,i  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #igcg  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,july #af1 #bjbf,mr4  
,de,saulnier introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2   
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,education & ,work=ce  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
am5d ! ,employm5t ,retirem5t ,income    
,security ,act to e/abli% a ,b5efits    
,assi/ance ,program to improve access to
 b5efits "u employee welf>e b5efit      
plans1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort     
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,consum]
 ,heal? ,claim ,assi/ance ,act4  #b4    
,b5efits assi/ance program ,"p #e (     
subtitle ,b ( title ,i ( ! ,employee    
,retirem5t ,income ,security ,act (     
#aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aaca et seq47 is  
am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+ new     
section3  #ebd4 ,b5efits assi/ance      
program  7a7 ,e/abli%m5t ,n lat] ?an    
,janu>y #a1 #bjbg1 ! ,secret>y %all     
e/abli%1 )9 ! ,employee ,b5efits        
,security ,adm9i/ration ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( 
,labor1 a ,b5efits ,assi/ance ,program  
79 ?is section1 ref]r$ to z ! ,program7 

to improve access to b5efits "u employee
 welf>e b5efit plans4  7b7 ,duties ,!   
,program %all--  7#a7 e/abli% a process 
= ! receipt ( inquiries or compla9ts f  
p>ticipants & b5efici>ies1 & heal? c>e  
provid]s 7on behalf ( p>ticipants &     
b5efici>ies71 relat+ to-- 7,a7 adv]se   
b5efit det]m9ations 7z def9$ "u section 
#befj4ejc-a7m77#d7 ( title #bi1 ,code ( 
,f$]al ,regulations1 z 9 effect on !    
date ( enactm5t ( ! ,consum] ,heal?     
,claim ,assi/ance ,act72 &  7,b7 alleg$ 
violations (-- 7i7 plan t]ms2 &  7ii7   
any provision ( ?is title2  7#b7 assi/  
p>ticipants & b5efici>ies 9 und]/&+ _!  
rights to b5efits "u _! plan & !        
availability ( int]nal appeals & ext]nal
 review 7z su* t]ms are def9$ "u        
sections #beij4gae-bgai7;a77#b7 ( title 
#bi1 ,code ( ,f$]al ,regulations1 z 9   
effect on ! date ( enactm5t ( ! ,consum]
 ,heal? ,claim ,assi/ance ,act72  7#c7  
directly assi/ p>ticipants & b5efici>ies
 9 fil+ appeals = d5i$ b5efits &        
navigat+ su* appeals or reviews2  7#d7  

make ref]rals to appropriate entities   
reg>d+ any inquiries or compla9ts relat+
 to adv]se b5efit det]m9ations by a plan
 t may violate ?is title or any o!r law2
  7#e7 provide additional tra9+1        
te*nical assi/ance1 & support to        
,dep>tm5t /aff1 includ+ b5efits         
advisors1 to address adv]se b5efit      
det]m9ations or any violations ( ?is    
title2 &  7#f7 if ! inquiry or compla9t 
0 receiv$ z a result ( a ref]ral f a    
,/ate (fice ( heal? insurance consum]   
assi/ance1 heal? insurance ombudsman1 or
 o!r program t c>ries out ! duties      
describ$ 9 section #bgic7;c7 ( ! ,public
 ,heal? ,s]vice ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4     
#cjj;gg-#ic7;c771 in=m su* (fice or     
program ( ! result ( su* inquiry or     
compla9t4  7c7  ,annual report  ,!      
,secret>y ( ,labor %all1 on an annual   
basis1 submit to ! ,committee on        
,education & ,work=ce ( ! ,h\se (       
,repres5tatives & ! ,committee on       
,heal?1 ,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions (
 ! ,s5ate a report1 ) respect to !      

,program1 on ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,! numb] ( 
inquiries & compla9ts receiv$           
7disaggregat$ by type ( plan1 size (    
plan1 & type ( assi/ance provid$74  7#b7
 ,! numb] ( p>ticipants & b5efici>ies :o
 receiv$ assi/ance 7disaggregat$ by type
 ( plan1 size ( plan1 & type ( s]vice   
provid$74  7#c7 ,! doll> am\nts ( claims
 = b5efits = :i* assi/ance 0 provid$    
7disaggregat$ by type ( plan1 size (    
plan1 & type ( s]vice provid$74  7#d7 ,!
 total doll> am\nt exp5d$ to op]ate !   
,program & ! numb] ( full-"t equival5ts 
assign$ by ! ,secret>y to op]ate !      
,program4  7#e7 ,! numb] ( ref]rals to  
appropriate entities &1 :5 available1 ! 
disposition ( su* en=cem5t actions4     
7#f7 ,! numb] & type ( any non-monet>y  
recov]ies by p>ticipants & b5efici>ies  
:o receiv$ assi/ance4  7#g7 ,! av]age   
am\nt ( "t x takes to provide assi/ance4
  7#h7 ,recomm5dations reg>d+ any       
additional au?ority or res\rces ne$$ to 
improve ! ,program1 includ+             
recomm5dations on necess>y increases 9  

