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 Railroad Retirement Board
 *Summary:*
                    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate paperwork burdens. The RRB invites comments on the proposed collections of information to determine (1) the practical utility of the collections; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information that is the subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to the RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if the RRB and OIRA receive them within 30 days of the publication date. *1. Title and purpose of information collection:*
                     Certification of Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights; OMB 3220-0016. Under Section 2(e)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), an age and service annuity, spouse annuity, or divorced spouse annuity cannot be paid unless the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has evidence that the applicant has ceased railroad employment and 
                    ( print page 48731)
                    relinquished rights to return to the service of a railroad employer. Under Section 2(f)(6) of the RRA, earnings deductions are required for each month an annuitant works in certain non-railroad employment termed Last Pre-Retirement Non-Railroad Employment. Normally, the employee, spouse, or divorced spouse relinquishes rights and certifies that employment has ended as part of the annuity application process. However, this is 
                    *not always*
                     the case. In limited circumstances, the RRB utilizes Form G-88, 
                    *Certification of Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights,*
                     to obtain an applicant's report of termination of employment and relinquishment of rights. One response is required of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. *Previous Requests for Comments:*
                     The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (82 FR 37133 on August 8, 2017) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments. Information Collection Request (ICR) *Title:*
                     Certification of Termination of Service and Relinquishment of Rights. *OMB Control Number:*
                     3220-0016. *Form(s) submitted:*
                     G-88. *Type of request:*
                     Extension without change of a currently approved collection. *Affected public:*
                     Individuals or Households. *Abstract:*
                     Under Section 2(e)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act, the Railroad Retirement Board must have evidence that an annuitant for an age and service, spouse, or divorced spouse annuity has ceased railroad employment and relinquished their rights to return to the service of a railroad employer. The collection provides the means for obtaining this evidence. *Changes proposed:*
                     The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-88. *The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:* Form No.
Annual
                             responses
Time
                             (minutes)
Burden
                             (hours)G-88
3,600
6
360
 *2. Title and Purpose of information collection:*
                     Statement of Authority to Act for Employee; OMB 3220-0034. Under Section 5(a) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), claims for benefits are to be made in accordance with such regulations as the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) shall prescribe. The provisions for claiming sickness benefits as provided by Section 2 of the RUIA are prescribed in 20 CFR 335.2. Included in these provisions is the RRB's acceptance of forms executed by someone else on behalf of an employee if the RRB is satisfied that the employee is sick or injured to the extent of being unable to sign forms. The RRB utilizes Form SI-10, Statement of Authority to Act for Employee, to provide the means for an individual to apply for authority to act on behalf of an incapacitated employee and also to obtain the information necessary to determine that the delegation should be made. Part I of the form is completed by the applicant for the authority and Part II is completed by the employee's doctor. One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain benefits. *Previous Requests for Comments:*
                     The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (82 FR 37134 on August 8, 2017) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments. Information Collection Request (ICR) *Title:*
                     Statement of Authority to Act for Employee. *OMB Control Number:*
                     3220-0034. *Form(s) submitted:*
                     SI-10. *Type of request:*
                     Extension without change of a currently approved collection. *Affected public:*
                     Individuals or Households. *Abstract:*
                     Under 20 CFR 335.2, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) accepts claims for sickness benefits by other than the sick or injured employees, provided the RRB has the information needed to satisfy itself that the delegation should be made. *Changes proposed:*
                     The RRB proposes no changes to Form SI-10. *The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:* Form No.
Annual
                             responses
Time
                             (minutes)
Burden
                             (hours)SI-10
32
6
3
 *3. Title and Purpose of information collection:*
                     Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire; OMB 3220-0154. Section 215(a)(7) of the Social Security Act provides for a reduction in social security benefits based on employment not covered under the Social Security Act or the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA). This provision applies a different social security benefit formula to most workers who are first eligible after 1985 to both a pension based in whole or in part on non-covered employment and a social security retirement or disability benefit. There is a guarantee provision that limits the reduction in the social security benefit to one-half of the portion of the pension based on non-covered employment after 1956. Section 8011 of Public Law 100-647 changed the effective date of the onset from the first month of eligibility to the first month of concurrent entitlement to the non-covered service benefit and the RRA benefit. Section 3(a)(1) of the RRA provides that the Tier I benefit of an employee annuity shall be equal to the amount (before any reduction for age or deduction for work) the employee would receive if entitled to a like benefit under the Social Security Act. The reduction for a non-covered service pension also applies to a Tier I portion of the employee annuity under the RRA when the annuity or non-covered service pension begins after 1985. Since the amount of a spouse's Tier I benefit is one-half of the employee's Tier I, the spouse annuity is also affected. Form G-209, Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire, is used by the RRB to obtain needed information (1) from a railroad employee who while completing Form AA-1, Application for Employee 
                    ( print page 48732)
                    Annuity (OMB No. 3220-0002), indicates entitlement to or receipt of a pension based on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement Act or the Social Security Act; or (2) from a railroad employee when an independently-entitled divorced spouse applicant believes the employee to be entitled to a non-covered service pension. However, this development is unnecessary if RRB records indicate the employee has 30 or more years of coverage; or (3) from an employee annuitant who becomes entitled to a pension based on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement Act or the Social Security Act. One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. *Previous Requests for Comments:*
                     The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (82 FR 37134 on August 8, 2017) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments. Information Collection Request (ICR) *Title:*
                     Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire. *OMB Control Number:*
                     3220-0154. *Form(s) submitted:*
                     G-209. *Type of request:*
                     Extension without change of a currently approved collection. *Affected public:*
                     Individuals or Households. *Abstract:*
                     Under Section 3 of the Railroad Retirement Act, the Tier I portion of an employee annuity may be subjected to a reduction for benefits received based on work not covered under the Social Security Act or Railroad Retirement Act. The questionnaire obtains the information needed to determine if the reduction applies and the amount of such reduction. *Changes proposed:*
                     The RRB proposes no changes to Form G-209. *The burden estimate for the ICR is as follows:* Form No.
Annual
                             responses
Time
                             (minutes)
Burden
                             (hours)G-209 (Partial Questionnaire)
50
1
1G-209 (Full Questionnaire)
100
8
13Total
150

14
 *Additional Information or Comments:*
                     Copies of the forms and supporting documents can be obtained from Dana Hickman at (312) 751-4981 or 
                    *Dana.Hickman@RRB.GOV.* Comments regarding the information collection should be addressed to Brian Foster, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275 or 
                    *Brian.Foster@rrb.gov*
                     and to the OMB Desk Officer for the RRB, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: 
                    *OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.* Brian D. Foster, Clearance Officer.


[FR Doc. 2017-22647 Filed 10-18-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7905-01-P