Notice2025-20233
Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments
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
November 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Railroad Retirement Board
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 221 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52122-52123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-20233]
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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.
Title and purpose of information collection: Employer Reporting;
3220-0031.
Under Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C.
231e), lump-sum death benefits are payable to surviving widow(er)s,
children, and certain other dependents. Lump-sum death benefits are
payable after the death of a railroad employee only if there are no
qualified survivors of the employee immediately eligible for annuities.
With the exception of the residual death benefit, eligibility for
survivor benefits depends on whether the deceased employee was
``insured'' under the RRA at the time of death. If the deceased
employee was not insured, jurisdiction of any survivor benefits payable
is transferred to the Social Security Administration and survivor
benefits are paid by that agency instead of the RRB. The requirements
for applying for benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR 217, 219, and 234.
The collection obtains the information required by the RRB to
determine entitlement to and amount of the survivor death benefits
applied for. To collect the information, the RRB uses Forms AA-21,
Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment and Annuities Unpaid at Death;
AA-21cert, Application Summary and Certification; G-131, Authorization
of Payment and Release of All Claims to a Death Benefit or Accrued
Annuity Payment; and G-273a, Funeral Director's Statement of Burial
Charges. One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is
required to obtain benefits.
Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the
initial 60-day notice (90 FR 44850 on September 17, 2025) required by
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Title: Employer Reporting.
OMB Control Number: 3220-0031.
Form(s) submitted: AA-21, AA-21cert, G-131 and G-273a.
Type of request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Affected public: Individuals, Households or Private sector.
Abstract: The collection obtains the information needed to pay
death benefits and annuities due but unpaid at death under the Railroad
Retirement Act. Benefits are paid to designated beneficiaries or to
survivors in a priority designated by law.
Changes proposed: The RRB proposes no changes to Forms AA-21, AA-
21cert and G-131.
The RRB proposes the following changes to Form G-273a:
<bullet> In field 3, changed 3rd sentence and added 4th sentence to
``If paid by prearrangement, please show the name of the person who
made the prearrangement and any beneficiary, not the insurance company
or financial institution making the final payment. If there was a pre-
need agreement, please attach a copy of the contract.''
<bullet> In the Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act Notices
section, propose minor change to address.
The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:
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Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
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AA-21cert with assistance....................................... 3,500 20 1,167
AA-21 without assistance........................................ 200 40 133
G-131........................................................... 20 5 2
G-273a.......................................................... 2,000 10 333
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Total....................................................... 5,720 .............. 1,635
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[[Page 52123]]
Additional Information or Comments: Copies of the forms and
supporting documents or 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#b6f4c4dfd7d898f0d9c5c2d3c4f6c4c4d498d1d9c0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abe9d9c2cac585edc4d8dfced9ebd9d9c985ccc4dd">[email protected]</span></a>.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. 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. 2025-20233 Filed 11-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P
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