As we previously reported, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, requiring, among other things, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to issue its implementing regulations by July 9, 2021. As promised, PBGC issued an interim final rule, 86 Fed. Reg. 36598 (July 12, 2021) (the IFR), on a major element of the rescue plan―the Special Financial Assistance Program (SFA)―intended to provide a one-time payment to the estimated 200 most financially troubled multiemployer pension plans to help them survive and pay pensions through ...
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). ARPA is the latest COVID-19-related stimulus legislation passed by Congress, but, unlike prior legislation, ARPA provides expansive funding rule changes and significant financial assistance to deeply underfunded multiemployer pension plans, including a one-time payment to certain plans from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) without any repayment obligations.
ARPA’s provisions regarding multiemployer pension plans focus primarily on the plans ...
As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ("ARPA"), signed into law on March 11, 2021, employers will be required to provide, on a tax-free basis, a subsidy to employees and their qualified beneficiaries to pay 100% of the COBRA continuation premium for group health plan coverage. This subsidy applies only to “assistance eligible individuals,” who are eligible for COBRA as a result of an involuntary termination of employment or a reduction in hours and who are, or could have been, eligible for COBRA during the period of April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 (the "Subsidy ...
One of the changes included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “Act”) is a temporary increase to the annual limit on pre-tax contributions to a dependent care flexible spending account (“DCFSA”) that can be excluded from income. For single taxpayers and married couples filing jointly, the limit increases to $10,500 (from $5,000) and for married individuals filing separately, the limit increases to $5,250 (from $2,500). This change is effective for plan years beginning after December 31, 2020 and before January 1, 2022.
Employers who intend to amend their DCFSAs to ...
Blog Editors
Recent Updates
- AI Resume Screening Tool Developer Is Subject to Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws, Says EEOC
- Video: SCOTUS Expands Title VII, EEOC’s Final PWFA Rule, AI Screening Tools - Employment Law This Week
- EEOC Final Rule Implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Podcast: Navigating Physician Non-Compete Litigation – Employment Law This Week
- Maryland Expected to Expand Pay Transparency Requirements in Fall 2024