Employee Benefits Security Administration October 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice of Proposed Amendment; Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 99-34 Involving the Chase Manhattan Bank/JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association
Document Number: E8-25235
Type: Notice
Date: 2008-10-23
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a notice of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption, which, if granted, would amend PTE 99-34 (64 FR 46419, August 25, 1999), an exemption granted to The Chase Manhattan Bank (CMB). PTE 99-34 permits the lending of securities to affiliates of The Chase Manhattan Corporation (CMC) by employee benefit plans, including commingled investment funds holding plan assets for which CMC affiliates act as directed trustee or custodian and securities lending agent or subagent, and the receipt of compensation in connection with the transactions. The amendment, if granted, would apply to JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (JPMCB), a successor organization to CMB, and would extend the provisions of PTE 99-34 to certain transactions with affiliates of the Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (Bear Stearns). If granted, the proposed amendment would affect participants and beneficiaries and fiduciaries of employee benefit plans to which affiliates of JPMCB act as securities lending agent or sub-agent and may also act as custodian or directed trustee.
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Meeting
Document Number: E8-24765
Type: Notice
Date: 2008-10-20
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Under the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act
Document Number: E8-24666
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-20
Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury
This document contains final rules for group health plans and health insurance issuers concerning hospital lengths of stay for mothers and newborns following childbirth, pursuant to the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 and the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
Interpretive Bulletin Relating to Exercise of Shareholder Rights
Document Number: E8-24552
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-17
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document sets forth the views of the Department of Labor concerning the legal standards imposed by sections 402, 403 and 404 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) with respect to the exercise of shareholder rights and written statements of investment policy, including proxy voting policies or guidelines. These guidelines affect fiduciaries of employee benefit plans, including trustees, investment managers and others responsible for the management of employee benefit plan assets.
Interpretive Bulletin Relating to Investing in Economically Targeted Investments
Document Number: E8-24551
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-17
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document sets forth the views of the Department of Labor concerning the legal standards imposed on fiduciaries of employee benefit plans by sections 403 and 404 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) when considering investments in ``economically targeted investments.'' These guidelines affect fiduciaries of employee benefit plans, including trustees, investment managers and others responsible for the management of employee benefit plan assets.
Hearing on Proposed Class Exemption for Investment Advice
Document Number: E8-24338
Type: Notice
Date: 2008-10-14
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Notice is hereby given that the Department of Labor will hold a hearing on the Department's proposed class exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA, or the Act), and from certain taxes imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code), for the provision of investment advice to participants and beneficiaries of self-directed individual account plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
Investment Advice-Participants and Benficiaries; Hearing
Document Number: E8-24337
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2008-10-14
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Notice is hereby given that the Department of Labor will hold a hearing on the Department's proposed regulation under provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA, or the Act), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code), relating to the provision of investment advice to participants and beneficiaries of self-directed individual account plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
Request for Information Regarding Sections 101 Through 104 of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
Document Number: E8-24194
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2008-10-10
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury
This document is a request for comments regarding issues under sections 101 through 104 of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) have received inquiries from the public on a number of issues under these provisions and are welcoming public comments in advance of future rulemaking.
Notice of Proposed Individual Exemption Involving BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock), and the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) (Collectively, the Applicants) Located in New York, NY
Document Number: E8-24100
Type: Notice
Date: 2008-10-10
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a notice of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). If granted, the proposed exemption would permit the purchase of certain securities (the Securities), during the existence of an underwriting or selling syndicate with respect to such Securities, by PNC or BlackRock or a related entity (collectively, a PNC/BlackRock Related Entity), which is acting as a fiduciary (Asset Manager) on behalf of certain employee benefit plans (Client Plans and In-House Plans), including such plans invested in pooled funds, from any person other than such Asset Manager or any other PNC/BlackRock Related Entity, under the following circumstances: (a) Where a related broker-dealer (a PNC/BlackRock Related Broker-Dealer) is a manager or member of such syndicate (AUT)); or (b) where a PNC/BlackRock Related Broker-Dealer is a manager or member of such syndicate and an affiliated servicer (Affiliated Servicer) serves as servicer of a trust that issued the Securities (whether or not debt securities) (AUT and AST); or (c) where an Affiliated Servicer serves as servicer of a trust that issued the Securities (whether or not debt securities) (AST); provided certain conditions as set forth below are satisfied. The proposed exemption, if granted, would affect Client Plans and In-House Plans and their participants and beneficiaries.
Statutory Exemption for Cross-Trading of Securities
Document Number: E8-23434
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a final rule that implements the content requirements for the written cross-trading policies and procedures required under section 408(b)(19)(H) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act). Section 611(g) of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, Public Law No. 109-280, 120 Stat. 780, 972, amended section 408(b) of ERISA by adding a new subsection (19) that exempts the purchase and sale of a security between a plan and any other account managed by the same investment manager if certain conditions are satisfied. Among other requirements, section 408(b)(19)(H) stipulates that the investment manager must adopt, and effect cross-trades in accordance with, written cross- trading policies and procedures that are fair and equitable to all accounts participating in the cross-trading program. This final rule affects employee benefit plans, investment managers, plan fiduciaries and plan participants and beneficiaries.
Amendment to Interpretive Bulletin 95-1
Document Number: E8-23433
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a final rule that amends Interpretive Bulletin 95-1 to limit the application of the Bulletin to the selection of annuity providers for defined benefit plans. Also appearing in today's Federal Register is a final regulation, entitled ``Selection of Annuity ProvidersSafe Harbor for Individual Account Plans'', which establishes a safe harbor for the selection of annuity providers for the purpose of benefit distributions from individual account plans covered by title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The amendment to Interpretive Bulletin 95-1, as well as the safe harbor for annuity selections, will affect plan sponsors and fiduciaries of individual account plans, and the participants and beneficiaries covered by such plans.
Adoption of Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2006-06; (PTE 2006-06) For Services Provided in Connection With the Termination of Abandoned Individual Account Plans
Document Number: E8-23429
Type: Notice
Date: 2008-10-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document amends PTE 2006-06 (71 FR 20856, Apr. 21, 2006), a prohibited transaction class exemption issued under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Among other things, PTE 2006-06 permits a ``qualified termination administrator'' (QTA) of an individual account plan that has been abandoned by its sponsoring employer to select itself to provide services to the plan in connection with the plan's termination, and to pay itself fees for those services. In response to changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code) enacted as part of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006, PTE 2006- 06 is amended to require, as a condition of relief under the exemption, that benefits for a missing, designated nonspouse beneficiary be directly rolled over into an inherited individual retirement plan that fully complies with Code requirements. This amendment also conforms to the Department's final rule amending regulations concerning the Termination of Abandoned Individual Account Plans at 29 CFR 2578.1 (the QTA Regulation), and the Safe Harbor for Distributions from Terminated Individual Account Plans at 29 CFR 2550.404a-3 (the Safe Harbor Regulation), which appears elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The amendment to the class exemption affects plans, participants and beneficiaries of such plans and certain persons engaging in such transactions.
Selection of Annuity Providers-Safe Harbor for Individual Account Plans
Document Number: E8-23427
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a final regulation that establishes a safe harbor for the selection of annuity providers for the purpose of benefit distributions from individual account plans covered by title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This regulation will affect plan sponsors and fiduciaries of individual account plans and the participants and beneficiaries covered by such plans. Also appearing in today's Federal Register is a final rule amending Interpretive Bulletin 95-1 to limit the application of the Bulletin to the selection of annuity providers for defined benefit plans.
Amendments to Safe Harbor for Distributions From Terminated Individual Account Plans and Termination of Abandoned Individual Account Plans To Require Inherited Individual Retirement Plans for Missing Nonspouse Beneficiaries
Document Number: E8-23424
Type: Rule
Date: 2008-10-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a final rule amending regulations under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 that provide guidance and a fiduciary safe harbor for the distribution of benefits on behalf of participants or beneficiaries in terminated and abandoned individual account plans. The Department is amending these regulations to reflect changes enacted as part of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code), under which a distribution of a deceased plan participant's benefit from an eligible retirement plan may be directly transferred to an individual retirement plan established on behalf of the designated nonspouse beneficiary of such participant. Specifically, the amended regulations require as a condition of relief under the fiduciary safe harbor that benefits for a missing, designated nonspouse beneficiary be directly rolled over to an individual retirement plan that fully complies with Code requirements. This final rule will affect fiduciaries, plan service providers, and participants and beneficiaries of individual account pension plans.
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