR-423.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

[[Page 44720]]



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                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR-423.......................................................           1,200               85            1,700
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    3. Title and purpose of information 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.
    Form G-106, Statement of Care and Responsibility to Annuitant, is 
used to solicit information about the representative 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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (89 FR 16039 on March 6, 2024) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Representative Payee Monitoring.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0151.
    Forms submitted: G-99a, G-99c and G-106.
    Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under Section 12(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act, the 
RRB is authorized to select, make payments to, and conduct transactions 
with an annuitant's relative or some other person willing to act on 
behalf of the annuitant as representative payee. If the representative 
payee does not have custody of the beneficiary, the RRB will obtain the 
information from the custodian for evaluation. The collection obtains 
information needed to determine if a representative payee is handling 
benefit payments in the best interest of the annuitant.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-99a or Form 
G-99c. The RRB proposes the following changes to Form G-106 to 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.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      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.
    Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the 
initial 60-day notice (89 FR 16040 on March 6, 2024) required by 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

[[Page 44721]]

Information Collection Request (ICR)

    Title: Earnings Information Request.
    OMB Control Number: 3220-0184.
    Form(s) submitted: G-19-F.
    Type of request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected public: Individuals or Households.
    Abstract: Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act, 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 collection obtains earnings information not previously or 
erroneously reported by a beneficiary.
    Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to the Form G-19-F.
    The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:

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                                                                    Annual
                           Form No.                               responses      Time (minutes)   Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-19-F.......................................................             700                8               93
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    Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the forms and 
supporting documents can be obtained from 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 
[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. 2024-11103 Filed 5-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P