Search Results for keywords:"Employee Benefits Security Administration"

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration granted an exemption allowing the Associated General Contractors of America, San Diego Chapter, Inc. to lease its training facility to its Apprenticeship and Training Fund under specific conditions. The agreement ensures the Plan pays fair market rent, verified by an independent fiduciary, and that the lease benefits participants by providing effective training facilities. The fiduciary also monitors compliance with the lease terms and any rent increases must adhere to changes in the Consumer Price Index. This exemption is designed to avoid conflicts with ERISA's prohibited transaction rules.

The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is inviting public comments on the continuation and extension of different information collection requests (ICRs) related to employee benefit plans. These ICRs cover various topics, including health plan enrollment notices, multiple employer welfare arrangements, and reporting procedures for top hat plans, among others. The public can submit their comments by March 7, 2025, and these comments will assist the Department in assessing the impact and effectiveness of these information requirements. The ICRs aim to help reduce the public's reporting burden and improve the understanding of the Department's data collection needs.

The Department of Labor has updated the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFC Program) to simplify the process of correcting fiduciary breaches under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). These updates add a self-correction feature for common plan issues like late participant contributions, streamline procedures for program participation, and incorporate changes from the SECURE 2.0 Act allowing self-correction for certain participant loan failures. The goal is to make the program more user-friendly for employers and other plan fiduciaries, encouraging compliance with the law and avoiding potential civil penalties.

The Department of Labor is requesting public comments on an information collection process related to a financial exemption that allows employee benefit plans to invest in mutual funds under specific conditions. This exemption requires banks or plan advisers to disclose details to independent fiduciaries before any asset transfers and provide regular updates afterward. Comments are being solicited on several aspects, including the need and practicality of the information collection, accuracy in estimating the associated burdens, and suggestions for improving the process. The Department seeks to maintain authorization for this collection for three years, during which it remains subject to review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is asking for feedback on an information collection related to Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 2002-12, which involves buying and selling securities between investment funds through passive or model-driven cross-trading programs. This request has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act and comments will be accepted until April 28, 2025. The aim is to evaluate whether the information collection is necessary, accurate, and burdensome, and if there are ways to improve or simplify it. The OMB will determine if the collection can proceed, with approval lasting up to three years.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor has issued an exemption notice for UBS-managed Qualified Professional Asset Managers (UBS QPAMs). This exemption allows UBS QPAMs to rely on Prohibited Transaction Exemption 84-14 (PTE 84-14), despite past criminal convictions within the UBS and Credit Suisse corporate families. The exemption is valid from June 12, 2023, through June 11, 2029, provided UBS QPAMs adhere to specific conditions designed to ensure compliance with fiduciary standards and protect ERISA-covered plans and IRAs. This decision aims to shield plan participants and beneficiaries from potential financial harm while maintaining oversight over UBS QPAMs' activities.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is inviting public comments on an information collection request related to the Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program, which is being reviewed for approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This program allows plan administrators to pay reduced penalties if they voluntarily comply with annual reporting requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The DOL is seeking authorization for this information collection for three years, targeting businesses and not-for-profit institutions. Comments must be submitted by February 16, 2021.

The Department of Labor is asking for public comments on an information collection request related to the acquisition and sale of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) shares by individual account plans. This request aims to ensure compliance with specific legal exemptions allowing certain transactions that would otherwise be prohibited. The public is invited to provide feedback on the necessity, accuracy, and methods of collecting the information by April 28, 2025. The information collection is under review for a potential three-year authorization by the Office of Management and Budget.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an information collection request related to the definition of "plan assets" involving participant contributions to employee benefit plans. This request is being managed by the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and is part of adhering to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The regulation details the timeframes within which contributions must become plan assets and outlines the requirements for employers who need an extension to meet these deadlines. The DOL invites public comments on various aspects of this information collection, including its necessity, utility, and potential burden on businesses.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an exemption allowing the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension Fund to sell a 19.25-acre property in Las Vegas to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters for cash. This decision was based on the finding that the sale to UBC would result in significantly higher net proceeds for the Pension Fund compared to selling the property to a third party. Following public input, the Department removed a proposed revenue-sharing condition but kept a "Clawback Condition" ensuring that if UBC resells the property within ten years for a profit, any excess proceeds must be given to the Pension Fund. The exemption ensures that the sale benefits the Pension Fund and its participants.