Minimum funding standards for multiemployer plans
In general
Funding standard account
Account required
Charges to account
For a plan year, the funding standard account shall be charged with the sum of—
the normal cost of the plan for the plan year,
the amounts necessary to amortize in equal annual installments (until fully amortized)—
in the case of a plan which comes into existence on or after
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net increase (if any) in unfunded past service liability under the plan arising from plan amendments adopted in such year, over a period of 15 plan years,
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net experience loss (if any) under the plan, over a period of 15 plan years, and
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net loss (if any) resulting from changes in actuarial assumptions used under the plan, over a period of 15 plan years,
the amount necessary to amortize each waived funding deficiency (within the meaning of section 412(c)(3)) for each prior plan year in equal annual installments (until fully amortized) over a period of 15 plan years,
the amount necessary to amortize in equal annual installments (until fully amortized) over a period of 5 plan years any amount credited to the funding standard account under section 412(b)(3)(D) (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006), and
the amount necessary to amortize in equal annual installments (until fully amortized) over a period of 20 years the contributions which would be required to be made under the plan but for the provisions of section 412(c)(7)(A)(i)(I) (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006).
Credits to account
For a plan year, the funding standard account shall be credited with the sum of—
the amount considered contributed by the employer to or under the plan for the plan year,
the amount necessary to amortize in equal annual installments (until fully amortized)—
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net decrease (if any) in unfunded past service liability under the plan arising from plan amendments adopted in such year, over a period of 15 plan years,
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net experience gain (if any) under the plan, over a period of 15 plan years, and
separately, with respect to each plan year, the net gain (if any) resulting from changes in actuarial assumptions used under the plan, over a period of 15 plan years,
the amount of the waived funding deficiency (within the meaning of section 412(c)(3)) for the plan year, and
in the case of a plan year for which the accumulated funding deficiency is determined under the funding standard account if such plan year follows a plan year for which such deficiency was determined under the alternative minimum funding standard under section 412(g) (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006), the excess (if any) of any debit balance in the funding standard account (determined without regard to this subparagraph) over any debit balance in the alternative minimum funding standard account.
Special rule for amounts first amortized in plan years before 2008
Combining and offsetting amounts to be amortized
Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, amounts required to be amortized under paragraph (2) or paragraph (3), as the case may be—
may be combined into one amount under such paragraph to be amortized over a period determined on the basis of the remaining amortization period for all items entering into such combined amount, and
may be offset against amounts required to be amortized under the other such paragraph, with the resulting amount to be amortized over a period determined on the basis of the remaining amortization periods for all items entering into whichever of the two amounts being offset is the greater.
Interest
Special rules relating to charges and credits to funding standard account
For purposes of this part—
Withdrawal liability
Adjustments when a multiemployer plan leaves reorganization
If a multiemployer plan is not in reorganization in the plan year but was in reorganization in the immediately preceding plan year, any balance in the funding standard account at the close of such immediately preceding plan year—
shall be eliminated by an offsetting credit or charge (as the case may be), but
shall be taken into account in subsequent plan years by being amortized in equal annual installments (until fully amortized) over 30 plan years.
The preceding sentence shall not apply to the extent of any accumulated funding deficiency under section 4243(a) of such Act as of the end of the last plan year that the plan was in reorganization.
Plan payments to supplemental program or withdrawal liability payment fund
Interim withdrawal liability payments
Election for deferral of charge for portion of net experience loss
Financial assistance
Short-term benefits
Special relief rules
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection—
Amortization of net investment losses
In general
A multiemployer plan with respect to which the solvency test under subparagraph (C) is met may treat the portion of any experience loss or gain attributable to net investment losses incurred in either or both of the first two plan years ending after
beginning with the plan year in which such portion is first recognized in the actuarial value of assets, and
ending with the last plan year in the 30-plan year period beginning with the plan year in which such net investment loss was incurred.
Coordination with extensions
If this subparagraph applies for any plan year—
no extension of the amortization period under clause (i) shall be allowed under subsection (d), and
if an extension was granted under subsection (d) for any plan year before the election to have this subparagraph apply to the plan year, such extension shall not result in such amortization period exceeding 30 years.
Net investment losses
For purposes of this subparagraph—
In general
Criminally fraudulent investment arrangements
Expanded smoothing period
In general
A multiemployer plan with respect to which the solvency test under subparagraph (C) is met may change its asset valuation method in a manner which—
spreads the difference between expected and actual returns for either or both of the first 2 plan years ending after
provides that for either or both of the first 2 plan years beginning after
makes both changes described in subclauses (I) and (II) to such method.
Asset valuation methods
If this subparagraph applies for any plan year—
the Secretary shall not treat the asset valuation method of the plan as unreasonable solely because of the changes in such method described in clause (i), and
such changes shall be deemed approved by the Secretary under section 302(d)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and section 412(d)(1).
Amortization of reduction in unfunded accrued liability
Solvency test
Restriction on benefit increases
If subparagraph (A) or (B) apply to a multiemployer plan for any plan year, then, in addition to any other applicable restrictions on benefit increases, a plan amendment increasing benefits may not go into effect during either of the 2 plan years immediately following such plan year unless—
the plan actuary certifies that—
any such increase is paid for out of additional contributions not allocated to the plan immediately before the application of this paragraph to the plan, and
the plan’s funded percentage and projected credit balances for such 2 plan years are reasonably expected to be at least as high as such percentage and balances would have been if the benefit increase had not been adopted, or
the amendment is required as a condition of qualification under part I of subchapter D or to comply with other applicable law.
