Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 240 / Wednesday, December 15, 1999 / Notices 70099

1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY

CORPORATION

Interest Assumption for Determining

Variable-Rate Premium; Interest

Assumptions for Multiemployer Plan

Valuations Following Mass Withdrawal

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of interest rates and

assumptions.

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public

of the interest rates and assumptions to

be used under certain Pension Benefit

Guaranty Corporation regulations. These

rates and assumptions are published

elsewhere (or are derivable from rates

published elsewhere), but are collected

and published in this notice for the

convenience of the public. Interest rates

are also published on the PBGC’s web

site (http://www.pbgc.gov).

DATES: The interest rate for determining

the variable-rate premium under part

4006 applies to premium payment years

beginning in December 1999. The

interest assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in January 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harold J. Ashner, Assistant General

Counsel, Office of the General Counsel,

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,

1200 K Street, NW., Washington, DC

20005, 202–326–4024. (For TTY/TDD

users, call the Federal relay service tollfree at 1–800–877–8339 and ask to be

connected to 202–326–4024.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Variable-Rate Premiums

Section 4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) of the

Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974 (ERISA) and § 4006.4(b)(1)

of the PBGC’s regulation on Premium

Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use

of an assumed interest rate in

determining a single-employer plan’s

variable-rate premium. The rate is the

‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 85

percent) of the annual yield on 30-year

Treasury securities for the month

preceding the beginning of the plan year

for which premiums are being paid (the

‘‘premium payment year’’). The yield

figure is reported in Federal Reserve

Statistical Releases G.13 and H.15.

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in December 1999 is 5.23 percent (i.e.,

85 percent of the 6.15 percent yield

figure for November 1999).

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between

January 1999 and December 1999.

For premium payment years

beginning in:

The assumed interest rate is:

January 1999 ............................ 4.30

February 1999 .......................... 4.39

March 1999 ............................... 4.56

April 1999 ................................. 4.74

May 1999 .................................. 4.72

June 1999 ................................. 4.94

July 1999 .................................. 5.13

August 1999 ............................. 5.08

September 1999 ....................... 5.16

October 1999 ............................ 5.16

November 1999 ........................ 5.32

December 1999 ........................ 5.23

Multiemployer Plan Valuations

Following Mass Withdrawal

The PBGC’s regulation on Duties of

Plan Sponsor Following Mass

Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281)

prescribes the use of interest

assumptions under the PBGC’s

regulation on Allocation of Assets in

Single-employer Plans (29 CFR part

4044). The interest assumptions

applicable to valuation dates in January

2000 under part 4044 are contained in

an amendment to part 4044 published

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

Tables showing the assumptions

applicable to prior periods are codified

in appendix B to 29 CFR part 4044.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 13th day

of December 1999.

David M. Strauss,

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 99–32607 Filed 12–14–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Agency Forms Submitted for OMB

Review

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. chapter 35), the Railroad

Retirement Board (RRB) has submitted

the following proposal(s) for the

collection of information to the Office of

Management and Budget for review and

approval.

Summary of Proposal(s)

(1) Collection title: Gross Earnings

Report.

(2) Form(s) submitted: BA–11.

(3) OMB Number: 3220–0132.

(4) Expiration date of current OMB

clearance: 1/31/2000.

(5) Type of request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

(6) Respondents: Business or other

for-profit.

(7) Estimated annual number of

respondents: 536.

(8) Total annual responses: 556.

(9) Total annual reporting hours: 345.

(10) Collection description: Section

7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act

requires a financial interchange between

the OASDHI trust funds and the railroad

retirement account. The collection

obtains gross earnings of railway

employees on a 1% basis. The

information is used in determining the

amount which would place the OASDHI

trust funds in the position they would

have been if railroad service had been

covered by the Social Security and FIC

acts.

Additional Information or Comments

Copies of the forms and supporting

documents can be obtained from Chuck

Mierzwa, the agency clearance officer

(312–751–3363). Comments regarding

the information collection should be

addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad

Retirement Board, 844 North Rush

Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611–2092

and the OMB reviewer, Lori Schack

(202–395–7316), Office of Management

and Budget, Room 10230, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

D.C. 20503.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 99–32254 Filed 12–14–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905–01–M

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

(Release No. 34–42210; File No. SR–MSRB–

99–10)

Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice

of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness

of Proposed Rule Change by the

Municipal Securities Rulemaking

Board Amending Rule A–4(d), ‘‘Action

Without a Meeting’’

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2

notice is hereby given that on December

1, 1999, the Municipal Securities

Rulemaking Board (‘‘MSRB’’ or

‘‘Board’’) filed with Securities and

Exchange Commission (‘‘SEC’’ or

‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule

change as described in Items I, II, and

III below, which Items have been

prepared by the MSRB. The

Commission is published this notice to