Civil Penalties Under ERISA Section 502(c)(7) and Conforming Technical Changes on Civil Penalties Under ERISA Sections 502(c)(2), 502(c)(5) and 502(c)(6)

This document contains final rules that implement the civil penalty provision in section 502(c)(7) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act or ERISA) adopted as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOA). The final rules establish procedures relating to the assessment of civil penalties by the Department of Labor (Department) under section 502(c)(7) of ERISA for failures or refusals by plan administrators to provide notices of a blackout period as required by section 101(i) of ERISA. This document also contains final rules making conforming and technical changes to the agency's rules of practice and procedure for other civil penalties under section 502(c) of ERISA. The final rules affect employee benefit plans, plan sponsors, administrators and fiduciaries, and plan participants and beneficiaries.