Reporting
A plan sponsor of a plan to which this paragraph applies shall—
give notice of such application to participants and beneficiaries of the plan, and
inform the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation of such application in such form and manner as the Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation may prescribe.
Additional rules
Determinations to be made under funding method
Valuation of assets
In general
Election with respect to bonds
Actuarial assumptions must be reasonable
For purposes of this section, all costs, liabilities, rates of interest, and other factors under the plan shall be determined on the basis of actuarial assumptions and methods—
each of which is reasonable (taking into account the experience of the plan and reasonable expectations), and
which, in combination, offer the actuary’s best estimate of anticipated experience under the plan.
Treatment of certain changes as experience gain or loss
For purposes of this section, if—
a change in benefits under the Social Security Act or in other retirement benefits created under Federal or State law, or
a change in the definition of the term “wages” under section 3121, or a change in the amount of such wages taken into account under regulations prescribed for purposes of section 401(a)(5),
results in an increase or decrease in accrued liability under a plan, such increase or decrease shall be treated as an experience loss or gain.
Full funding
If, as of the close of a plan year, a plan would (without regard to this paragraph) have an accumulated funding deficiency in excess of the full funding limitation—
the funding standard account shall be credited with the amount of such excess, and
all amounts described in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) of subsection (b)(2) and subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(3) which are required to be amortized shall be considered fully amortized for purposes of such subparagraphs.
Full-funding limitation
In general
For purposes of paragraph (5), the term “full-funding limitation” means the excess (if any) of—
the accrued liability (including normal cost) under the plan (determined under the entry age normal funding method if such accrued liability cannot be directly calculated under the funding method used for the plan), over
the lesser of—
the fair market value of the plan’s assets, or
the value of such assets determined under paragraph (2).
Minimum amount
In general
In no event shall the full-funding limitation determined under subparagraph (A) be less than the excess (if any) of—
90 percent of the current liability of the plan (including the expected increase in current liability due to benefits accruing during the plan year), over
the value of the plan’s assets determined under paragraph (2).
Assets
Full funding limitation
Current liability
For purposes of this paragraph—
In general
Treatment of unpredictable contingent event benefits
For purposes of clause (i), any benefit contingent on an event other than—
age, service, compensation, death, or disability, or
an event which is reasonably and reliably predictable (as determined by the Secretary),
shall not be taken into account until the event on which the benefit is contingent occurs.
Interest rate used
Mortality tables
Commissioners’ standard table
Secretarial authority
Separate mortality tables for the disabled
Notwithstanding clause (iv)—
In general
Special rule for disabilities occurring after 1994
Periodic review
Required change of interest rate
For purposes of determining a plan’s current liability for purposes of this paragraph—
In general
Permissible range
For purposes of this subparagraph—
In general
Secretarial authority
Assumptions
Notwithstanding paragraph (3)(A), the interest rate used under the plan shall be—
determined without taking into account the experience of the plan and reasonable expectations, but
consistent with the assumptions which reflect the purchase rates which would be used by insurance companies to satisfy the liabilities under the plan.
Annual valuation
In general
Valuation date
Current year
Use of prior year valuation
Adjustments
Limitation
Time when certain contributions deemed made
Extension of amortization periods for multiemployer plans
Automatic extension upon application by certain plans
In general
If the plan sponsor of a multiemployer plan—
submits to the Secretary an application for an extension of the period of years required to amortize any unfunded liability described in any clause of subsection (b)(2)(B) or described in subsection (b)(4), and
includes with the application a certification by the plan’s actuary described in subparagraph (B),
the Secretary shall extend the amortization period for the period of time (not in excess of 5 years) specified in the application. Such extension shall be in addition to any extension under paragraph (2).
Criteria
A certification with respect to a multiemployer plan is described in this subparagraph if the plan’s actuary certifies that, based on reasonable assumptions—
absent the extension under subparagraph (A), the plan would have an accumulated funding deficiency in the current plan year or any of the 9 succeeding plan years,
the plan sponsor has adopted a plan to improve the plan’s funding status,
the plan is projected to have sufficient assets to timely pay expected benefits and anticipated expenditures over the amortization period as extended, and
the notice required under paragraph (3)(A) has been provided.
Alternative extension
In general
Determination
The Secretary may grant an extension under subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines that—
such extension would carry out the purposes of this Act 1
the failure to permit such extension would—
result in a substantial risk to the voluntary continuation of the plan, or a substantial curtailment of pension benefit levels or employee compensation, and
be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate.
Action by Secretary
Advance notice
In general
Consideration of relevant information
Source
(Added Pub. L. 109–280, title II, § 211(a),Notes
References in Text
Amendments
Effective Date of 2014 Amendment
Effective Date of 2010 Amendment
In general.—
The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 1084 of Title 29, Labor] shall take effect as of the first day of the first plan year ending after
Restrictions on benefit increases.—
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the restrictions on plan amendments increasing benefits in sections 304(b)(8)(D) of such Act [29 U.S.C. 1084(b)(8)(D)] and 431(b)(8)(D) of such Code, as added by this section, shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [
Effective Date
In general.—
The amendments made by this section [enacting this section] shall apply to plan years beginning after 2007.
Special rule for certain amortization extensions.—
If the Secretary of the Treasury grants an extension under section 304 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1084] and section 412(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to any application filed with the Secretary of the Treasury on or before