Railroad Retirement Board June 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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: Continuing Disability Report; OMB 3220-0187. Under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231a), an annuity is not payable or is reduced for any month in which the annuitant works for a railroad or earns more than prescribed dollar amounts from either non-railroad employment or self- employment. Certain types of work may indicate an annuitant's recovery from disability. The provisions relating to the reduction or non- payment of an annuity by reason of work, and an annuitant's recovery from disability for work, are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.17-220.20. The RRB conducts continuing disability reviews (CDR) to determine whether an annuitant continues to meet the disability requirements of the law. Provisions relating to when and how often the RRB conducts CDR's are prescribed in 20 CFR 220.186. Form G-254, Continuing Disability Report, is used by the RRB to develop information for a CDR determination, including a determination prompted by a report of work, return to railroad service, allegation of medical improvement, or a routine disability review call-up. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-254. Form G-254a, Continuing Disability Update Report, is used to help identify a disability annuitant whose work activity and/or recent medical history warrants completion of Form G-254 for a more extensive review. The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-254a. Form RL-8A, Occupational Disability Certification, was used to annually monitor occupational disability annuitants who met certain criteria. The form required annuitants to certify that they are still disabled in order to continue receiving their occupational disability annuities. A CDR may be conducted in any case in which the annuitant does not return a completed and signed RF-8A within 30 days to the RRB. Form RL-8 was used as a cover letter to transmit the Form RL-8A. The 3- member Board has decided our resources no longer allows us to perform CDRs (Continued Disability Reviews) for high-risk cases. The RRB proposes to remove Form RL-8a from the information collection.

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: Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act Applications; OMB 3220-0039. Under Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) (45 U.S.C. 362), sickness benefits are payable to qualified railroad employees who are unable to work because of illness or injury. In addition, sickness benefits are payable to qualified female employees if they are unable to work, or if working would be injurious, because of pregnancy, miscarriage, or childbirth. Under Section 1(k) of the RUIA a statement of sickness, with respect to days of sickness of an employee, is to be filed with the RRB within a 10-day period from the first day claimed as a day of sickness. The Railroad Retirement Board's (RRB) authority for requesting supplemental medical information is Section 12(i) and 12(n) of the RUIA. The procedures for claiming sickness benefits and for the RRB to obtain supplemental medical information needed to determine a claimant's eligibility for such benefits are prescribed in 20 CFR part 335. The forms currently used by the RRB to obtain information needed to determine eligibility for, and the amount of, sickness benefits due a claimant follow: Form SI-1a, Application for Sickness Benefits; Form SI-1b, Statement of Sickness; Form SI-3 (Manual & Internet), Claim for Sickness Benefits; Form SI-7, Supplemental Doctor's Statement; Form SI- 8, Verification of Medical Information; and Form ID-11A, Requesting Reason for Late Filing of Sickness Benefit. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. One response is requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to Form SI-1a, Form SI-3 (Manual), SI-7, SI-8, and ID-11a; minor non-burden impacting changes to the Form SI-1b to include update to the officer title and RRB zip code in the Paperwork Reduction Act/Privacy Act Notices section; and minor non-burden impacting changes to the Form SI-3 (Internet) to include update to the officer title and RRB zip code in the Paperwork Reduction Act/Privacy Act Notices section, update the ``Estimation Completion Time'' to 5 minutes, and update zip code on page's 6 and page 7.