Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 2259-2262 [2024-00514]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Docketed Proceeding(s)
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
I. Introduction
The Commission gives notice that the
Postal Service filed request(s) for the
Commission to consider matters related
to negotiated service agreement(s). The
request(s) may propose the addition or
removal of a negotiated service
agreement from the Market Dominant or
the Competitive product list, or the
modification of an existing product
currently appearing on the Market
Dominant or the Competitive product
list.
Section II identifies the docket
number(s) associated with each Postal
Service request, the title of each Postal
Service request, the request’s acceptance
date, and the authority cited by the
Postal Service for each request. For each
request, the Commission appoints an
officer of the Commission to represent
the interests of the general public in the
proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505
(Public Representative). Section II also
establishes comment deadline(s)
pertaining to each request.
The public portions of the Postal
Service’s request(s) can be accessed via
the Commission’s website (https://
www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of
the Postal Service’s request(s), if any,
can be accessed through compliance
with the requirements of 39 CFR
3011.301.1
The Commission invites comments on
whether the Postal Service’s request(s)
in the captioned docket(s) are consistent
with the policies of title 39. For
request(s) that the Postal Service states
concern Market Dominant product(s),
applicable statutory and regulatory
requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3622, 39
U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3030, and 39
CFR part 3040, subpart B. For request(s)
that the Postal Service states concern
Competitive product(s), applicable
statutory and regulatory requirements
include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633,
39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3035, and
39 CFR part 3040, subpart B. Comment
deadline(s) for each request appear in
section II.
II. Docketed Proceeding(s)
1. Docket No(s).: MC2024–161 and
CP2024–167; Filing Title: USPS Request
to Add Priority Mail, USPS Ground
Advantage, & Parcel Select Contract 3 to
Competitive Product List and Notice of
1 See Docket No. RM2018–3, Order Adopting
Final Rules Relating to Non-Public Information,
June 27, 2018, Attachment A at 19–22 (Order No.
4679).
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Filing Materials Under Seal; Filing
Acceptance Date: January 8, 2024; Filing
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR
3040.130 through 3040.135, and 39 CFR
3035.105; Public Representative:
Kenneth R. Moeller; Comments Due:
January 17, 2024.
This Notice will be published in the
Federal Register.
Jennie L. Jbara,
Alternate Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–00587 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P
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: RUIA Investigations and
Continuing Entitlement; OMB 3220–
0025.
Under Section 1(k) of the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
(45 U.S.C. 231), unemployment and
sickness benefits are not payable for any
day remuneration is payable or accrues
to the claimant. Also, Section 4(a–1) of
the RUIA provides that unemployment
or sickness benefits are not payable for
any day the claimant receives the same
benefits under any law other than the
RUIA. Under Railroad Retirement Board
(RRB) regulation 20 CFR 322.4(a), a
claimant’s certification, or statement on
an RRB-provided claim form, that he or
she did not work on any day claimed
and did not receive income such as
vacation pay or pay for time lost, shall
constitute sufficient evidence unless
there is conflicting evidence. Further,
under 20 CFR 322.4(b), when there is a
question raised as to whether or not
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2259
remuneration is payable or has accrued
to a claimant with respect to a claimed
day(s), an investigation shall be made
with a view to obtaining information
sufficient for a finding. The RRB utilizes
the following three forms to obtain
information from railroad employers,
nonrailroad employers, and claimants,
that is needed to determine whether a
claimed day(s) of unemployment or
sickness were improperly or
fraudulently claimed: Form ID–5i,
Request for Employment Information;
Form ID–5R (SUP), Report of Employees
Paid RUIA Benefits for Every Day in
Month Reported as Month of Creditable
Service; and Form UI–48, Statement
Regarding Benefits Claimed for Days
Worked. Completion is voluntary. One
response is requested of each
respondent.
To qualify for unemployment or
sickness benefits payable under section
2 of the Railroad Unemployment
Insurance Act (RUIA), a railroad
employee must have certain qualifying
earnings in the applicable base year. In
addition, to qualify for extended or
accelerated benefits under Section 2 of
the RUIA, a railroad employee who has
exhausted his or her rights to normal
benefits must have at least 10 years of
railroad service (under certain
conditions, military service may be
credited as months of railroad service).
