Railroad Retirement Board March 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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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. Title and purpose of information collection: Vocational Report; OMB 3220-0141. Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) provides for payment of disability annuities to qualified employees and widow(ers). The establishment of permanent disability for work in the applicant's ``regular occupation'' or for work in any regular employment is prescribed in 20 CFR 220.12 and 220.13 respectively. The RRB utilizes Form G-251, Vocational Report, to obtain an applicant's work history. This information is used by the RRB to determine the effect of a disability on an applicant's ability to work. Form G-251 is designed for use with the RRB's disability benefit application forms and is provided to all applicants for employee disability annuities and to those applicants for a widow(er)'s disability annuity who indicate that they have been employed at some time. Significant changes are proposed to Form G-251 in support of the RRB's Disability Program Improvement Project to enhance/improve disability case processing and overall program integrity as recommended by the RRB's Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office. Proposed changes to Form G-251 include the consolidation and revision of existing items that request information about essential job duties performed and any exposure to environmental hazards; the expansion of existing items that provide information regarding an applicant's physical actions or work activities and the amount of time that they expend on such activities during an average 8 hour work day to include Balancing, Twisting/Turning, Crawling, Gripping/Holding, Foot Control, and Fine Manipulation; and the addition of new items that request information regarding any permanent working accommodations an employer may have made due to the employee's disability are also proposed. Other minor changes proposed include revisions to the ``Identifying Information'' section to add ``Province'' to the address field for applicants who may live outside the U.S. and to provide for an additional telephone number. Minor non-burden impacting, editorial and formatting changes are also proposed. Completion is required to obtain or retain a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent.
Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding an Information Collection Request (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 collections of information to determine (1) the practical utility of the collections; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections; (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: Employer Reporting; 3220-0005. Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), and Section 6 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), railroad employers are required to submit reports of employee service and compensation to the RRB as needed for administering the RRA and RUIA. To pay benefits due on a deceased employee's earnings records or determine entitlement to, and amount of annuity applied for, it is necessary at times to obtain from railroad employers current (lag) service and compensation not yet reported to the RRB through the annual reporting process. The reporting requirements are specified in 20 CFR 209.6 and 209.7. The RRB currently utilizes Form G-88A.1, Notice of Retirement and Verification of Date Last Worked, Form G-88A.2, Notice of Retirement and Request for Service Needed for Eligibility, and Form AA-12, Notice of Death and Compensation, to obtain the required lag service and related information from railroad employers. Form G-88A.1 is sent by the RRB via a computer-generated listing or transmitted electronically via the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) to employers. ERS consists of a series of screens with completion instructions and collects essentially the same information as the approved manual version. Form G-88A.1 is used for the specific purpose of verifying information previously provided to the RRB regarding the date last worked by an employee. If the information is correct, the employer need not reply. If the information is incorrect, the employer is asked to provide corrected information. Form G-88A.2 is used by the RRB to secure lag service and compensation information when it is needed to determine benefit eligibility. Form AA-12 obtains a report of lag service and compensation from the last railroad employer of a deceased employee. This report covers the lag period between the date of the latest record of employment processed by the RRB and the date an employee last worked, the date of death or the date the employee may have been entitled to benefits under the Social Security Act. The information is used by the RRB to determine benefits due on the deceased employee's earnings record. In addition, 20 CFR 209.12(b) requires all railroad employers to furnish the RRB with the home addresses of all employees hired within the last year (new-hires). Form BA-6a, Form BA-6 Address Report, is used by the RRB to obtain home address information of employees from railroad employers who do not have the home address information computerized and who submit the information in a paper format. The form also serves as an instruction sheet to railroad employers who submit the information electronically by magnetic tape, cartridge, or CD-ROM. Completion of the forms is mandatory. Multiple responses may be filed by respondent. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (80 FR 81381 on December 29, 2015) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.
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