Proposed Collection; Comment Request

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

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 Payment 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 its

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.

[[Page 28019]]

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 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 on or before July 20, 1998.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-13582 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905-01-M