Accelerated benefits are unemployment
or sickness benefits that are payable to
a railroad employee before the regular
July 1 beginning date of a benefit year
if an employee has 10 or more years of
service and is not qualified for benefits
in the current benefit year.
During the RUIA claims review
process, the RRB may determine that
unemployment or sickness benefits
cannot be awarded because RRB records
show insufficient qualifying service
and/or compensation. When this occurs,
the RRB allows the claimant the
opportunity to provide additional
information if they believe that the RRB
service and compensation records are
incorrect.
Depending on the circumstances, the
RRB provides the following forms to
obtain information needed to determine
if a claimant has sufficient service or
compensation to qualify for
unemployment or sickness benefits.
Form UI–9, Statement of Employment
and Wages; Form UI–44, Claim for
Credit for Military Service; Form ID–4U,
Advising of Service/Earnings
Requirements for Unemployment
Benefits; and Form ID–4X, Advising of
Service/Earnings Requirements for
Sickness Benefits. Completion of these
forms is required to obtain or retain a
benefit. One response is required of
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• remove auto update of RRB
letterhead address, phone number and
email address,
• update RRB address to headquarters
address,
• update RRB phone number to
Unemployment and Programs Support
Division,
• update RRB fax number to
Unemployment and Programs Support
Division,
each respondent. The RRB proposes no
changes to Form UI–9, UI–44, ID–4U,
ID–4X, and UI–48.
The RRB Proposes the Following
Changes to Form ID–5i
• add a 30-day time sensitive
response on page 1,
• page 2 modification to earnings
sentence to include ‘‘if still employed,
include earnings up to the current
employment date.’’,
• update RRB email address to
Unemployment and Programs Support
Division, and
• update RRB office hours.
The RRB Proposes the Following
Changes to ID–5R (SUP)
• change PRA/PA notice to update
the officer title and
• update RRB zip code.
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN
Time
(minutes)
Burden
(hours)
Form No.
Annual responses
UI–9 ..............................................................................
UI–44 ............................................................................
UI–48 ............................................................................
ID–4U ............................................................................
ID–4X ............................................................................
ID–5i .............................................................................
ID–5R (SUP) .................................................................
69 ..................................................................................
10 ..................................................................................
14 ..................................................................................
35 ..................................................................................
25 ..................................................................................
1,000 (Private sector) ...................................................
50 (state/local/etc.)
400 ................................................................................
10
11
1
3
3
2
250
12
67
Total .......................................................................
1,603 .............................................................................
........................
349
in rail service after certain closing dates
(generally the last day of the month
following the month in which age 65 is
attained). Under section 2(h)(2) of the
RRA, the amount of the supplemental
annuity is reduced if the employee
receives monthly pension payments, or
a lump-sum pension payment from a
private pension from a railroad
employer to the extent the payments are
based on contributions from that
employer. The employee’s own
contribution to their pension account
does not cause a reduction. A private
railroad employer pension is defined in
20 CFR 216.42.
The RRB requires the following
information from railroad employers to
calculate supplemental annuities: (a) the
current status of railroad employer
pension plans and whether such plans
cause reductions to the supplemental
annuity; (b) whether the employee
receives monthly payments from a
2. Title and purpose of information
collection: Pension Plan Reports; OMB
3220–0089.
Under section 2(b) of the Railroad
Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 231a),
the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
pays supplemental annuities to
qualified RRB employee annuitants. A
supplemental annuity, which is
computed according to section 3(e) of
the RRA, can be paid at age 60 if the
employee has at least 30 years of
creditable railroad service or at age 65
if the employee has 25–29 years of
railroad service. In addition to 25 years
of service, a ‘‘current connection’’ with
the railroad industry is required.
Eligibility is further limited to
employees who had at least 1 month of
rail service before October 1981 and
were awarded regular annuities after
June 1966. Further, if an employee’s
65th birthday was prior to September 2,
1981, he or she must not have worked
10
5
12
5
5
15
private railroad employer pension,
elected to receive a lump sum in lieu of
monthly pension payments from such a
plan, or was required to receive a lump
sum from such a plan due to the plan’s
small benefit provision; and (c) the
amount of the payments attributable to
the railroad employer’s contributions.
