Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations

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

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: Gross Earnings

Reports; OMB 3220-0132.

In order to carry out the financial interchange provisions of

section 7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the RRB obtains

annually from railroad employer's the gross earnings for their

employees on a one-percent basis, i.e., 1% of each employer's railroad

employees. The gross earnings sample is based on the earnings of

employees whose social security numbers end with the digits ``30.'' The

gross earnings are used to compute payroll taxes under the financial

interchange.

The gross earnings information is essential in determining the tax

amounts involved in the financial interchange with the Social Security

Administration and Health Care Financing Administration. Besides being

necessary for current financial interchange calculations, the gross

earnings file tabulations are also an integral part of the data needed

to estimate future tax income and corresponding financial interchange

amounts. These estimates are made for internal use and to satisfy

requests from other government agencies and interested groups. In

addition, cash flow projections of the social security equivalent

benefit account, railroad retirement account and cost estimates made

for proposed amendments to laws administered by the RRB are dependent

on input developed from the information collection.

The RRB utilizes Form BA-11 or its electronic equivalent to obtain

gross earnings information from railroad employers. One response is

requested of each railroad employer. Completion is mandatory.

The RRB proposes minor, non-burden impacting editorial revisions to

Form BA-11.

Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden: Gross earnings reports are

required annually from all employers reporting railroad service and

compensation. There are approximately 633 railroad employers who

currently report gross earnings to the RRB. Most large railroad

employers include their railroad subsidiaries in their gross earnings

reports. This results in the RRB collection less than 633 earnings

reports. Also, there are a large number of railroad employers having

work forces so small that they do not have employees with social

security numbers ending in ``30.'' Currently, there are 399 such

employers in this category who file ``negative'' BA-11 responses to the

RRB. Overall, on an annual basis, the RRB receives 28 reports

consisting of computer prepared tapes or listings and 104 by means of

manually prepared Form BA-11. The RRB estimates an average preparation

time of 5 hours for each gross earnings report submitted by computer

tape or listing and 30 minutes for each manually prepared BA-11.

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 N. Rush

Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. Written comments should be

received within 60 days of this notice.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-22090 Filed 8-28-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905-01-M