The Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration has published final regulations that revise the procedures for filing “top hat” plan statements under § 2520.104-23 with the Secretary of Labor, to require electronic submission of these statements through EBSA’s website in accordance with instructions published by the Department. The final rule does not change the current content requirements in the regulations . The final rule will be effective August 16, 2019.
Background
Part 1 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), contains reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to plans covered by ERISA. For instance, sections 103 and 104 of ERISA establish requirements for the publication and filing of annual reports, while sections 102 and 104 of ERISA require plan administrators to furnish summary plan descriptions and summaries of material modifications or changes to participants and beneficiaries.
Section 110(a) of ERISA permits the Secretary to specify an alternative form of compliance with the reporting and disclosure obligations of Part 1 of Title I for any pension plan or class of pension plans subject to ERISA if certain findings are made. Under the authority of section 110(a), in 1975 the Department issued 29 CFR 2520.104-23 to provide an alternative method of compliance with the reporting and disclosure requirements of Part 1 of Title I for unfunded or insured pension plans established for a select group of management or highly compensated employees (“top hat” plans).
Under the alternative method of compliance, the administrator of a top hat plan satisfies the requirements for the reporting and disclosure provisions of Part 1 of Title I by filing a statement with the Secretary by mail or personal delivery to the address specified in the regulation, and by providing plan documents, if any, to the Secretary upon request. The statement must include the information listed in the regulation.
Originally, top hat statements had to be filed in paper form. On September 30, 2014, the Department published a proposed rule to revise the procedures for filing top hat plan statements under § 2520.104-23 to require electronic submission of these statements. On the same date, the Department also made available a new web based filing system. Use of this web based filing system was voluntary until the adoption of this final rule. Approximately 54% of the top hat plan statements have been filed electronically since then.
Going forward, EBSA’s web based filing system will be the exclusive method for filing these notices and statements; filings by mail or personal delivery will no longer be accepted. Upon submission of a completed filing, the new web based filing system sends an electronic confirmation of receipt to the administrator. This confirmation is not available through the existing paper-based filing system.