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 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: Statement of Claimant or other Person: OMB 3220-0183.

To support an application for an annuity under Section 2 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) or for unemployment benefits under Section 2 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), pertinent information and proofs must be furnished for the RRB to determine benefit entitlement. Circumstances may require an applicant or other person(s) having knowledge of facts relevant to the applicant's eligibility for an annuity or benefits to provide written statements supplementing or changing statements previously provided by the applicant. Under the railroad retirement program these statements may relate to changes in annuity beginning date(s), dates for marriage(s), birth(s), prior railroad or non-railroad employment, an applicants request for reconsideration of an unfavorable RRB eligibility determination for an annuity or various other matters. The statements may also be used by the RRB to secure a variety of information needed to determine eligibility to unemployment and sickness benefits. Procedures related to providing information needed for RRA annuity or RUIA benefit eligibility determinations are prescribed in 20 CFR parts 217 and 320 respectively.

The RRB utilizes Form G-93, Statement of Claimant or Other Person to obtain the supplemental or corrective information from applicants or persons needed to determine applicant eligibility for an RRA annuity or RUIA benefits.

The RRB proposes non-burden impacting formatting and editorial changes to Form G-93. The completion time for Form G-93 is estimated at 15 minutes per response. The RRB estimates that approximately 90 Form G-93's are received annually. Completion is voluntary. One response is requested of each respondent.

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.