Notice2021-20652
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 24, 2021
Issuing agencies
Railroad Retirement Board
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53120-53121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20652]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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: Employee's
Certification; OMB 3220-0140. Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act
(RRA) (45 U.S.C. 231a), provides for the payment of an annuity to the
spouse or divorced spouse of a retired railroad employee. For the
spouse or divorced spouse to qualify for an annuity, the RRB must
determine if any of the employee's current marriage to the applicant is
valid.
The requirements for obtaining documentary evidence to determine
valid marital relationships are prescribed in 20 CFR 219.30 through
219.35. Section 2(e) of the RRA requires that an employee must
relinquish all rights to any railroad employer service before a spouse
annuity can be paid.
The RRB uses Form G-346, Employee's Certification, to obtain the
information needed to determine whether the employee's current marriage
is valid. Form G-346 is completed by the retired employee who is the
husband or wife of the applicant for a spouse annuity. Completion is
required to obtain a benefit. One response is requested of each
respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-346.
Consistent with 20 CFR 217.17, the RRB uses Form G-346sum,
Employee's Certification Summary, which mirrors the information
collected on Form G-346, when an employee, after being interviewed by
an RRB field office representative ``signs'' the form using an
alternative signature method known as ``attestation.'' Attestation
refers to the action taken by the RRB field office representative to
confirm and annotate the RRB's records of the applicant's affirmation
under penalty of perjury that the information provided is correct and
the applicant's agreement to sign the form by proxy. Completion is
required to obtain a benefit. One response is requested of each
respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-346sum.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-346........................................................... 3,300 5 300
G-346sum........................................................ 2,260 5 188
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 5,560 .............. 488
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Title and purpose of information collection: Railroad Separation
Allowance or Severance Pay Report; OMB 3220-0173.
Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231e) provides
for a lump-sum payment to an employee or the employee's survivors equal
to the Tier II taxes paid by the employee on a separation allowance or
severance payment for which the employee did not receive credits toward
retirement. The lump-sum is not payable until retirement benefits begin
to accrue or the employee dies. Also, Section 4 (a-1) (iii) of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act provides that a railroad employee
who is paid a separation allowance is disqualified for unemployment and
sickness benefits for the period of time the employee would have to
work to earn the amount of the allowance. The reporting requirements
are specified in 20 CFR 209.14.
In order to calculate and provide payments, the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) must collect and maintain records of separation allowances
and severance payments which were subject to Tier II taxation from
railroad employers. The RRB uses Form BA-9, Report of Separation
Allowance or Severance Pay, to obtain information from railroad
employers concerning the separation allowances and severance payments
made to railroad employees and/or the survivors of railroad employees.
Employers currently have the option of submitting their reports on
paper Form BA-9, (or in like format) on a CD-ROM, or by File Transfer
Protocol (FTP), or Secure Email. Completion is mandatory. One response
is requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to the
manual, CD-ROM, secure email, or FTP Version of Form BA-9. The RRB
proposes the addition of an internet equivalent version of Form BA-9 to
the information collection.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BA-9 (Paper).................................................... 100 76 127
BA-9 (Internet)................................................. 215 15 54
BA-9 (CD-ROM)................................................... 10 76 13
BA-9 (Secure Email)............................................. 25 76 32
[[Page 53121]]
BA-9 (FTP)...................................................... 10 76 13
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 360 .............. 239
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#105b757e7e796378713e4465737b7562506262723e777f66"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="df94bab1b1b6acb7bef18baabcb4baad9fadadbdf1b8b0a9">[email protected]</span></a>. 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c6e5e454d42026a435f58495e6c5e5e4e024b435a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="11536378707f3f577e62657463516363733f767e67">[email protected]</span></a>. Written comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Brian D. Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-20652 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 24, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.