Washington Pulse

Recent legislation passed by Congress includes several provisions that enhance the ability of workers to increase their retirement savings. One of these provisions, Section 110 of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0), also enhances the ability of employers that sponsor a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), or a SIMPLE IRA plan to supplement workers’ retirement savings by providing matching contributions to employees who make qualified student loan payments (QSLPs) in 2024 and later plan years.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released final regulations that revise existing rules that apply to required minimum distributions (RMDs).

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued Notice 2024-55, providing guidance on two provisions permitted under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0); emergency personal expense distributions and domestic abuse victim distributions. The notice defines these distributions and explains the restrictions associated with taking such distributions, the self-certification rules, repayment details, and withholding and notice requirements.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued an interim final rule, expanding the Abandoned Plan Program regulations to also include plans of employers who are in liquidation under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The DOL has also released a corresponding amendment to prohibited transaction exemption (PTE) 2006-06, Class Exemption for Services Provided in Connection with the Termination of Abandoned Individual Account Plans.

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a regulatory package that includes a final amendment (the Retirement Security Rule) to the regulations that define what constitutes an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) Title I and Title II (codified in the Internal Revenue Code).

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule to assist employers when determining whether a worker is considered an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released proposed regulations related to the implementation of section 120 of the SECURE 2.0 Act (SECURE 2.0).

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Notice 2024-02, which provides guidance in a question and answer format regarding several provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0).

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released a proposed regulation reflecting statutory changes related to long-term, part-time (LTPT) employees made by the SECURE Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) and the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0). This proposed regulation would amend Treasury Regulation (Treas. Reg.) 1.401(k)-5 to reflect the rules for LTPT employees, including specific eligibility and vesting requirements. The proposed regulation also provides guidance regarding employer contributions with respect to LTPT employees and the impact that LTPT employees will have on nondiscrimination, coverage testing, and top-heavy benefits.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule updating the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) and the Davis-Bacon Related Acts (together “DBRA”) nearly 40 years after the Department last completed a comprehensive revision of the guidelines.