News Releases

Millions of Americans will have important new health benefit protections when they change jobs or lose health coverage under interim regulations announced today by the U. S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury.

March 31, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department Recovers $22 Million for 401[K] Plans and Begins Hotline for Workers [03/31/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

A nationwide crackdown on 401(k) abuse has resulted in the recovery of nearly $22 million for 40,800 workers, President Bill Clinton announced today.

March 27, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Amendment of ERISA Plan Asset Rules to Provide Guidance for Simple Plans Involving IRAS [03/27/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule governing the timing of deposits by employers of participant contributions to Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees (SIMPLE plans) involving IRAs.

March 18, 1997

EBSA Press Release: ERISA Advisory Council To Hold Public Meetings In April [03/18/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The working groups of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans will hold public meetings on April 8 and 9 in Room N-5437 A&B, U.S. Department of Labor Building, Third and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.

March 13, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department Seeks Comment On Proposed Nonenforcement Policy For Annual Reporting By Multiemployer Welfare Plans [03/13/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking public comment on whether to adopt a proposed nonenforcement policy for Form 5500 annual reports filed by multiemployer plans providing post-retirement health and other welfare benefits.

March 12, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department, Internal Revenue Service Extend Filing time for Annual Reports Due To Severe Weather In Midwest And South [03/12/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: 202-219-8921

The U.S. Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration and the Internal Revenue Service today announced an extension for filing employee benefit plan annual returns/reports due to the severe weather and flooding in the Midwest and southern United States.

March 7, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department Cautions Financial Firms To Stop Using Employee Benefit Plans In Negotiating Corporate Sales [03/07/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8211

Financial institutions may not use employee benefit plans as bargaining chips in negotiations to sell their subsidiaries or divisions, warned the U.S. Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA).

March 5, 1997

Ohio Plan Officials Ordered to Restore More than $65,000 to Employee Benefit Plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Contact Name: Joseph Menez
Phone Number: 606.578.4680

The trustees of both the profit sharing and the defined benefit pension plan for Equity Planning Corporation in Beachwood, Ohio, were ordered to restore to both plans a total of $65,754 in a consent order and judgment obtained today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

March 4, 1997

Painters Official Sentenced for Embezzling Welfare Funds

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Contact Name: Gloria Della
Phone Number: 202.219.8921

A Grand Rapids, Mich. court ordered the former welfare plan trustee of Local 312 of the Painters and Allied Trades Joint Apprenticeship Fund in Kalamazoo, Mich. to make restitution and sentenced him to four months of house arrest, three years of probation and 120 hours of community service.

February 26, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department Expands Lawsuit On Behalf Of Workers To Reclaim As Much As $5 Million Siphoned From Health Funds [02/26/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The Labor Department announced today it will pursue additional charges against managers of Chicago-based group health and welfare funds who allegedly used assets to pay expenses for cell phones and health club memberships while as much as $5 million in health and welfare benefits went unpaid for some 3,000 workers.

February 7, 1997

EBSA Press Release: ERISA Advisory Council To Set 1997 Agenda [02/07/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans will hold its first public meeting of 1997 on Thursday, March 6, at the U.S. Department of Labor's Frances Perkins Building. The session will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Secretary of Labor's Conference Room, S2508.

February 4, 1997

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department Proposes Class Exemption For Plan Foreign Exchange Transactions [02/04/1997]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

The U. S. Labor Department today proposed broadening a class exemption for purchases and sales of foreign currencies between employee benefit plans and banks or broker-dealers.

January 23, 1997

Chairs Named for ERISA Advisory Council

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Contact Name: Sharon Morrissey
Phone Number: 202.219.8921

Acting Secretary of Labor Cynthia Metzler today named Joyce A. Mader of Washington, D.C.,as the chairman of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans. Also named as vice chair of the Council was Carl S. Feen of New Haven, Conn.

December 31, 1996

EBSA Press Release: Five New Members Named to ERISA Advisory Council [12/31/1996]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

December 18, 1996

EBSA Press Release: Labor Department addresses new Health Care Legislation overing millions of workers [12/18/1996]

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

For more information call: (202) 219-8921

A reference guide to help employees and employers understand the effects of recent legislative changes on health plans is being issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.