ERISA Advisory Council to meet August 18-20

WASHINGTON — The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will hold a meeting Aug. 18-20 in Washington at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel at 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and end at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 and 19, with a one-hour break for lunch each day. On Aug. 20, the meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at approximately 12 p.m.

Open to the public, the purpose of the meeting is for Advisory Council members to hear testimony from invited witnesses and to receive an update from the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The EBSA update is scheduled for the morning of Aug. 20, but is subject to change.

The Advisory Council will study the following issues: Model Notices and Disclosures for Pension Risk Transfers; and Model Notices and Plan Sponsor Education on Lifetime Plan Participation. Descriptions of these issues are available online. Witnesses may testify on one or both issues on either Aug. 18 or 19. The third day of the meeting will be devoted to drafting reports on both issues.

Organizations or members of the public wishing to submit a written statement may do so by submitting 40 copies on or before Aug. 11, 2015 to Larry Good, Executive Secretary, ERISA Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor, Suite N-5623, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Statements may also be submitted as e-mail attachments in word processing or pdf format transmitted to good.larry@dol.gov. Statements should not include personally identifiable information (such as a name, address or other contact information) or confidential business information, as all statements are disclosed publicly.

Individuals and representatives of organizations wishing to address the council should also submit their requests to the executive secretary using the same information above or by calling 202-693-8668. Oral presentations will be limited to 10 minutes, time permitting, but an extended written statement may be submitted for the record. Those with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the executive secretary by Aug. 11.

Section 512 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act provides for the establishment of the ERISA Advisory Council, which advises the secretary of labor and submits recommendations regarding the secretary's functions under ERISA. More information about the council and the topics it will discuss at the meeting are available online.