42272 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 151 / Wednesday, August 6, 1997 / Notices

intervention or limited participator

status. See 39 CFR 3001.20 and

3001.20a.

Section 173(e) of the rules of practice

(39 CFR 3001.173(e)) states that the

Commission will hold hearings on a

Postal Service Request for a provisional

service change ‘‘when it determines that

there is a genuine issue of material fact

to be resolved, and that a hearing is

needed to resolve that issue.’’ To assist

that determination, the same provision

directs parties who wish to dispute a

genuine issue of material fact to file a

request for a hearing, which:

shall state with specificity the fact or facts set

forth in the Postal Service’s filing that the

party disputes, and when possible, what the

party believes to be the true fact or facts and

the evidence it intends to provide in support

of its position.

Ibid.

Any participant who wishes to

dispute a genuine issue of material fact

to be resolved in this proceeding shall

file a request for a hearing as specified

in § 173(e) by August 26, 1997. In order

to assist the Commission’s

determination of whether a hearing is

necessary, should any written discovery

be directed to the Postal Service by a

participant before August 26, 1997, the

Postal Service shall respond within 10

days.

A prehearing conference will be held

in this proceeding on Thursday, August

28, 1997, at 9:30 a.m. in the

Commission’s hearing room.

Participants should be prepared to

discuss what formal procedures,

including hearings, may be necessary

and appropriate in this docket. If the

Commission determines that formal

hearings to resolve genuine issues of

material fact are required, hearings to

evaluate the supporting evidence

presented by the Postal Service may be

scheduled to begin as soon as

September 3, 1997. The presiding officer

will establish subsequent procedural

dates.

Representation of the General Public

In conformance with 39 U.S.C.

3624(a), the Commission designates W.

Gail Willette, Director of the

Commission’s Office of the Consumer

Advocate (OCA), to represent the

interests of the general public in this

proceeding. Pursuant to this

designation, Ms. Willette will direct the

activities of Commission personnel

assigned to assist her and, when

requested, will supply their names for

the record. Neither Ms. Willette nor any

of the assigned personnel will

participate in or provide advice on any

Commission decision in this

proceeding. The OCA shall be

separately served with three copies of

all filings, in addition to and

contemporaneous with, service on the

Commission of the 24 copies required

by § 10(c) of the rules of practice (39

CFR 3001.10(c)).

It is ordered:

1. The Commission will sit en banc in

this proceeding.

2. Notices of intervention shall be

filed no later than August 26, 1997.

3. Participants who wish to request a

hearing in this matter shall submit a

request in conformance with 39 CFR

§ 3001.173(e) no later than August 26,

1997.

4. Answers to the Postal Service’s

Notice Concerning Compliance

Statement, or, in the Alternative, Motion

for waiver of Certain Provisions of Rule

64(h) are to be submitted no later than

August 26, 1997.

5. The Postal Service shall provide

responses to any written discovery

requests submitted to it before August

26, 1997, within 10 days.

6. W. Gail Willette, Director of the

Commission’s Office of the Consumer

Advocate, is designated to represent the

general public.

7. A prehearing conference in this

docket shall be held on Thursday,

August 28, 1997, at 9:30 a.m. in the

Commission’s hearing room.

8. The Secretary shall cause this

notice and order to be published in the

Federal Register.

By the Commission.

Margaret P. Crenshaw,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–20628 Filed 8–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

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:

Lag Service Reports; OMB 3220–0005

Under Section 9 of the Railroad Act

(RRA), railroad employers are required

to submit reports of employee service

and compensation to the RRB as needed

for administering the RRA. 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

information not yet reported to the RRB

through the annual reporting process.

The reporting requirements are

specified in 20 CFR 209.4 and 209.5.

The RRB utilizes Form AA–12, Notice

of Death and Statement of

Compensation, and Form G–88A,

Employer’s Supplemental Report of

Service and Compensation to obtain the

required lag service and compensation

and related information from railroad

employers.

The RRB proposes minor editorial

changes to Form AA–12 and G–88A to

incorporate language required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. No

other changes are proposed. The

completion time for the AA–12 is

estimated at 6 and 1⁄2 minutes per

response. The completion time for form

G–88A is estimated at 5 minutes per

response. The RRB estimates that

approximately 800 Form AA–12’s and

400 G–88’s are completed annually.

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) 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. Written comments

should be received within 60 days of

this notice.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–20607 Filed 8–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905–01–M