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: Sick Pay and Miscellaneous Payments Report; OMB 3220-0175. Under Section 6 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) and Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) maintains for each railroad employee a record of compensation paid to that employee by all railroad employers for whom the employee worked after 1936. This record, which is used by the RRB to determine eligibility for, and amount of, benefits due under the laws it administers, is conclusive as to the amount of compensation paid to an employee during such period(s) covered by the report(s) of the compensation by the railroad employer(s). Further, the Railroad Retirement Solvency Act of 1983 added subsection 1(h)(8) to the RRA which expanded the definition of compensation for purposes of computing the Tier 1 portion of an annuity to include sickness payments and certain payments other than sick pay which are considered compensation within the meaning of Section 1(h)(8). The information reporting requirements for employers are prescribed in 20 CFR 209.

To enable the RRB to establish and maintain the record of compensation, employers are required under Section 6 of the RUIA and Section 9 of the RRA to file with the RRB, in such manner and form and at such times as the RRB by rules and regulation may prescribe, reports of compensation of employees.

The RRB utilizes Form BA-10, Report of Miscellaneous Compensation and Sick Pay, to collect information regarding sick pay and certain other types of payments, referred to as miscellaneous compensation, under Section 1(h)(8) of the Railroad Retirement Act from railroad employers. In addition, the form is used by employers to report any necessary adjustments in the amounts of sick pay or miscellaneous compensation. Employers have the option of submitting the reports on the aforementioned form, or, in like format, on magnetic tape, tape cartridges or PC diskettes. Submission of the mandatory reports is requested annually. One response is required of each respondent. No changes are proposed to Form BA-10. The completion time for Form BA-10 is estimated at 55 minutes per response.

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 comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.