Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 11 / Friday, January 16, 2009 / Notices 3115 

may caucus separately with the Chair to 

devise strategy and formulate positions. 

Premature disclosure of the matters 

discussed in these caucuses would 

unacceptably impair the ability of the 

Committee to reach a consensus on the 

matters being considered and would 

disrupt substantially the disposition of 

its business. Therefore, these caucuses 

will be closed to the public because of 

a determination made by the Director of 

the U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management under the provisions of 

section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463) and 5 

U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B). These caucuses 

may, depending on the issues involved, 

constitute a substantial portion of a 

meeting. 

Annually, the Chair compiles a report 

of pay issues discussed and concluded 

recommendations. These reports are 

available to the public, upon written 

request to the Committee. 

The public is invited to submit 

material in writing to the Chair on 

Federal Wage System pay matters felt to 

be deserving of the Committee’s 

attention. Additional information on 

these meetings may be obtained by 

contacting the Committee at U.S. Office 

of Personnel Management, Federal 

Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, 

Room 5526, 1900 E Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20415, (202) 606–2838. 

Dated: January 12, 2009. 

Charles E. Brooks, 

Chairman, Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory 

Committee. 

[FR Doc. E9–901 Filed 1–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–49–P 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD 

Proposed Data Collection Available for 

Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

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 collections are 

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. 

1. Title and Purpose of Information 

Collection: Employer’s Quarterly Report 

of Contributions Under the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act; RRB 

Form DC–1; OMB 3220–0012 

Under section 8 of the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 

as amended by the Railroad 

Unemployment Improvement Act of 

1988 (Pub. L. 100–647), the amount of 

each employer’s contribution is 

determined by the RRB, primarily on 

the basis of RUIA benefit payments 

made to the employees of that employer. 

These experienced based contributions, 

take into account the frequency, volume 

and duration of RUIA benefits, both 

unemployment and sickness, 

attributable to a railroad’s employees. 

Each employer’s contribution rate 

includes a component for administrative 

expenses and a component to cover 

costs shared by all employers. The 

regulations prescribing the manner and 

conditions for remitting the 

contributions and for adjusting 

overpayments or underpayments of 

contributions are contained in 20 CFR 

345. 

RRB Form DC–1, Employer’s 

Quarterly Report of Contributions Under 

the Railroad Unemployment Insurance 

Act, is currently utilized by the RRB for 

the reporting and remitting of quarterly 

contributions by railroad employers. 

The RRB utilizes a manual version of 

Form DC–1 and also provides railroad 

employers with the option of reporting 

the required information and remitting 

their quarterly contributions via an 

Internet equivalent version Form DC–1. 

One response is requested quarterly of 

each respondent and completion is 

mandatory. The RRB estimates that 

2,160 responses are received annually. 

The estimated completion for the 

manual and Internet version of Form 

DC–1 is estimated at 25 minutes. The 

total burden for the collection is 

estimated at 900 hours. The RRB 

proposes no changes to Form DC–1. 

2. Title and Purpose of Information 

Collection: Applicant Background 

Survey: RRB Form EEO–44, OMB 3220– 

0201 

This information collection is needed 

to comply with Federal laws and 

regulations. 5 U.S.C. Chapter 72 § 7201 

establishes an anti-discrimination 

policy. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 

of 1964, § 2000e–8 [§ 709], requires 

agencies to make and keep relevant 

records to identify unlawful 

employment practices. 29 CFR 1602 

allows agencies to collect data to 

determine if there is any adverse impact 

on employment practices such as 

recruitment or selection. 

The RRB’s Equal Employment Office 

collects data to assess the impact of the 

agency’s recruitment processes on the 

hiring of minorities, women and people 

with disabilities. To obtain the 

information necessary to conduct a 

proper assessment, the RRB utilizes 

Form EEO–44, Applicant Background 

Survey, which collects information 

about the racial or ethnic identity, 

gender and disability of applicants for 

RRB jobs from outside of the Federal 

government. 

Form EEO–44 is only viewed by RRB 

Human Resources personnel and Equal 

Employment Opportunity officials. 

Summarized data from all external 

applicants for a position is used to 

identify hiring barriers which limit or 

tends to limit employment 

opportunities for members of a 

particular sex, race, or ethnic 

background, or based on an individual’s 

disability status. 

The EEO–44 contains a ‘‘Plain 

English’’ assurance that the information 

will be kept highly confidential and 

only shared with authorized RRB 

officials. This assurance specifically 

states that the information obtained is 

kept as a running tally which cannot be 

disaggregated into individual names, 

that information from the form is not 

entered into the RRB’s personnel 

database, that the information is not 

provided to selecting officials or any 

others who can affect the selection, or 

to the public, and that the forms is 

destroyed after the position is filled. 

The information maintained does not 

include the applicant’s name or other 

identifier. 

Completion of one form is requested 

of each respondent and is voluntary. 

