Advisory Opinions

Requests for interpretations and other rulings under Title 1 of ERISA are handled by the Office of Regulations and Interpretations under the provisions established by ERISA Procedure 76-1.  The office answers inquiries from individuals and organizations in the form of advisory opinions, which apply the law to a specific set of facts, or information letters, which merely call attention to well established principles or interpretations.

Data Dictionary

1987
AO/ Date/ Reference Recipient Description of Request
06/02/1987
406(b)(3)

Ms. Katherine L. Thompson
Director of Communication Service
Facciani & Company
Rock Run Center
Suite 242
5700 Lombardo Centre
Cleveland, OH 44131

Whether the purchase of preferred stock of a corporation by a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by that corporation would contravene the prohibited transaction provisions of section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) if such stock is acquired from the estate of the father of a plan fiduciary.

05/05/1987
407

Mr. Kenneth M. Hart
Townley & Updike
Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10174

Whether depositary shares of Jaguar plc (a U.K. Corporation) common stock, evidenced by American depositary receipts (ADRs), constitute "qualifying employer securities" under section 407(d)(5) of ERISA if held by the profit-sharing plan for U.S. employees of Jaguar Cars, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Jaguar plc)

01/08/1987
3(1)
3(4)
3(5)

Mr. Franklin L. Damon
Wyman, Bautzer, Rothman, Kuchel & Silbert
Two Century Plaza, Fourteenth Floor
2049 Century Park East
Los Angeles, California 90067

Whether the National Transportation Trust, established pursuant to a trust agreement effective January 1, 1985, between the National Transportation Safety Association, Inc. (NTSA) as Trustor and First Wisconsin National Bank of Madison as Trustee, is an employee welfare benefit plan within the meaning of section 3(1) of title I of ERISA.

01/05/1987
3(1)
3(4)
3(5)

Mr. James P. Rankin
Eidson, Lewis, Porter & Haynes
1300 Merchants National Bank Building
Eighth and Jackson Streets
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1252

Whether the group health insurance program sponsored by the Kansas Bar Association (KBA) for its members and their employees, is an employee welfare benefit plan within the meaning of section 3(1) of Title I of ERISA, established and/or maintained by an “employee organization" or an “employer" (as defined in sections 3(4) and 3(5) of ERISA, respectively).

1986
AO/ Date/ Reference Recipient Description of Request
12/11/1986

Ms. Maria B. Campbell
Executive Vice President,
Secretary & General Counsel
AmSouth Bank N.A.
P.O. Box 11007
Birmingham, AL 35288

Whether the purchases and sales of stock of AmSouth Bancorporation, (AmSouth), in blind transactions on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by unaffiliated participants in the self-directed individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for which AmSouth Bank N.A. (AmSouth Bank), a wholly-owned subsidiary of AmSouth, serves as custodian constitute prohibited transactions under the section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

12/15/1986

Ms. Cheryl A. French
Hafer, Price, Rinehart & Schwerin
2505 Third Avenue
Suite 309
Seattle, Washington 98121

Whether the trust established in accordance with the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 (LMCA) by the United Association of Journeyman & Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, Local Union 598, AFL-CIO (Local 598) and the Southwestern Washington Mechanical Contractors Association (SWMCA) is an employee welfare benefit plan within the meaning of section 3(1) of title I of ERISA.

12/05/1986

Mr. James P. Rankin
Eidson, Lewis, Porter & Haynes
1300 Merchants National Bank Building
Eighth and Jackson Streets
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1252

Whether the group health insurance program sponsored by the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, (KSCPA) is an employee welfare benefit plan within the meaning of section 3(1) of title I of ERISA.

12/04/1986

Ms. Diane C. Sonderegger
Kennedy, Holland, DeLacy & Svoboda
Kennedy Holland Building
10306 Regency Parkway Drive
Omaha, Nebraska 68114

Whether the Health Services Retirement Plan and Trust is a church plan within the meaning of section 3(33) of title I of ERISA and therefore exempt from coverage under that title pursuant to section 4(b)(2) of ERISA.

09/09/1986

Mr. Steven Bloom
Kaplan, Sicking, and Bloom, P.A.
Suite 200 Forum III
1675 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401

Whether the Miami Fire Fighters Insurance Trust Fund constitutes a "governmental plan" within the meaning of section 3(32) of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and is, therefore, excluded from coverage under title I of ERISA pursuant to section 4(b)(1) thereof.

09/09/1986

Mr. Steven Bloom
Kaplan, Sicking & Bloom, P.A.
Suite 200 Forum III
1675 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401

Whether the Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employees' Insurance Fund constitutes a "governmental plan" within the meaning of section 3(32) of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and is, therefore, excluded from coverage under title I of ERISA pursuant to section 4(b)(1) thereof.