On February 3, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided
Salinas v. United States Railroad Retirement Board, No. 19–199, holding that a refusal by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board to reopen a prior benefits determination is subject to judicial review.
The Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (RRA) provides long-term retirement and disability benefits to railroad employees. If an individual’s application for RRA benefits is denied, the statute lays out a series of escalating review mechanisms that the disappointed applicant may invoke: reconsideration from the Board’s Reconsideration Section, an appeal to the Board’s Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, and, finally, an appeal to the Board itself.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
On February 3, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided
Salinas v. United States Railroad Retirement Board, No. 19–199, holding that a refusal by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board to reopen a prior benefits determination is subject to judicial review.
The Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (RRA) provides long-term retirement and disability benefits to railroad employees. If an individual’s application for RRA benefits is denied, the statute lays out a series of escalating review mechanisms that the disappointed applicant may invoke: reconsideration from the Board’s Reconsideration Section, an appeal to the Board’s Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, and, finally, an appeal to the Board itself.