Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations, 12475-12476 [E8-4530]

Agencies

• Railroad Retirement Board

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 46 (Friday, March 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12475-12476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4530]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Proposed Data Collection 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 
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.

Title and Purpose of Information Collection

    Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire: OMB 3220-0154.
    Section 215(a)(7) of the Social Security Act provides for a 
reduction in social security benefits based on employment not covered 
under the Social Security Act or the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA). 
This provision applies a different social security benefit formula to 
most workers who are first eligible after 1985 to both a pension based 
in whole or in part on non-covered employment and a social security 
retirement or disability benefit. There is a guarantee provision that 
limits the reduction in the social

[[Page 12476]]

security benefit to one-half of the portion of the pension based on 
non-covered employment after 1956. Section 8011 of Public Law 100-647 
changed the effective date of the onset from the first month of 
eligibility to the first month of concurrent entitlement to the non-
covered service benefit and the RRA benefit.
    Section 3(a)(1) of the RRA provides that the Tier I benefit of an 
employee annuity will be equal to the amount (before any reduction for 
age or deduction for work) the employee would receive if he or she 
would have been entitled to a like benefit under the Social Security 
Act. The reduction for a non-covered service pension also applies to a 
Tier I portion of employees under the RRA where the annuity or non-
covered service pension begins after 1985. Since the amount of a 
spouse's Tier I benefit is one-half of the employee's Tier I, the 
spouse annuity is also affected by the employee's non-covered service 
pension reduction of his or her Tier I benefit.
    The RRB utilizes Form G-209, Employee Non-Covered Service Pension 
Questionnaire, to obtain needed information from railroad retirement 
employee applicants or annuitants about the receipt of a pension based 
on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement Act or the 
Social Security Act. It is used as both a supplement to the employee 
annuity application, and as an independent questionnaire to be 
completed when an individual who is already receiving an employee 
annuity, becomes entitled to a pension. One response is requested of 
each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. 
The RRB proposes minor non-burden impacting, clarification and 
editorial changes to Form G-209.

                  Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
         [The estimated annual respondent burden is as follows:]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Annual                    Burden
        Form (s)           responses   Time  (min)     (hrs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-209 (partial questionnaire)....           50            1            1
G-209 (full questionnaire).......          100            8           13
                                  --------------------------------------
    Total........................          150  ...........           14
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Information or Comments: To request more information or 
to obtain a copy of the information collection justification, forms, 
and/or supporting material, please call the RRB Clearance Officer at 
(312) 751-3363 or send an e-mail request to Charles.Mierzwa@rrb.gov. 
Comments regarding the information collection should be addressed to 
Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 N. Rush Street, 
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 or by e-mail to Ronald.Hodapp@rrb.gov. 
Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-4530 Filed 3-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P