The RRB estimates that 800 EEO–44’s 

are completed annually at an estimated 

completion time of 5 minutes. The total 

burden for the collection is estimated at 

67 hours. The RRB proposes no changes 

to Form EEO–44. 

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 or 

send an e-mail request to 

Charles.Mierzwa@RRB.GOV. Comments 

regarding the information collection 

should be addressed to Ronald J. 

Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 

North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 

60611–2092 or send an e-mail to 

Ronald.Hodapp@RRB.GOV. Written 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

3116 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 11 / Friday, January 16, 2009 / Notices 

comments should be received within 60 

days of this notice. 

Charles Mierzwa, 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–970 Filed 1–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7905–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

Upon Written Request, Copies Available 

From: Securities and Exchange 

Commission, Office of Investor 

Education and Advocacy, 

Washington, DC 20549–0213. 

Extension: Rules 17Ad–6 and 17Ad–7; OMB 

Control No. 3235–0291; SEC File No. 

270–151. 

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities 

and Exchange Commission 

(‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments 

on the existing collection of information 

provided for in Rules 17Ad–6 and 

17Ad–7 (17 CFR 240.17Ad–6 and –7) 

under the Securities Exchange Act of 

1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) (‘‘Exchange 

Act’’). The Commission plans to submit 

this existing collection of information to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

for extension and approval. 

Rule 17Ad–6 under the Exchange Act 

requires every registered transfer agent 

to make and keep current records about 

a variety of information, such as: (1) 

Specific operational data regarding the 

time taken to perform transfer agent 

activities (to ensure compliance with 

the minimum performance standards in 

Rule 17Ad–2 (17 CFR 240.17Ad–2); (2) 

written inquiries and requests by 

shareholders and broker-dealers and 

response time thereto; (3) resolutions, 

contracts or other supporting documents 

concerning the appointment or 

termination of the transfer agent; (4) 

stop orders or notices of adverse claims 

to the securities; and (5) all canceled 

registered securities certificates. 

Rule 17Ad–7 under the Securities 

Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78b et 

seq.) requires each registered transfer 

agent to retain the records specified in 

Rule 17Ad–6 in an easily accessible 

place for a period of six months to six 

years, depending on the type of record 

or document. Rule 17Ad–7 also 

specifies the manner in which records 

may be maintained using electronic, 

microfilm, and microfiche storage 

methods. 

These recordkeeping requirements are 

designed to ensure that all registered 

transfer agents are maintaining the 

records necessary for them to monitor 

and keep control over their own 

performance and for the Commission to 

adequately examine registered transfer 

agents on an historical basis for 

compliance with applicable rules. 

The Commission estimates that 

approximately 600 registered transfer 

agents will spend a total of 300,000 

hours per year complying with Rules 

17Ad–6 and 17Ad–7 (500 hours per year 

per transfer agent). 

Written comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Commission, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s 

estimates of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information; (c) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and 

(d) ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Consideration will be given to 

comments and suggestions submitted in 

writing within 60 days of this 

publication. 

Comments should be directed to 

Charles Boucher, Director/Chief 

Information Officer, Securities and 

Exchange Commission, c/o Shirley 

Martinson, 6432 General Green Way, 

Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an e-mail 

to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: January 12, 2009. 

Florence E. Harmon, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–880 Filed 1–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

Upon Written Request, Copies Available 

From: Securities and Exchange 

Commission, Office of Investor 

Education and Advocacy, 

Washington, DC 20549–0213. 

Extension: 

Form 12b–25, OMB Control No. 3235– 

0058, SEC File No. 270–71. 

Notice is hereby given that pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) the Securities 

and Exchange Commission 

(‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments 

on the collection of information 

summarized below. The Commission 

plans to submit this existing collection 

of information to the Office of 

Management and Budget for extension 

and approval. 

The purpose of Form 12b–25 (17 CFR 

240.12b–25) is to provide notice to the 

Commission and the marketplace that a 

public company will be unable to timely 

file a required periodic report or 

transition report pursuant to the 

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 

U.S.C 78a et seq.). If all the filing 

conditions of the form are met, the 

company is granted an automatic filing 

extension. Form 12b–25 is filed by 

publicly held companies. 

Approximately 7,799 registrants file 

Form 12b–25 and it takes approximately 

2.5 hours per response for a total of 

19,498 burden hours. 

Written comments are invited on: (a) 

Whether this proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden imposed by the collection 

of information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information collected; and (d) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on respondents, including 

through the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. Consideration will be given 

to comments and suggestions submitted 

in writing within 60 days of this 

publication. 

Please direct your written comments 

to Charles Boucher, Director/Chief 

Information Officer, Securities and 

Exchange Commission, C/O Shirley 

Martinson, 6432 General Green Way, 

Alexandria, Virginia 22312; or send an 

e-mail to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: January 12, 2009. 

Florence E. Harmon, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–929 Filed 1–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES