Employee Benefits Security Administration March 30, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains notices of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of proposed exemptions from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). This notice includes the following proposed exemptions: D-11582, South Plains Financial, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the Plan or the Applicant); and D-11668, TIB Financial Corp. Employee Stock Ownership Plan with 401(k) Provisions (the Plan).

This document contains a notice of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of an amendment to a proposed individual exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The proposed transactions involve Sammons Enterprises, Inc. (Sammons). The proposed exemption, if granted, would affect the ESOP for which Sammons is the sponsor, and the participants and beneficiaries of the ESOP. Temporary Nature of Exemption: This exemption, if granted, will expire at the earlier of (i) the first day of the first fiscal year of Sammons next following the fiscal year in which falls the fifth anniversary of the date of grant of the exemption; and (ii) the first day upon which the ESOP fails to own at least 99% of the issued and outstanding shares of Sammons. Written Comments and Hearing Requests: All interested persons are invited to submit written comments and/or requests for a hearing on the proposed exemption within forty five (45) days from the date of the publication of this Federal Register Notice. Comments and requests for a hearing should state: (1) The name, address and telephone number of the person making the comment or the request for a hearing and (2) the nature of the person's interest in the proposed exemption and the manner in which the person would be adversely affected by the proposed exemption. A request for a hearing must also state the issues to be addressed at the requested hearing and include a general description of the evidence to be presented at the requested hearing.