,,ii  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #efje  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,septemb] #cj1         
#bjbf,ms4 ,smi? introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2
 :i* 0 read twice & ref]r$ to !         
,committee on ,heal?1 ,education1       
,labor1 & ,p5sions  ,a ,,bill  ,to am5d 
! ,employee ,retirem5t ,income ,security
 ,act ( #aigd to provide t any m&atory  
pr$ispute or co]c$ po/dispute           
arbitration clause1 class action waiv]1 
repres5tation waiv]1 or discretion>y    
clause ) respect to a plan is           
un5=ceable1 to prohibit any su* clause  
or waiv] f be+ includ$ 9 a plan docum5t 
or o!r agreem5t ) plan p>ticipants1 & = 
o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title  ,?is    
,act may be cit$ z ! ,employee &        
,retiree ,access to ,ju/ice ,act4  #b4  
,un5=ceable arbitration clauses1 class  
action waiv]s1 repres5tation waiv]s1 &  
discretion>y clauses  7a7 ,9 g5]al      
,section #ejb ( ! ,employee ,retirem5t  
,income ,security ,act ( #aigd 7#bi     
,u4,s4,c4 #aacb7 is am5d$ by add+ at !  

end ! foll[+3  7n7 7#a7 ,9 any civil    
action br\ght by1 or on behalf (1 a     
p>ticipant or b5efici>y pursuant to ?is 
section or ) respect to a common law    
claim involv+ a plan or plan b5efit1    
not)/&+ any o!r provision ( law-- 7,a7  
no pr$ispute arbitration provision %all 
be valid or en=ceable if x requires     
arbitration ( a matt] relat$ to a claim 
br\ght "u ?is section2  7,b7 no         
po/dispute arbitration provision %all be
 valid or en=ceable unless-- 7i7 !      
provision 0 n requir$ by any p]son1     
obta9$ by co]cion or ?reat ( adv]se     
action1 or made a condition ( p>ticipat+
 9 a plan1 receiv+ b5efits "u a plan1 or
 receiv+ any o!r employm5t1 "w1 or any  
employm5t-relat$ or "w-relat$ privilege 
or b5efit2  7ii7 ea* p>ticipant or      
b5efici>y agree+ to ! provision 0 in=m$1
 ?r\gh a pap] notice1 9 a mann]         
reasonably calculat$ to be und]/ood by !
 av]age plan p>ticipant1 ( ! "r ( !     
p>ticipant or b5efici>y "u subp>agraph  
7,c7 to refuse to agree to ! provision  

)\t retaliation or ?reat ( retaliation2 
7iii7 ea* p>ticipant or b5efici>y agree+
 to ! provision s agre$ aft] a wait+    
p]iod ( n few] ?an #de days1 beg9n+ on !
 date on :i* ! p>ticipant or b5efici>y 0
 provid$ bo? ! f9al text ( ! provision &
 ! disclosures requir$ "u clause 7ii72 &
  7iv7 ea* p>ticipant or b5efici>y      
agree+ to ! provision affirmatively     
cons5t$ to ! provision 9 writ+2  7,c7 no
 cov]$ provision %all be valid or       
en=ceable1 if prior to a dispute to :i* 
! cov]$ provision applies1 a p>ticipant 
or b5efici>y und]takes or promises n to 
pursue1 br+1 jo91 litigate1 or support  
any k9d ( individual1 jo9t1 class1      
repres5tative1 or collective claim      
available "u ?is section 9 any =um t1 b 
= su* cov]$ provision1 is ( compet5t    
jurisdiction2  7,d7 no cov]$ provision  
%all be valid or en=ceable1 if aft] a   
dispute to :i* ! cov]$ provision applies
 arises1 a p>ticipant or b5efici>y      
und]takes or promises n to pursue1 br+1 
jo91 litigate1 or support any k9d (     

individual1 jo9t1 class1 repres5tative1 
or collective claim "u ?is section 9 any
 =um t1 b = su* cov]$ provision1 is (   
compet5t jurisdiction1 unless ! cov]$   
provision meets ! requirem5ts (         
subp>agraph 7,b72 &  7,e7 no cov]$      
provision relat$ to a plan o!r ?an a    
multiemploy] plan %all be valid or      
en=ceable t purports to conf]           
discretion>y au?ority to any p]son )    
respect to b5efit det]m9ations or       
int]pretation ( plan language1 or to    
provide a /&>d ( review ( su*           
det]m9ations or int]pretation by a      
review+ c\rt 9 an action br\ght "u ?is  
section t w\ld require any?+ o!r ?an de 
novo review ( su* det]m9ations or       
int]pretation4  7#b7 ,9 ?is subsection--
 7,a7 ! t]m cov]$ provision means any   
docum5t1 in/rum5t1 or agreem5t relat$ to
 a plan or plan b5efit1 reg>dless ( :e!r
 su* provision appe>s 9 a plan docum5t  
or 9 a sep>ate agreem5t2  7,b7 ! t]m    
pr$ispute arbitration provision means a 
cov]$ provision1 o!r ?an a cov]$        

