Eletronic Disclosure Archives - Spotlight on Benefits

DOL Issues New Rules on Electronic Disclosure

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued final regulations that provide an additional safe harbor method of satisfying the ERISA electronic disclosure requirements for retirement plans (note, these rules do not apply to welfare plans). The final regulations will allow employers to post retirement plan disclosures online or deliver them by email.

The new electronic disclosure regulations will be published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2020; for your convenience, we have provided an unpublished copy here.

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The Future of Retirement Plan Disclosures?

On October 23, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule that would ease retirement plan administration by allowing broader use of electronic disclosure. This proposed rule was foreshadowed by an Executive Order issued in August 2018 directing the DOL to review actions that could be taken to improve the effectiveness of retirement plan disclosures under ERISA and to reduce the costs to employers.

Currently, plan sponsors can rely on a 2002 safe harbor for electronic delivery of documents and other information required under ERISA. However, the 2002 safe harbor is limited; notice can be provided electronically only to participants and beneficiaries who either (1) have work-related computer access or (2) provide affirmative consent to receive documents electronically (in addition to meeting certain other requirements). Anyone not falling within one of those categories must receive a hard copy.

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