fil+ fees "u section #ajd7;d74  7#i7    
,any o!r data det]m9$ appropriate by !  
,secret>y4  4  #c4 ,plan fil+ fees  7a7 
,fees on fil+s ,section #ajd ( !        
,employee ,retirem5t ,income ,security  
,act ( #aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ajbd7 is   
am5d$ by r$esignat+ subsections 7d7 &   
7e7 z subsections 7e7 & 7f71            
respectively1 & by ins]t+ aft]          
subsection 7c7 ! foll[+ new subsection3 
7d7 ,fees on fil+s ) ,secret>y ( ,labor 
7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! adm9i/rator ( any      
employee welf>e b5efit plan :i* is a    
s+le-employ] plan %all pay to !         
,secret>y a fil+ fee 9 ! am\nt det]m9$  
"u p>agraph 7#b7 at ! "t ( fil+ an      
annual report or a notice "u subsection 
7a77#a77;,a74  7#b7 ,am\nt ( fee  7,a7  
,annual reports ,subject to subp>agraph 
7,b71 ! am\nt ( ! fee "u p>agraph 7#a7 )
 respect to ea* report or notice %all   
be--  7i7 #bej if ! plan _h few] ?an    
#ajj p>ticipants z ( ! close ( ! plan   
ye> prec$+ ! plan ye> 9 :i* su* report  
or notice is fil$2  7ii7 #ejj if ! plan 

_h #ajj or m b few] ?an #ejj p>ticipants
 z ( ! close ( su* plan ye>2 &  7iii7 n 
less ?an #a1jjj 9 ! case ( any o!r plan4
  7,b7 ,regulatory ,! ,secret>y may by  
regulation require a fee t is high] ?an 
is o!rwise requir$ "u ?is p>agraph4 ,if 
! ,secret>y requires a high] fee1 !     
,secret>y %all e/abli% a fee scale t    
increases ! fee *>g$ to a plan z ! numb]
 ( p>ticipants 9 a plan increases4  7#c7
 ,prohibition on use ( plan assets      
,paym5t ( a fil+ fee "u ?is subsection  
may n be made us+ any funds t are assets
 ( ! plan4  7#d7 ,use & availability (  
funds  7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y (     
,labor %all exp5d ! am\nts receiv$ "u   
?is subsection = ea* fiscal ye> =       
en=cem5t ( title ,i ( ! ,employee       
,retirem5t ,income ,security ,act (     
#aigd & to support op]ations ( !        
,b5efits ,assi/ance ,program describ$ 9 
section #ebd4 ,su* funds %all be        
available )\t fiscal ye> limitation4    
7,b7 ,limitation ,at lea/ #ej p]c5t ( ! 
am\nts describ$ 9 subp>agraph 7,a7 %all 

be us$ to support op]ations ( !         
,program4  4  7b7 ,effective date       
,section #ajd7;d7 ( ! ,employee         
,retirem5t ,income ,security ,act (     
#aigd1 z add$ by ?is section1 %all apply
 to reports1 descriptions1 notices1 &   
atte/ations fil$ aft] ,janu>y #a1 #bjbg4
  #d4 ,m9imum notice  7a7 ,m9imum notice
 ,section #ajd7;a7 ( ! ,employee        
,retirem5t ,income ,security ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #ajbd7;a77 is am5d$-- 7#a7 9  
p>agraph 7#a71 by ins]t+ aft] plan ye> !
 foll[+3 7or1 if applicable1 file ) !   
,secret>y a notice z describ$ 9 p>agraph
 7#c77;,b7 = a plan ye>72 &  7#b7 9     
p>agraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 by /rik+ ,!        
,secret>y & ins]t+ 7,a7 ,subject to     
subp>agraph 7,b71 ! ,secret>y2 &  7,b7  
by add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  7,b7 ,9 !   
case ( any employee welf>e b5efit plan  
:i* is a s+le-employ] plan t is n       
requir$ to file an annual report = any  
ye>1 ! adm9i/rator ( ! plan %all file ) 
! ,secret>y a notice conta9+ ! foll[+   
in=mation 9 relation to su* plan = su*  

ye>3  7i7 ,! "n ( ! employ] ma9ta9+ su* 
plan4  7ii7 ,! numb] ( employees cov]$  
by su* plan4  7iii7 ,! aggregate am\nt (
 b5efits provid$ by su* plan4  7iv7 ,!  
me?od ( fund+ ( su* plan 7:e!r su* plan 
is unfund$1 insur$1 or a comb9ation7 &1 
if applicable1 ! "n ( any issu]s        
contract$ to provide heal? insurance    
cov]age 9 connection ) su* plan4  7v7 ,!
 "n ( any s]vice provid]s t r5d]$       
s]vices to ! plan & receiv$ #e1jjj or m 
9 comp5sation1 directly or indirectly1 f
 ! plan4  4  7b7 ,effective dates ,!    
am5dm5ts made by ?is section %all apply 
) respect to plan ye>s end+ aft] ,janu>y
 #a1 #bjbg4