Railroad Retirement Board November 17, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding five Information Collection Requests (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 collection of information to determine (1) The practical utility of the collection; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collection; (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. 1. Title and Purpose of Information Collection: Railroad Service and Compensation Reports/System Access Application; OMB 3220-0008. Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and Section 6 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) maintains for each railroad employee, a record of compensation paid to that employee by all railroad employers for whom the employee worked after 1936. This record, which is used by the RRB to determine eligibility for, and amount of, benefits due under the laws it administers, is conclusive as to the amount of compensation paid to an employee during such period(s) covered by the report(s) of the compensation by the employee's railroad employer(s), except in cases when an employee files a protest pertaining to his or her reported compensation within the statue of limitations cited in Section 9 of the RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA. Railroad Employers' Reports and Responsibilities are prescribed in 20 CFR 209. The RRB currently utilizes Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation and Form BA-4, Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments, to secure required information from railroad employers. Form BA-3 provides the RRB with information regarding annual creditable service and compensation for each individual who worked for a railroad employer covered by the RRA and RUIA in a given year. Form BA-4 provides for the adjustment of any previously submitted reports and also the opportunity to provide any service and compensation that had been previously omitted. Requirements specific to Forms BA-3 and BA-4 are prescribed in 20 CFR 209.8 and 209.9. Employers currently have the option of submitting the reports on the aforementioned forms, electronically by File Transfer Protocol (FTP), secure Email or via the Internet utilizing the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) (for Form BA-4), or in like format on magnetic tape cartridges, and CD-ROMs. The RRB proposes the implementation of an Internet equivalent version of Form BA-3 that can be submitted through the ERS which will include the option to file a ``negative report.'' The information collection also includes RRB Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access, and Form G-440, Report Specifications Sheet. Form BA-12 is completed by railroad employers to obtain system access to the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) as well as to authorize the degree of access (view/only, data entry/modification or approval/submission) appropriate for designated employees. Once access is obtained, authorized employees may submit reporting forms to the RRB via the Internet. Form BA-12 is also used to terminate an employee's access to ERS. Form G-440, Report Specifications Sheet, serves as a certification document for various RRB employer reporting forms (the previously mentioned BA-3 and BA-4 as well as the BA-6a, BA-6, Address Report (OMB 3220-0005); BA-9, Report of Separation Allowance or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173); and BA-11, Report of Gross Earnings (OMB 3220-0132)), records the type of medium the report was submitted on, and serves as a summary recapitulation sheet for reports filed on paper. Submission of Forms BA-3, BA-4, and G-440 is mandatory. Completion of Form BA-12 is voluntary. One response is requested of each respondent for all of the forms in the collection. Depending on circumstances and method of submission chosen, multiple responses will be received from a respondent for Forms BA-4 and G-440. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (76 FR 54812 on September 2, 2011) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.