Alternative Reporting Methods for Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans

Section 2520.104-22 provides an exemption to the reporting and provision of Part 1 of Title I of ERISA for employee welfare benefit plans that provide exclusively apprenticeship and training benefits if the plan administrator meets the following requirements: (1) files a notice with the Secretary that provides the name of the plan, the plan sponsor's Employer Identification Number, the plan administrator's name, and the name and location of an office or person from whom interested individuals can obtain certain info about courses offered by the plan; and (2) take steps reasonably designed to ensure that the information required to be contained in the notice is disclosed to employees of employers contribution to the plan who may be eligible to enroll in any course of study sponsored or establish by the plan; (3) and make the notice available to employees upon request. Under 2520.104-23, the Department provides an alternative method of compliance with the reporting and disclosure of Title I of ERISA for unfunded or insured plan established for a select group of management of highly compensated employees (i.e., top hat plans). In order to satisfy the alternative method of compliance, the plan administrator must file a statement with the Secretary of Labor that includes the name and address of the employer, the employer EIN, a declaration that the employer maintains a plan or plans primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees, and a statement of the number of such plans and the employees covered by each. Plan documents must be made available to the Secretary upon request, and only one statement needs to be filed for each employer maintaining one or more of the plans. The final rule revises the current procedures for filing apprenticeship and training plan notices and "top hat" plan statements with the Secretary of Labor to require electronic submission of these notices and statements. The final rule is not intended to express any view on, and does not change, the current content requirements in the exemption under § 2520.104-22 for apprenticeship and training plans or the alternative method of compliance under § 2520.104-23 for top hat plans. The final rule revises § 2520.104-22(c) and § 2520.104-23(c) to require Internet-based electronic filing of apprenticeship and training plan notices and top hat plan statements with the Secretary through EBSA's Web site. Once they are filed, these notices and statements would be posted on the Department's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa and be available to the public.

The latest form for Alternative Reporting Methods for Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans expires 2022-08-31 and can be found here.