Submission for Review: 3206-0173, CSRS/FERS Designation of Beneficiary, Standard Form 3102, 34796-34797 [2021-13898]

Agencies

• Office of Personnel Management

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34796-34797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13898]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Submission for Review: 3206-0173, CSRS/FERS Designation of 
Beneficiary, Standard Form 3102

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to 
comment on a revised information collection request (ICR), CSRS/FERS 
Designation of Beneficiary, Standard Form 3102.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until July 30, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street 
NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of 
Personnel Management or sent via electronic mail to: 
[email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-6974.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this ICR with applicable 
supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the Retirement 
Services Publications Team, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E 
Street NW, Room 3316-L, Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Cyrus S. 
Benson, or sent via electronic mail to [email protected] or faxed to 
(202) 606-0910 or via telephone at (202) 606-4808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information 
collection (OMB No. 3206-0173) was previously published in the Federal 
Register on August 13, 2020 at 85 FR 49402, allowing for a 60-day 
public comment period. One comment was received: ``The SSA agrees that 
combining the SF 2808 and SF 3102 simplifies the process and eliminates 
the possibility of invalid designations due to the completion of the 
incorrect form. Since OPM maintains all SF 2808 forms, agencies do not 
have access to previously filed forms to respond to employee requests 
for information. This may be problematic when employees are assessing 
the need to update their records. The new SF 3102 should indicate that 
agencies do not maintain the CSRS designation forms and provide 
instructions for employees to complete a new form if they are unsure if 
they have previously completed a designation or are unsure about whom 
they have previously designated. Otherwise, the form should indicate 
that employees must contact OPM for information about previously filed 
SF 2808 forms. The SSA suggests that, in addition to accepting wet 
signatures on the retirement designation beneficiary forms, OPM accept 
digital signatures using PIV credentials by employees and HR offices. 
Forms with validated digital employee signatures using PIV credentials 
should not require witness signatures. Since it is crucial for 
employees keeping their designation forms up to date, having a 
mechanism for electronic submission provides for more timely submission 
by employee and certification by HR offices''. Our response is: (1) 
``Filing a designation is not needed if the person is satisfied with 
the federal order of precedence for payment of lump-sum payment under 
CSRS or FERS. Furthermore, individuals receive a copy of the form that 
is filed with the employing agency or OPM and can access their personal 
records to determine whether there is a need to update a previously 
filed form. Additionally, the form cautions the applicant that the 
person designated will be paid even if that person's name or 
relationship to the designator changes after the form is filed. We 
revised the instructions to indicate that the employee subject to CSRS 
should send both copies of the revised SF 3102 to OPM who will validate 
the form and provide a copy to the employee for their records. We 
indicated that the employing agency does not maintain the form of the 
CSRS employee.'' and (2) ``By regulation, employees are not allowed to 
use electronic signatures or PIV/CAC cards to sign the SF 3102, 
Designation of Beneficiary form. Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations 
on CSRS designations states that a designation of beneficiary must be 
in writing, signed and witnessed and received in the employing office 
(or in OPM, in the case of a retiree, or compensationer, or a separated 
employee) before the death of the designator. Therefore, no changes 
will be made to the signature and witness requirement because there are 
no changes to the appropriate regulation.'' The Office of Management 
and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    Standard Form 3102, CSRS/FERS Designation of Beneficiary, is used 
by an

[[Page 34797]]

employee or annuitant covered under the Civil Service Retirement System 
or the Federal Employees Retirement System to designate a beneficiary 
to receive any lump sum due in the event of his/her death. The SF 3102 
(FERS Designation of Beneficiary) is being combined with the SF 2808 
(CSRS Designation of Beneficiary). The proposed version of SF 3102 will 
supersede all previous editions of SF 2808 and SF 3102.

Analysis

    Agency: Retirement Operations, Retirement Services, Office of 
Personnel Management.
    Title: CSRS/FERS Designation of Beneficiary.
    OMB Number: 3206-0173.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Number of Respondents: 5,888.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 15 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,472.

Office of Personnel Management.
Kellie C. Riley,
Director, Office of Privacy and Information Management.
[FR Doc. 2021-13898 Filed 6-29-21; 8:45 am]
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