[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 184 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54643-54644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22076]
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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Proposed Data Collection(s) Available for Public Comment and
Recommendations
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
collections are 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 Unemployment Insurance Act Applications; OMB 3220-0039.
Under Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA),
sickness benefits are payable to qualified railroad employees who are
unable to work because of illness or injury. In addition, sickness
benefits are payable to qualified female employees if they are unable
to work, or if working would be injurious, because of pregnancy,
miscarriage or childbirth. Under Section 1(k) of the RUIA, a statement
of sickness with respect to days of sickness of an employee is to be
filed with the RRB within a 10-day period from the first day claimed as
a day of sickness. The RRB's authority for requesting supplemental
medical information is Section 12(i) and 12(n) of the RUIA. The
procedures for claiming sickness benefits and for the RRB to obtain
supplemental medical information needed to determine a claimant's
eligibility for such benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR Part 335. The
forms currently used by the RRB to obtain information needed to
determine eligibility for and the amount of sickness benefits due a
claimant follows: Form SI-1a, Application for Sickness Benefits; Form
SI-1b, Statement of Sickness; Form SI-3, Claim for Sickness Benefits;
Form SI-7, Supplemental Doctor's Statement; Form SI-8, Verification of
Medical Information; Form ID-7h, Non-Entitlement to Sickness Benefits
and Information on Unemployment Benefits; Form ID-11a, Requesting
Reason for Late Filing of Sickness Benefit and ID-11b, Notice of
Insufficient Medical and Late Filing. Completion is required to obtain
or retain benefits. One response is requested of each respondent.
Consistent with requirements of the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the RRB proposes revisions to Form SI-
1b, SI-7, and SI-8 to replace the term ``Tax Identification Number''
with ``National Provider Identifier''. No other changes are proposed.
The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
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Annual Burden
Form (s) responses Time (min) (hrs)
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SI-1a............................... 22,200 10 3,700
SI-1b (Doctor)...................... 22,200 8 2,960
SI-3................................ 145,000 5 12,083
SI-7................................ 22,600 8 3,013
SI-8................................ 50 5 4
ID-7H............................... 50 5 4
ID-11A.............................. 800 4 53
ID-11B.............................. 1,000 4 67
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Total........................... 213,900 .......... 21,884
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2. Title and purpose of information collection
Annual Earnings Questionnaire for Annuitants in Last Pre-Retirement
Non-Railroad Employment; OMB 3220-0179
Under section 2(e)(3) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an
annuity is not payable for any month in which a beneficiary works for a
railroad. In addition, an annuity is reduced for any month in which the
beneficiary works for an employer other than a railroad employer and
earns more than a prescribed amount. Under the 1988 amendments to the
RRA, the Tier II portion of the regular annuity and any supplemental
annuity must be reduced by one dollar for each two dollars of Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment (LPE) earnings for each month of
such service. However, the reduction cannot exceed fifty percent of the
Tier II and supplemental annuity
[[Page 54644]]
amount for the month to which such deductions apply. LPE generally
refers to an annuitant's last employment with a non-railroad person,
company, or institution prior to retirement which was performed whether
at the same time of, or after an annuitant stopped railroad employment.
The collection obtains earnings information needed by the RRB to
determine if possible reductions in annuities because of Last Pre-
Retirement Non-Railroad Employment Earnings (LPE) are in order. The RRB
utilizes Form G-19L to obtain LPE earnings information from annuitants.
Companion Form G-19L.1, which serves as an instruction sheet and
contains the Paperwork Reduction/Privacy Act Notice for the collection
accompanies each Form G-19L sent to an annuitant. One response is
requested of each respondent. Completion is required to retain a
benefit. The RRB proposes the addition of a subitem requesting that an
annuitant provide an Employer's Identification Number (EIN). Non-burden
impacting editorial and reformatting changes are also proposed.
The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:
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Annual Burden
Form (s) responses Time (min) (hrs)
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G-19L............................... 300 15 75
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Total........................... 300 .......... 75
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Additional Information or Comments: To request more information
regarding either of the information collections listed above or to
obtain copies of the information collection justifications, forms, and/
or supporting material, please call the RRB Clearance Officer at (312)
751-3363 or send an e-mail request to [email protected]. Comments
regarding the information collections should be addressed to Ronald J.
Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago,
Illinois 60611-2092 or via an e-mail to [email protected]. Written
comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.
Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-22076 Filed 9-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P