provision t ! ,secret>y f9ds to be !    
product ( bona fide collective b>ga9+1 t
 requires a p>ticipant or b5efici>y to  
arbitrate a dispute relat$ to ! plan or 
an am5dm5t to ! plan t _h n yet aris5 at
 ! "t su* provision took effect2  7,c7 !
 t]m po/dispute arbitration provision   
means a cov]$ provision1 o!r ?an a cov]$
 provision t ! ,secret>y f9ds to be !   
product ( bona fide collective b>ga9+1 t
 requires a p>ticipant or b5efici>y to  
arbitrate a dispute relat$ to ! plan or 
an am5dm5t to ! plan t arose be=e ! "t  
su* provision took effect2 &  7,d7 ! t]m
 retaliation means any action 9         
violation ( section #eaj4  7#c7 7,a7    
,any dispute z to :e!r a cov]$ provision
 t requires a p>ticipant or b5efici>y to
 arbitrate a dispute relat$ to a plan is
 valid & en=ceable %all be det]m9$ by a 
c\rt1 r ?an an arbitrator1 reg>dless (  
:e!r any contractual provision purports 
to delegate su* det]m9ations to !       
arbitrator & irrespective ( :e!r ! p>ty 
resi/+ arbitration *all5ges !           

arbitration agreem5t specifically or 9  
conjunction ) o!r t]ms ( ! contract     
conta9+ su* agreem5t4  7,b7 ,= purposes 
( ?is subsection1 a dispute %all be     
consid]$ to arise only :5 a pla9tiff has
 actual k 7)9 ! mean+ ( su* t]m 9       
section #dac7 ( a brea* or violation    
giv+ rise to a claim "u ?is section4  4 
7b7 ,regulations ,! ,secret>y ( ,labor  
may promulgate su* regulations z may be 
necess>y to c>ry out ! am5dm5t made by  
subsection 7a71 includ+ provid+ = ! =m &
 cont5t ( notices requir$ pursuant to   
su* am5dm5t4  #c4 ,prohibition on       
m&atory arbitration clauses1 class      
action waiv]s1 repres5tation waiv]s1 &  
discretion>y clauses ,section #djb ( !  
,employee ,retirem5t ,income ,security  
,act ( #aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aajb7 is   
am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  7d7   
7#a7 ,no cov]$ p]son may-- 7,a7 require 
p>ticipants or b5efici>ies to agree to a
 pr$ispute arbitration provision z a    
condition = p>ticipation 91 or receipt (
 b5efits "u1 a plan2  7,b7 agree to a   

po/dispute arbitration provision ) a    
p>ticipant or b5efici>y ) respect to a  
plan or plan b5efit unless ! conditions 
( clauses 7i7 ?r\gh 7iv7 ( section      
#ejb7n77#a77;,b7 are satisfi$ ) respect 
to su* provision2 or  7,c7 agree to any 
o!r cov]$ provision ) respect to a plan 
or plan b5efit "u any circum/ances "u   
:i* su* provision w\ld n be valid &     
en=ceable "u subp>agraphs 7,c7 ?r\gh    
7,e7 ( section #ejb7n77#a74  7#b7 ,9 ?is
 subsection-- 7,a7 ! t]m cov]$ p]son    
means-- 7i7 a plan2  7ii7 a plan        
sponsor2  7iii7 an employ]2 or  7iv7 a  
p]son engag$ by a plan = purposes (     
adm9i/]+ or op]at+ ! plan2 &  7,b7 !    
t]ms cov]$ provision1 pr$ispute         
arbitration provision & po/dispute      
arbitration provision h ! mean+s giv5   
su* t]ms 9 section #ejb7n77#b74  4  #d4 
,effective date  7a7 ,9 g5]al ,!        
am5dm5ts made by sections #b & #c %all  
take effect on ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is  
,act & %all apply ) respect to any      
dispute or claim t arises or accrues on 

or aft] su* date1 includ+ any dispute or
 claim to :i* a provision pr$at+ su*    
date applies1 reg>dless ( :e!r plan     
docum5ts h be5 updat$ 9 accordance ) su*
 am5dm5ts4  7b7 ,en=cem5t ) respect to  
plan docum5t updates ,not)/&+ subsection
 7a71 no p]son %all be deem$ to be 9    
violation ( su* am5dm5ts on acc\nt (    
plan docum5ts t h n be5 updat$ 9        
accordance ) su* am5dm5ts until aft] !  
beg9n+ ( ! fir/ plan ye> t beg9s on or  
aft] ! date t is #a ye> aft] ! date (   
enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 provid$ t su* p]son
 acts 9 accordance ) su* am5dm5ts dur+ !
 p]iod 9 :i* ! plan docum5ts h n be5    
updat$4