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Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by clicking on the Notice of Action link below.
View ICR - OIRA Conclusion
OMB Control No:
1210-0116
ICR Reference No:
202108-1210-003
Status:
Historical Inactive
Previous ICR Reference No:
201904-1210-004
Agency/Subagency:
DOL/EBSA
Agency Tracking No:
Title:
Annual Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements
Type of Information Collection:
Revision of a currently approved collection
Common Form ICR:
No
Type of Review Request:
Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action:
Comment filed on proposed rule and continue
Conclusion Date:
11/05/2021
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)
Date Received in OIRA:
09/15/2021
Terms of Clearance:
In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is not approved at this time. Prior to publication of the final rule, the agency should provide to OMB a summary of all comments received on the proposed information collection and identify any changes made in response to these comments.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
Expiration Date
08/31/2022
36 Months From Approved
08/31/2022
Responses
572
0
572
Time Burden (Hours)
120
0
120
Cost Burden (Dollars)
111,377
0
111,377
Abstract:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), codified as Part 7 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), was enacted to improve the portability and continuity of health care coverage for participants and beneficiaries of group health plans. To insure compliance with Part 7, section 101(g) of ERISA, HIPAA permits the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to require multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs), as defined in section 3(40) of ERISA, to report to the Secretary in such form and manner as the Secretary might determine. The Department of Labor (the Department) published a final rule providing for such reporting on an annual basis, together with a form (Form M-1) to be used by MEWAs for the annual report. See 29 CFR 2520.101-2. Pursuant to section 101(g) of ERISA, the Form M-1 information is used by governmental oversight entities to determine the extent of compliance with the requirements of Part 7 of ERISA by MEWAs and ECEs under section 3(40) of ERISA and to take appropriate compliance assistance and enforcement actions. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted on March 23, 2010; the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (the Reconciliation Act), Public Law 111-152, 124 Stat. 1029, was enacted on March 30, 2010. The ACA amended section 101(g) of ERISA to require MEWAs that provide benefits consisting of medical care (within the meaning of ERISA section 733(a)(2)) which are not group health plans to register with the Secretary before operating in a State, in addition to reporting annually regarding their compliance with part 7 of ERISA. The final regulations implement the ERISA section 101(g) MEWA registration mandate. Thus, paragraph (a) of the final rule sets forth how section 101(g) of ERISA requires MEWAs that provide benefits consisting of medical care (within the meaning of section 733(a)(2) of ERISA) to register with the Secretary prior to operating in a State, and to report annually regarding compliance with part 7 of ERISA. The SECURE Act was enacted December 20, 2019, as Division O of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94). Effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, the Department is proposing to amend the Form M-1 by adding an existing question on the Form 5500 currently answered by plan MEWAs on the Form 5500 to the Form M-1. Moving the question would mean that both plan and non-plan MEWAs would be required to identify each participating employer in the MEWA by name and employer identification number (EIN). Like the 2014 interim final rule issued under ERISA section 103(g) and the existing Form 5500 instructions, the proposal would not require contribution information from unfunded or insured MEWAs on the Form M-1, regardless of whether the entity was a plan or non-plan MEWA. ECE’s would not be required to answer the participating employer questions on the Form M-1.
Authorizing Statute(s):
US Code:
29 USC 1021(g)
Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)
Citations for New Statutory Requirements:
None
Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:
Stage of Rulemaking:
Federal Register Citation:
Date:
1210-AB97
Proposed rulemaking
86 FR 51284
09/15/2021
Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR?
No
Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR:
1
IC Title
Form No.
Form Name
Annual Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements and Certain Entities Claiming Exception (Form M-1)
Form M-1
Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) and Certain Entitiies Claiming Exception (ECEs)
Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
Yes
Burden Increase Due to:
Changing Regulations
Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
No
Burden Reduction Due to:
Short Statement:
The Department is proposing to revise the Form M-1 and instructions by transferring the multiple employer participating employer information questions currently applicable to plans that are MEWAs from the Form 5500 to the Form M-1. Since plan MEWAs would be answering the same questions, there would be no increase in the regulatory burden. Non-plan MEWAs (47) would now also be required to report participating employer information on the Form M-1. This submission reflects updated data on the number of annual Form M-1 filings and new Form M-1 filings based on data from the most recent year of submission. It also reflects updated labor costs. These updated data inputs increase the number of responses by 115 responses, increase the hour burden by 55 hours, and increase the cost burden by $52,082 compared with the prior submission.
Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$7,200
Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods?
No
Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see
OMB Circular No. A-130
for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
No
Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see
5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3)
)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
No
Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]?
Yes
Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]?
No
Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)?
No
Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response?
No
Agency Contact:
James Butikofer 202 693-8434 Butikofer.James@dol.gov
Common Form ICR:
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date:
09/15/2021
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