This collection contains disclosure, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements associated with EBSA's abandoned plan program, which allows plan custodians to wind up plans that have been abandoned due to significant business events, such as bankruptcies, mergers, acquisitions, and other similar transactions affecting the status of an employer.
The Department has revised the ICR to account for increases in wage rates and made several changes in estimates based on updated Form 5500 numbers and filing statistics. The usage of the abandoned plans component of the program has increased significantly since the last update-based on application numbers, the Department now estimates that the number of plans taking advantage of the program has more than tripled (up to 330 plans/year). The Department has changed its methodology and included the burden associated with the "Safe Harbor for Distributions from Terminated Individual Account Plans" (29 CFR 2550.404a-3) as hour burden rather than cost burden, which was the primary driver of the hour burden increase and cost burden reduction.
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:
(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;
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.