<DOC>

[December 22, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 245)]

[Unified Agenda]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [frwais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID: f:ua031040.wais]



[Page 73798-73799]

 

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation





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Part XL

















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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda



[[Page 73798]]



PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION (PBGC)



_______________________________________________________________________



PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION



29 CFR Ch. XL



Agenda of Regulations Under Development



AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).



ACTION: Semiannual regulatory agenda.



_______________________________________________________________________



SUMMARY: This document sets forth the Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation's regulatory agenda issued under Executive Order 12866 and 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act. The agenda lists regulations that are 

currently under development or review or that PBGC expects to have 

under development or review during the next 12 months. The effect of 

this agenda is to advise the public of PBGC's current and future 

regulatory activities.



ADDRESSES: Office of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation, 1200 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the agenda 

in general, contact Harold J. Ashner, Assistant General Counsel, Office 

of the General Counsel, (202) 326-4024. (For TTY/TDD users, call the 

Federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 and ask to be 

connected to (202) 326-4024.) For information about a specific 

regulation project listed on the agenda, contact the person designated 

in the agenda for that regulation.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the President's order on Regulatory 

Planning and Review, Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 

1993), each agency is required to prepare an agenda of all regulations 

under development or review. The Regulatory Flexibility Act, Public Law 

98-354, 5 U.S.C. 601, has a similar agenda requirement. Under that law, 

the agenda must list any regulation that is likely to have a 

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.



     The Office of Management and Budget has issued guidelines 

prescribing the form and content of the regulatory agenda. Under 

those guidelines, the agenda must list all regulatory activities 

being conducted or reviewed in the next 12 months and provide 

certain specified information on each regulation. For this edition 

of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulatory agenda, 

the most significant regulatory action is included in The 

Regulatory Plan, which appears in part II of this issue of the 

Federal Register. The Regulatory Plan entries are listed in the 

table of contents below and are denoted by a bracketed bold 

reference, which directs the reader to the appropriate sequence 

number in part II.



Dated: September 12, 2003.



 Steven A. Kandarian,



Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.



                            Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation--Proposed Rule Stage

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                                                                                                    Regulation

 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification

  Number                                                                                              Number

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3809        Allocation of Assets in Single--Employer Plans; Valuation of Benefits and Assets        1212--AA55

            (Reg Plan Seq No. 133)..............................................................

3810        Payment of Benefits in PBGC--Trusteed Plans.........................................    1212--AA98

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References in boldface appear in the Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.





                             Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation--Final Rule Stage

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                                                                                                    Regulation

 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification

  Number                                                                                              Number

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3811        Assessment Of and Relief From Penalties.............................................    1212--AA95

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                             Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation--Completed Actions

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                                                                                                    Regulation

 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification

  Number                                                                                              Number

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3812        Filing Rules........................................................................    1212--AA89

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[[Page 73799]]



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Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)         Proposed Rule Stage



_______________________________________________________________________



3809. ALLOCATION OF ASSETS IN SINGLE--EMPLOYER PLANS; VALUATION OF 

BENEFITS AND ASSETS



 Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 133 in part II of this issue 

of the Federal Register.



RIN: 1212-AA55

_______________________________________________________________________



3810. PAYMENT OF BENEFITS IN PBGC--TRUSTEED PLANS



Priority: Other Significant



Legal Authority: 29 USC 1302(b)(3); 29 USC 1322; 29 USC 1344



CFR Citation: 29 CFR 4022; 29 CFR 4044



Legal Deadline: None



Abstract: When the PBGC assumes trusteeship of a terminated pension 

plan, it pays benefits to participants pursuant to plan provisions and 

title IV of ERISA. The PBGC is exploring how to improve its benefit 

payments rules. This regulation will fill in gaps in the rules, clarify 

matters that have been handled on a case--by--case basis in the past, 

and otherwise address issues relating to the determination of guarantee 

limits and the time, form, and manner of payment.



Timetable:

________________________________________________________________________



Action                            Date                      FR Cite



________________________________________________________________________



NPRM                            01/00/04

NPRM Comment Period End         03/00/04



Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No



Government Levels Affected: None



Agency Contact: Catherine B. Klion, Attorney, Office of the General 

Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street NW, 

Washington, DC 20005--4024

Phone: 202 326--4024

TDD Phone: 800 877--8339

Fax: 202 326--4112



RIN: 1212-AA98

_______________________________________________________________________

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)            Final Rule Stage



_______________________________________________________________________



3811. ASSESSMENT OF AND RELIEF FROM PENALTIES



Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant



Legal Authority: 28 USC 2461 note; 29 USC 1302(b)(3); 29 USC 1303(a); 

29 USC 1306; 29 USC 1307; 29 USC 1371



CFR Citation: 29 CFR 4003; 29 CFR 4007; 29 CFR 4071



Legal Deadline: None



Abstract: The PBGC has issued a number of policy statements about 

penalties over the last few years. For the convenience of the public, 

the PBGC proposes to replace those policy statements with an updated 

and expanded set of penalty policies codified in its regulations.



Timetable:

________________________________________________________________________



Action                            Date                      FR Cite



________________________________________________________________________



NPRM                            01/12/01                     66 FR 2856

NPRM Comment Period End         03/13/01

Final Action                    01/00/04

Final Action Effective          02/00/04



Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No



Small Entities Affected: No



Government Levels Affected: None



Agency Contact: Deborah C. Murphy, Attorney, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation, Office of the General Counsel, 1200 K Street NW, 

Washington, DC 20005--4026

Phone: 202 326--4024

TDD Phone: 800 877--8339

Fax: 202 326--4112



RIN: 1212-AA95

_______________________________________________________________________

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)           Completed Actions



_______________________________________________________________________



3812. FILING RULES



Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant



Legal Authority: 29 USC 1301 et seq



CFR Citation: 29 CFR 4000



Legal Deadline: None



Abstract: The PBGC's rules governing the date of filing vary, depending 

on the regulation involved and the method of filing used (e.g., mail 

postmarked by the United States Postal Service, metered mail, 

commercial delivery service, facsimile). The PBGC is clarifying and 

simplifying its filing rules and providing greater flexibility in 

methods of filing (including by electronic means).



Timetable:

________________________________________________________________________



Action                            Date                      FR Cite



________________________________________________________________________



NPRM                            02/14/03                     68 FR 7454

NPRM Comment Period End         04/15/03

Final Action                    10/28/03                    68 FR 61344

Final Action Effective          11/28/03



Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No



Small Entities Affected: No



Government Levels Affected: None



Agency Contact: Thomas H. Gabriel, Attorney, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation, Office of the General Counsel, 1200 K Street NW, 

Washington, DC 20005--4026

Phone: 202 326--4024

TDD Phone: 800 877--8339

Fax: 202 326--4112



RIN: 1212-AA89

[FR Doc. 03-25119 Filed 12-19-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708-01-S