[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 76962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28115]


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PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION


Submission of Information Collection for OMB Review; Comment 
Request; Liability for Termination of Single-Employer Plans

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of request for extension of OMB approval.

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SUMMARY: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (``PBGC'') is 
requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') extend 
approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of a collection of 
information in its regulation on Liability for Termination of Single-
Employer Plans, 29 CFR Part 4062 (OMB control number 1212-0017; expires 
January 31, 2005). This notice informs the public of the PBGC's request 
and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

DATES: Comments should be submitted by January 24, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: 
Desk Officer for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Washington, DC 
20503. Copies of the request for extension (including the collection of 
information) may be obtained without charge by writing to or visiting 
the PBGC's Communications and Public Affairs Department, suite 240, 
1200 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026, or calling (202) 326-
4040. (TTY and TDD users may call (800) 877-8339 and request connection 
to (202) 326-4040). The regulation on Employer Liability can be 
accessed on the PBGC's Web site at http://www.pbgc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas H. Gabriel, Attorney, Office of 
the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026, (202) 326-4024. (For TTY and 
TDD, call (800) 877-8339 and request connection to (202) 326-4024).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 4062 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 provides that the contributing sponsor of a 
single-employer pension plan and members of the sponsor's controlled 
group (``the employer'') incur liability (``employer liability'') if 
the plan terminates with assets insufficient to pay benefit liabilities 
under the plan. The PBGC's statutory lien for employer liability and 
the payment terms for employer liability are affected by whether and to 
what extent employer liability exceeds 30 percent of the employer's net 
worth.
    Section 4062.6 of the PBGC's employer liability regulation (29 CFR 
4062.6) requires a contributing sponsor or member of the contributing 
sponsor's controlled group who believes employer liability upon plan 
termination exceeds 30 percent of the employer's net worth to so notify 
the PBGC and to submit net worth information. This information is 
necessary to enable the PBGC to determine whether and to what extent 
employer liability exceeds 30 percent of the employer's net worth.
    The collection of information under the regulation has been 
approved by OMB under control number 1212-0017 (expires January 31, 
2005). The PBGC is requesting that OMB extend its approval for three 
years. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    The PBGC estimates that an average of 5 contributing sponsors or 
controlled group members per year will respond to this collection of 
information. The PBGC further estimates that the average annual burden 
of this collection of information will be 12 hours and $3,300 per 
respondent, with an average total annual burden of 60 hours and 
$16,500.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 20th day of December, 2004.
Stuart A. Sirkin,
Director, Corporate Policy and Research Department, Pension Benefit 
Guaranty Corporation.
[FR Doc. 04-28115 Filed 12-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7708-01-P