ERISA News

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a Major Disaster Declaration on October 11, 2024, for Florida Hurricane Milton, for the incident period of October 5, 2024 and continuing.

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation has determined premium rates applicable for the 2025 plan year in accordance with indexing rules provided in ERISA Section 4006. The single-employer plan per-participant flat rate premium for plan years beginning in 2025 is $106, up from $101 in 2024. The single-employer plan variable-rate premium for 2025 remains the same at $52 per $1,000 of unfunded vested benefits. The variable-rate premium per participant cap increased to $717 per participant, from $686 in 2024.

Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) has introduced HR 9820 – the Employee and Retiree Access to Justice Act.

The Social Security Administration has issued the 2025 adjustments for benefits and certain other limitations that are subject to annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) indices.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a Major Disaster Declaration on October 4, 2024, for Arizona Watch Fire, for the incident period of July 10 – July 17, 2024.

Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-Co), and co-sponsor Maria Salazar (R-FL), have introduced H.R. 9764, the Catching Up Family Caregivers Act. According to a press release, the bill would allow family caregivers to make catch-up contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans, an option typically reserved for those over age 50. For every year they are out of the workforce, caregivers could be eligible for an additional year of catch-up contributions, up to a maximum of five years.

The IRS has announced the postponement of certain tax-related deadlines for victims of wildfires in Washington.

For years, Congress and the IRS have addressed natural disasters (and others) with largely piecemeal responses. For example, when a major hurricane struck, the President would declare a federal disaster, Congress would grant certain relief, and the IRS would implement the details, such as determining the timing of allowable distributions from retirement plans and extending filing deadlines.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a Major Disaster Declaration on October 2, 2024, for Tennessee tropical storm Helene, for the incident period of September 26, 2024 and continuing.

The IRS has issued Notice 2024-73, providing question-and-answer guidance on long-term, part-time employees in 403(b) plans. Guidance is applicable for plan years beginning after December 31, 2024.