The IRS has extended the public comment period on its Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) information collection through September 25, 2026. The extension provides plan sponsors, benefit administrators, and practitioners additional time to weigh in on an important correction
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Beyond BMI: Workplace Bias and Weight-Loss Drugs
In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter examine the evolving issue of weight discrimination in the workplace. Joined by Lynne Wakefield, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice
The USPS Postmark Rule: What HR and Benefits Teams Need to Know
We have all been there. Whether it involves a birthday or a business meeting, everyone knows the feeling of scrambling to remember an important date. In the world of benefit plan notices, dates matter too. The small date imprinted in
Alternative Assets in 401(k) Plans — A Proposed DOL Safe Harbor
Key Points
- The DOL has proposed regulations intended to clarify and expand prior regulations addressing ERISA’s fiduciary duty of prudence for the selection of directed investment alternatives (DIAs) in participant-directed defined contribution plans (such as 401(k) plans).
- The proposed regulations
Proposed SEC Rules Would Lighten Executive Compensation Disclosure Load for Many Public Companies
On May 19, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule amendments that would significantly simplify executive compensation disclosure requirements for many public companies. The proposed rules would split public companies into large accelerated filers and non-accelerated filers. Non-accelerated
Supreme Court Expands Flexibility for Multiemployer Plans in Setting Withdrawal Liability Assumptions
Key Points
- The Supreme Court held in M & K Employee Solutions, LLC v. Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund that MEPPs may adopt actuarial assumptions after the measurement date when calculating withdrawal liability.
- The decision allows MEPP
Sixth Circuit Holds Tennessee PBM Network and Steering Rules Are ERISA‑Preempted
Recently, the Sixth Circuit issued a significant ERISA preemption ruling for employers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The court held that Tennessee’s PBM laws, which require “any willing” pharmacy access and limiting incentives that steer members to plan‑favored pharmacies, are
Ninth Circuit Upholds Administrator’s Denial of Residential Mental Health Benefits Under ERISA
In an unpublished memorandum decision, the Ninth Circuit in R.R. v. California Physicians’ Service d/b/a Blue Shield of California, affirmed the insurer and administrator’s denial of benefits for a dependent’s residential mental health treatment under an ERISA‑governed plan. The
Trump Touts Trump Accounts
James Earle, leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Tax + Benefits Practice Group, was quoted in the February 4, 2026 Pensions & Investments article, “Trump Touts Trump Accounts.”
House Passes HR 7148, Advancing New PBM Transparency and Compensation Rules
On January 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed on a bipartisan basis HR 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (HR 7148). If it also wins passage in the Senate, the bill would, among other Trump administration priorities, impose new