Administration of Multiemployer Plan Participant Vote on an Approved Suspension of Benefits Under MPRA

The Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014 (MPRA) pertains to multiemployer plans that are projected to have insufficient funds, at some point in the future, to pay the full plan benefits to which individuals will be entitled (referred to as plans in "critical and declining status"). The sponsor of such a plan is permitted to reduce the pension benefits payable to plan participants and beneficiaries if certain conditions are satisfied (referred to as a "suspension of benefits"). A suspension of benefits is not permitted to take effect prior to a vote of the participants of the plan with respect to the suspension. This document contains temporary regulations that provide guidance relating to the administration of that vote. These temporary regulations affect active, retired, and deferred vested participants and beneficiaries of multiemployer plans that are in critical and declining status as well as employers contributing to, and sponsors and administrators of, those plans. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations set forth in the notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-123640-15) on this subject in the Proposed Rules section of this issue of the Federal Register.