Federal Register: November 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 225)
DOCID: FR Doc 01-29054
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Railroad Retirement Board
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Agency information collection activities:
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
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:
Application for Employee Annuity Under the Railroad Retirement Act; OMB 32200002 section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), provides for payment of age and service, disability and supplemental annuities to qualified employees. The basic requirements for a regular employee annuity retirement annuity under the RRA is 120 months (10 years) of creditable railroad service. Benefits then become payable after the employee meets certain other requirements, which depend, in turn, on the type of annuity payable. The requirements relating to the annuities are prescribed in 20 CFR parts 216, and 220.
The forms currently used by the RRB to collect information needed
for determining entitlement to and the amount of, an employee
retirement annuity follow: Form AA1, Application for Employee Annuity
Under the Railroad Retirement Act, is completed by an applicant for
either an age and service or disability annuity. It obtains information
about an applicant's marital history, work history, military service,
benefits from other governmental agencies and railroad pensions. Form
AA1d, Application for Determination of Employee Disability, is
completed by an employee who is filing for a disability annuity under
the RRA, or a disability freeze under the Social Security Act for early
Medicare based on a disability. Form G204, Verification of Workers
Compensation/Public Disability Benefit Information, is used to obtain and verify information concerning worker's compensation or
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public disability benefits that are or will be paid by a public agency to a disabled railroad employee.
The RRB is proposing the addition of an electronic equivalent of Form AA1 to the collection. The information collected will include all information obtained on the current form AA1. The electronic equivalent, which will be available for completion over the Internet through the RRB's website, will also, depending on circumstances, incorporate information currently collected on RRB Form AA6, Employee Application for Medicare, Form AA7, Spouse/Divorce Spouse Application for Medicare, Form AA8, Widow/Widower Application for Medicare, (OMB approved 32200082), Form G19L, Annual Earnings Questionnaire, Last PreRetirement NonRailroad Employment (OMB approved 32200179), and Form G208, Public Service Pension Questionnaire (OMB approved 3220 0136). Future plans will include the incorporation of information currently collected on RRB Forms AA4, SelfEmployment and Substantial Service Questionnaire (OMB approved 32200138) G209, Employee Non Covered Service Pension Questionnaire (OMB approved 32200154) and G 319 Statement Regarding Family and Earnings for Special Guaranty Computation and G320, Statement By Employee Annuitant Regarding Student Age 1819 (OMB approved (32200083) into the process.
Upon completion of the electronic AA1 process, the applicant will receive Form AA1cert for review and signature. The AA1cert will summarize information provided by/or verified by the applicant during the application process. Implementation of the AA1cert will largely eliminate the need for the manual version of Form AA1. However, the RRB will continue to use the manual version of the AA1 in instances where the RRB representative is unable to contact the applicant in person or by telephone i.e., the applicant lives in another country and/or does not wish to use the Internet.
The RRB estimates the burden for the collection as follows: Estimated Burden Estimated Estimated Estimated Form # annual completion time annual burden responses (per response) (hours) AA1 manual (without assistance)............................. 100 62 103 AA1cert (Internet without assistance)....................... 650 62 672 AA1cert (with assistance)................................... 12,650 37 7,801 AA1d (manual without assistance)............................ 50 60 50 AA1d (manual) (with assistance)............................. 5,650 35 3,296 G204........................................................ 50 15 13
Total.................................................... 19,100 ............... 11,935
The RRB proposes no changes to manual Form AA1, Form AA1d and Form G204. Completion is required to obtain a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent.
Additional Information or Comments
To request more information or to obtain a copy of the information
collection justification, forms, and/or supporting material, please
call the RRB Clearance Officer at (312) 7513363. Comments regarding
the information collection should be addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp,
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 N. Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611
2092. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.
Chuck Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 0129054 Filed 112001; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 790501M
SUMMARY:
Proposed collection; comment request,