The requirement that railroad employers
furnish pension information to the RRB
is contained in 20 CFR 209.2.
The RRB currently utilizes Form G–
88p and G–88p (internet), Employer’s
Supplemental Pension Report, and
Form G–88r, Request for Information
About New or Revised Employer
Pension Plan, to obtain the necessary
information from railroad employers.
One response is requested of each
respondent. Completion is mandatory.
The RRB proposes no changes to G–88P
and G–88P (internet), and G–88R.
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN
Annual
responses
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Form No.
Time
(minutes)
Burden
(hours)
G–88p ..........................................................................................................................................
G–88p (Internet) ..........................................................................................................................
G–88R ..........................................................................................................................................
100
200
10
8
6
8
13
20
1
Total ......................................................................................................................................
310
........................
34
3. Title and purpose of information
collection: Job Information Report, OMB
3220–0193.
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The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
occupational disability standards allow
the RRB to request job information from
railroad employers to determine an
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applicant’s eligibility for an
occupational disability.
To determine an occupational
disability, the RRB must obtain the
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
employee’s work history and establish if
the employee is precluded from
performing his or her regular railroad
occupation. This is accomplished by
comparing the restrictions caused by the
impairment(s) against the employee’s
ability to perform his or her job duties.
To collect the information needed to
determine the effect of a disability on an
employee applicant’s ability to work,
the RRB utilizes Form G–251,
Vocational Report (OMB 3220–0141)
which is completed by the applicant.
Form G–251A, Railroad Job
Information, requests railroad
employers to provide information
regarding whether the employee has
been medically disqualified from their
railroad occupation; a summary of the
employee’s duties; the machinery, tools
and equipment used by the employee;
the environmental conditions under
which the employee performs their
duties; all sensory requirements (vision,
hearing, speech) needed to perform the
employee’s duties; the physical actions
and amount of time (frequency) allotted
for those actions that may be required
by the employee to perform their duties
during a typical work day; any
permanent working accommodations an
employer may have made due to the
employee’s disability; as well as any
other relevant information they may
choose to include. Completion is
voluntary. The RRB proposes no
changes to Form G–251A.
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN
Form No.
Annual
responses
Time
(minutes)
Burden
(hours)
G–251A ........................................................................................................................................
436
60
436
4. Title and purpose of information
collection: Self-Employment/Corporate
Officer Work and Earnings Monitoring;
OMB 3220–0202.
Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement
Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 231) provides for
the payment of disability annuities to
qualified employees. Section 2 also
provides that if the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) receives a report of an
annuitant working for a railroad or
earning more than prescribed dollar
amounts from either nonrailroad
employment or self-employment, the
annuity is no longer payable, or can be
reduced, for the months worked. The
regulations related to the nonpayment
or reduction of the annuity by reason of
work are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.160–
164.
Some activities claimed by the
applicant as ‘‘self-employment’’ may
actually be employment for someone
else (e.g., training officer, consultant,
salesman). 20 CFR 216.22(c) states, for
example, that an applicant is considered
an employee, and not self-employed,
when acting as a corporate officer, since
the corporation is the applicant’s
employer. Whether the RRB classifies a
particular activity as self-employment or
as work for an employer depends upon
the circumstances in each case. The
circumstances are prescribed in 20 CFR
216.21–216–23.
Certain types of work may actually
indicate an annuitant’s recovery from
disability. Regulations related to an
annuitant’s recovery from disability for
work are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.17–
220–20.
In addition, the RRB conducts
continuing disability reviews (also
known as a CDR), to determine whether
the annuitant continues to meet the
disability requirements of the law.
Payment of disability benefits and/or a
beneficiary’s period of disability will
end if medical evidence or other
information shows that an annuitant is
not disabled under the standards
prescribed in Section 2 of the RRA.
Continuing disability reviews are
generally conducted if one or more of
the following conditions are met: (1) the
annuitant is scheduled for a routine
periodic review, (2) the annuitant
returns to work and successfully
completes a trial work period, (3)
substantial earnings are posted to the
annuitant’s wage record, or (4)
information is received from the
annuitant or a reliable source that the
annuitant has recovered or returned to
work. Provisions relating to when and
how often the RRB conducts disability
reviews are prescribed in 20 CFR
220.186.
