Release Date: 04/06/2000 Release Number:
00-21 Contact Name: Gloria Della Phone Number:
202.219.8921
The U. S. Department of Labors Pension
and Welfare Benefits Administration today announced the new Strategic
Enforcement Plan (StEP), which establishes direction and methods for
efficiently carrying out its enforcement responsibilities in the face of a
changing and growing employee benefit universe. The enforcement strategy
represents a framework for setting enforcement priorities that focus on major
areas of potential abuse.
Alan Lebowitz, deputy assistant secretary of
PWBA, said, "Our revised strategy focuses our resources on areas that
pose real and serious abuse to plans, participants and beneficiaries. It also
prioritizes enforcement initiatives to address our new jurisdiction over health
benefits laws."
PWBAs enforcement strategy emphasizes
improved targeting of investigations, protecting at-risk populations, and
deterring and correcting violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act (ERISA) and related statutes. The enforcement strategy sets national
priorities which are critical to the operation of employee benefits plans.
Current priorities involve investigations into:
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Plan service providers in which the agency will examine
abusive practices affecting many plans;
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Health benefit issues involving such areas as multiple
employer welfare arrangements, hidden discounts to insurers and providers, and
authority over new health laws which affect 2.6 million health plans; and
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Defined contribution plans to assure the safety of this
growing universe of employee benefit plans, particularly 401(k) plans.
Under StEP, PWBA places emphasis on two
categories of civil investigations: national projects relating to long-range
national priorities and regional projects relating to local issues investigated
by regional offices nationwide.
The strategy also describes the criteria
under which PWBA will conduct national and regional enforcement initiatives as
well as criminal investigations. In addition, the strategy discusses the goals
adopted by the agency in order to meet Government Performance and Results Act
of 1993 (GPRA). This act requires all federal agencies to develop strategic
plans, prepare annual performance plans implementing strategic plans and
annually report on their progress in meeting their goals.
The latest strategic plan for PWBA is
available on its website at www.dol.gov/dol/pwba or by calling
202.219.8771.
PWBAs strategy is scheduled to be published today in the
Federal Register.
U.S. Department of
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