The Form
M-1 Online Filing System is an
electronic
filing system for the Form M-1 annual report for multiple
employer welfare arrangements. The system
allows filers to complete the form and submit it at no
cost. This system is an example of an E-Government initiative which uses improved
technology to make it easier for citizens and businesses to
interact with the government.
The ERISA Public Disclosure System
is an internet-based application designed to facilitate the search and
retrieval of Form M-1 filings. The Form M-1 is filed annually by MEWAs
(Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements) and ECEs (Entities Claiming
Exception). Users can search by plan name, sponsor name, employer
identification number (EIN), or the state of the MEWA headquarters or
where coverage is offered by entering data in one or more fields. The
search is most effective when data is entered into several fields. For
more information and instructions on how to use the ERISA Public Disclosure System for
the Form M-1 filings, at the bottom of the Form M-1 Search page, select EPDS User Manual.
Copies of the Form M-1 filings are also available from EBSA’s Public
Disclosure Room at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-1513,
Washington, DC 20210, or by calling 202.693.8673.
In conjunction with revisions to the annual
return/report forms adopted in 1999, the Department of Labor, Internal
Revenue Service, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation developed a
new computerized system, the ERISA
Filing Acceptance System (EFAST) to streamline filing and processing
of the new forms by relying on computer scannable forms and electronic
filing technologies.
As mandated by the pension reform law, the Employee Benefits Security Administration
operates a public disclosure
facility. Our publication, How
to Obtain Employee Benefit Plan Documents from the Department of Labor,
describes the documents and
materials available through the EBSA public disclosure room, and also
tells you how to use this facility.
FOIA Information and
EBSA Reading Room - FOIA provides for public access to records maintained by
EBSA. A FOIA request is a written request for records held or believed to be held by
EBSA. The written request need not specifically refer to the FOIA. The Act requires that agencies provide records unless they are exempt from disclosure as defined in the Act.
Instead of filing a copy of their state registration forms with the Department of Labor, state-registered investment advisers seeking to obtain or maintain investment manager status under Title I of ERISA must electronically register through the Investment Adviser Registration Depository
(IARD) as an investment adviser with the state in which they maintain their principal office and place of business. The IARD is a centralized electronic filing system established by the Securities and Exchange Commission in conjunction with state securities authorities. All states accept forms filed via the IARD to satisfy state registration requirements. Pertinent state registration information in the IARD database is available to the general public through the Investment Advisor Public Disclosure Web site.
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