To enhance program integrity
activities, the RRB utilizes Form G–252,
Self-Employment/Corporate Officer
Work and Earnings Monitoring. Form
G–252 obtains information from a
disability annuitant who either claims
to be self-employed or a corporate
officer, or who the RRB determines to be
self-employed or a corporate officer after
a continuing disability review. The
continuing disability review may be
prompted by a report of work, return to
railroad service, an allegation of a
medical improvement or a routine
disability review call-up. The
information gathered is used to
determine entitlement and/or continued
entitlement to, and the amount of, the
disability annuity, as prescribed in 20
CFR 220.176. Completion is required to
retain benefits. One response is required
of each respondent. The RRB proposes
no changes to Form G–252.
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN
Annual
responses
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Form No.
Time
(minutes)
Burden
(hours)
G–252 ..........................................................................................................................................
15
20
5
Total ......................................................................................................................................
15
........................
5
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
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
Money at (312) 469–2591 or
Kennisha.Money@rrb.gov. 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 Brian.Foster@rrb.gov.
Written comments should be received
within 60 days of this notice.
Brian Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–00514 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905–01–P
[Release No. 34–99296; File No. SR–
NYSEAMER–2023–67]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
American LLC; Notice of Filing and
Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed
Change To Amend the NYSE American
Equities Price List
January 8, 2024.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) 1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3
notice is hereby given that, on December
29, 2023, NYSE American LLC (‘‘NYSE
American’’ or the ‘‘Exchange’’) filed
with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I, II, and III below, which Items
have been prepared by the selfregulatory organization. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to amend the
NYSE American Equities Price List (the
‘‘Price List’’) with respect to the system
processing fee for use of the Central
Registration Depository (‘‘CRD’’ or ‘‘CRD
system’’) collected by the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
(‘‘FINRA’’). The Exchange proposes to
implement the fee change on January 2,
2024. The Exchange proposes to
implement the fee change on January 2,
2024. The proposed rule change is
available on the Exchange’s website at
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
U.S.C. 78a.
3 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
2 15
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II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
In its filing with the Commission, the
self-regulatory organization included
statements concerning the purpose of,
and basis for, the proposed rule change
and discussed any comments it received
on the proposed rule change. The text
of those statements may be examined at
the places specified in Item IV below.
The Exchange has prepared summaries,
set forth in sections A, B, and C below,
of the most significant parts of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
1 15
www.nyse.com, at the principal office of
the Exchange, and at the Commission’s
Public Reference Room.
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to amend the
Price List with respect to the system
processing fee for use of CRD collected
by FINRA.4 The Exchange proposes to
implement the fee change effective
January 2, 2024.
FINRA collects and retains certain
regulatory fees via CRD for the
registration of associated persons of
Exchange member organizations that are
not FINRA members (‘‘Non-FINRA
Member Organizations’’).5 CRD fees are
user-based, and there is no distinction
in the cost incurred by FINRA if the
user is a FINRA member or a NonFINRA Member Organization.
In 2020, FINRA amended certain fees
assessed for use of the CRD system for
implementation between 2022 and
2024.6 The Exchange accordingly
proposes to amend the Price List to
4 CRD is the central licensing and registration
system for the U.S. securities industry. The CRD
system enables individuals and firms seeking
registration with multiple states and self-regulatory
organizations to do so by submitting a single form,
fingerprint card, and a combined payment of fees
to FINRA. Through the CRD system, FINRA
maintains the qualification, employment, and
disciplinary histories of registered associated
persons of broker-dealers.
5 The Exchange originally adopted fees for use of
the CRD system in 2003 and amended those fees in
2013, 2022 and 2023. See Securities Exchange Act
Release Nos. 48066 (June 19, 2003), 68 FR 38409
(June 27, 2003) (SR–Amex–2003–49); 68630
(January 11, 2013), 78 FR 6152 (January 29, 2013)
(SR–NYSEMKT–2013–01); 93902 (January 5, 2022),
87 FR 1461 (January 11, 2022) (SR–NYSEAMER–
2021–47); and 96711 (January 19, 2023), 88 FR 4872
(January 25, 2023) (SR–NYSEAMER–2023–06).
While the Exchange lists these fees in its Price List,
it does not collect or retain these fees.
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 90176
(October 14, 2020), 85 FR 66592 (October 20, 2020)
(SR–FINRA–2020–032).
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Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
mirror the system processing fee
assessed by FINRA, which will be
implemented concurrently with the
amended FINRA fee as of January 2024.7
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
amend the Price List to modify the
system processing fee charged to NonFINRA Member Organizations for each
registered representative and principal
from $45 to $70.8
The Exchange notes that the proposed
change is not otherwise intended to
address any other issues surrounding
regulatory fees, and the Exchange is not
aware of any problems that member
organizations would have in complying
with the proposed change.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is consistent with
section 6(b) of the Act,9 in general, and
furthers the objectives of section
6(b)(4) 10 of the Act, in particular, in that
it is designed to provide for the
equitable allocation of reasonable dues,
fees, and other charges. The Exchange
also believes that the proposed rule
change is consistent with section 6(b)(5)
of the Act,11 in that it is designed to
promote just and equitable principles of
trade, to foster cooperation and
coordination with persons engaged in
regulating, clearing, settling, processing
information with respect to, and
facilitating transactions in securities, to
remove impediments to and perfect the
mechanism of a free and open market
and a national market system, and, in
general, to protect investors and the
public interest and is not designed to
permit unfair discrimination between
customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.
The Exchange believes that the
proposed fee change is reasonable
because the fee will be identical to that
adopted by FINRA as of January 2024
for use of the CRD system for each of the
member’s registered representatives and
principals for system processing. The
costs of operating and improving the
CRD system are similarly borne by
FINRA when a Non-FINRA Member
Organization uses the CRD system;
7 The Exchange notes that it has only adopted the
CRD system fees charged by FINRA to Non-FINRA
Member Organizations when such fees are
applicable. In this regard, certain FINRA CRD
system fees and requirements are specific to FINRA
members, but do not apply to NYSE-only member
organizations. Non-FINRA Member Organizations
have been charged CRD system fees since 2001. See
note 4, supra. Member organizations that are also
FINRA members are charged CRD system fees
according to Section 4 of Schedule A to the FINRA
By-Laws.
8 See Section (4)(b)(7) of Schedule A to the FINRA
By-laws.
9 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
10 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
11 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2259-2262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00514]
=======================================================================
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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: RUIA Investigations
and Continuing Entitlement; OMB 3220-0025.
Under Section 1(k) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act
(RUIA) (45 U.S.C. 231), unemployment and sickness benefits are not
payable for any day remuneration is payable or accrues to the claimant.
Also, Section 4(a-1) of the RUIA provides that unemployment or sickness
benefits are not payable for any day the claimant receives the same
benefits under any law other than the RUIA. Under Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) regulation 20 CFR 322.4(a), a claimant's certification, or
statement on an RRB-provided claim form, that he or she did not work on
any day claimed and did not receive income such as vacation pay or pay
for time lost, shall constitute sufficient evidence unless there is
conflicting evidence. Further, under 20 CFR 322.4(b), when there is a
question raised as to whether or not remuneration is payable or has
accrued to a claimant with respect to a claimed day(s), an
investigation shall be made with a view to obtaining information
sufficient for a finding. The RRB utilizes the following three forms to
obtain information from railroad employers, nonrailroad employers, and
claimants, that is needed to determine whether a claimed day(s) of
unemployment or sickness were improperly or fraudulently claimed: Form
ID-5i, Request for Employment Information; Form ID-5R (SUP), Report of
Employees Paid RUIA Benefits for Every Day in Month Reported as Month
of Creditable Service; and Form UI-48, Statement Regarding Benefits
Claimed for Days Worked. Completion is voluntary. One response is
requested of each respondent.
To qualify for unemployment or sickness benefits payable under
section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), a railroad
employee must have certain qualifying earnings in the applicable base
year. In addition, to qualify for extended or accelerated benefits
under Section 2 of the RUIA, a railroad employee who has exhausted his
or her rights to normal benefits must have at least 10 years of
railroad service (under certain conditions, military service may be
credited as months of railroad service). Accelerated benefits are
unemployment or sickness benefits that are payable to a railroad
employee before the regular July 1 beginning date of a benefit year if
an employee has 10 or more years of service and is not qualified for
benefits in the current benefit year.
During the RUIA claims review process, the RRB may determine that
unemployment or sickness benefits cannot be awarded because RRB records
show insufficient qualifying service and/or compensation. When this
occurs, the RRB allows the claimant the opportunity to provide
additional information if they believe that the RRB service and
compensation records are incorrect.
Depending on the circumstances, the RRB provides the following
forms to obtain information needed to determine if a claimant has
sufficient service or compensation to qualify for unemployment or
sickness benefits. Form UI-9, Statement of Employment and Wages; Form
UI-44, Claim for Credit for Military Service; Form ID-4U, Advising of
Service/Earnings Requirements for Unemployment Benefits; and Form ID-
4X, Advising of Service/Earnings Requirements for Sickness Benefits.
Completion of these forms is required to obtain or retain a benefit.
One response is required of
[[Page 2260]]
each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form UI-9, UI-44, ID-
4U, ID-4X, and UI-48.
The RRB Proposes the Following Changes to Form ID-5i
add a 30-day time sensitive response on page 1,
page 2 modification to earnings sentence to include ``if
still employed, include earnings up to the current employment date.'',
remove auto update of RRB letterhead address, phone number
and email address,
update RRB address to headquarters address,
update RRB phone number to Unemployment and Programs
Support Division,
update RRB fax number to Unemployment and Programs Support
Division,
update RRB email address to Unemployment and Programs
Support Division, and
update RRB office hours.
The RRB Proposes the Following Changes to ID-5R (SUP)
change PRA/PA notice to update the officer title and
update RRB zip code.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form No. Annual responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UI-9.......................................... 69.............................. 10 11
UI-44......................................... 10.............................. 5 1
UI-48......................................... 14.............................. 12 3
ID-4U......................................... 35.............................. 5 3
ID-4X......................................... 25.............................. 5 2
ID-5i......................................... 1,000 (Private sector).......... 15 250
50 (state/local/etc.)........... 12
ID-5R (SUP)................................... 400............................. 10 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 1,603........................... .............. 349
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Title and purpose of information collection: Pension Plan
Reports; OMB 3220-0089.
Under section 2(b) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C.
231a), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays supplemental annuities
to qualified RRB employee annuitants. A supplemental annuity, which is
computed according to section 3(e) of the RRA, can be paid at age 60 if
the employee has at least 30 years of creditable railroad service or at
age 65 if the employee has 25-29 years of railroad service. In addition
to 25 years of service, a ``current connection'' with the railroad
industry is required. Eligibility is further limited to employees who
had at least 1 month of rail service before October 1981 and were
awarded regular annuities after June 1966. Further, if an employee's
65th birthday was prior to September 2, 1981, he or she must not have
worked in rail service after certain closing dates (generally the last
day of the month following the month in which age 65 is attained).
Under section 2(h)(2) of the RRA, the amount of the supplemental
annuity is reduced if the employee receives monthly pension payments,
or a lump-sum pension payment from a private pension from a railroad
employer to the extent the payments are based on contributions from
that employer. The employee's own contribution to their pension account
does not cause a reduction. A private railroad employer pension is
defined in 20 CFR 216.42.
The RRB requires the following information from railroad employers
to calculate supplemental annuities: (a) the current status of railroad
employer pension plans and whether such plans cause reductions to the
supplemental annuity; (b) whether the employee receives monthly
payments from a private railroad employer pension, elected to receive a
lump sum in lieu of monthly pension payments from such a plan, or was
required to receive a lump sum from such a plan due to the plan's small
benefit provision; and (c) the amount of the payments attributable to
the railroad employer's contributions. The requirement that railroad
employers furnish pension information to the RRB is contained in 20 CFR
209.2.
The RRB currently utilizes Form G-88p and G-88p (internet),
Employer's Supplemental Pension Report, and Form G-88r, Request for
Information About New or Revised Employer Pension Plan, to obtain the
necessary information from railroad employers. One response is
requested of each respondent. Completion is mandatory. The RRB proposes
no changes to G-88P and G-88P (internet), and G-88R.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-88p........................................................... 100 8 13
G-88p (Internet)................................................ 200 6 20
G-88R........................................................... 10 8 1
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 310 .............. 34
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Title and purpose of information collection: Job Information
Report, OMB 3220-0193.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) occupational disability
standards allow the RRB to request job information from railroad
employers to determine an applicant's eligibility for an occupational
disability.
To determine an occupational disability, the RRB must obtain the
[[Page 2261]]
employee's work history and establish if the employee is precluded from
performing his or her regular railroad occupation. This is accomplished
by comparing the restrictions caused by the impairment(s) against the
employee's ability to perform his or her job duties.
To collect the information needed to determine the effect of a
disability on an employee applicant's ability to work, the RRB utilizes
Form G-251, Vocational Report (OMB 3220-0141) which is completed by the
applicant.
Form G-251A, Railroad Job Information, requests railroad employers
to provide information regarding whether the employee has been
medically disqualified from their railroad occupation; a summary of the
employee's duties; the machinery, tools and equipment used by the
employee; the environmental conditions under which the employee
performs their duties; all sensory requirements (vision, hearing,
speech) needed to perform the employee's duties; the physical actions
and amount of time (frequency) allotted for those actions that may be
required by the employee to perform their duties during a typical work
day; any permanent working accommodations an employer may have made due
to the employee's disability; as well as any other relevant information
they may choose to include. Completion is voluntary. The RRB proposes
no changes to Form G-251A.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-251A....................................................... 436 60 436
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Title and purpose of information collection: Self-Employment/
Corporate Officer Work and Earnings Monitoring; OMB 3220-0202.
Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) (45 U.S.C. 231)
provides for the payment of disability annuities to qualified
employees. Section 2 also provides that if the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) receives a report of an annuitant working for a railroad or
earning more than prescribed dollar amounts from either nonrailroad
employment or self-employment, the annuity is no longer payable, or can
be reduced, for the months worked. The regulations related to the
nonpayment or reduction of the annuity by reason of work are prescribed
in 20 CFR 220.160-164.
Some activities claimed by the applicant as ``self-employment'' may
actually be employment for someone else (e.g., training officer,
consultant, salesman). 20 CFR 216.22(c) states, for example, that an
applicant is considered an employee, and not self-employed, when acting
as a corporate officer, since the corporation is the applicant's
employer. Whether the RRB classifies a particular activity as self-
employment or as work for an employer depends upon the circumstances in
each case. The circumstances are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.21-216-23.
Certain types of work may actually indicate an annuitant's recovery
from disability. Regulations related to an annuitant's recovery from
disability for work are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.17-220-20.
In addition, the RRB conducts continuing disability reviews (also
known as a CDR), to determine whether the annuitant continues to meet
the disability requirements of the law. Payment of disability benefits
and/or a beneficiary's period of disability will end if medical
evidence or other information shows that an annuitant is not disabled
under the standards prescribed in Section 2 of the RRA. Continuing
disability reviews are generally conducted if one or more of the
following conditions are met: (1) the annuitant is scheduled for a
routine periodic review, (2) the annuitant returns to work and
successfully completes a trial work period, (3) substantial earnings
are posted to the annuitant's wage record, or (4) information is
received from the annuitant or a reliable source that the annuitant has
recovered or returned to work. Provisions relating to when and how
often the RRB conducts disability reviews are prescribed in 20 CFR
220.186.
To enhance program integrity activities, the RRB utilizes Form G-
252, Self-Employment/Corporate Officer Work and Earnings Monitoring.
Form G-252 obtains information from a disability annuitant who either
claims to be self-employed or a corporate officer, or who the RRB
determines to be self-employed or a corporate officer after a
continuing disability review. The continuing disability review may be
prompted by a report of work, return to railroad service, an allegation
of a medical improvement or a routine disability review call-up. The
information gathered is used to determine entitlement and/or continued
entitlement to, and the amount of, the disability annuity, as
prescribed in 20 CFR 220.176. Completion is required to retain
benefits. One response is required of each respondent. The RRB proposes
no changes to Form G-252.
Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
Form No. responses Time (minutes) Burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-252........................................................... 15 20 5
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 15 .............. 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 2262]]
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 Money at (312) 469-2591 or
[email protected]. 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
[email protected]. Written comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Brian Foster,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-00514 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P
