Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73
§1022 Summary plan description
Title 29 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RIGHTS › Subtitle Subtitle B— - Regulatory Provisions › Part part 1— - reporting and disclosure › § 1022
Summary
Plan administrators must give every participant and beneficiary a short, clear written summary of the employee benefit plan, as required under section 1024(b). It must be easy for an average participant to understand and must accurately explain their rights and duties. If the plan has a major change, a short written summary of that change must be given under section 1024(b)(1). The summary must list key facts about the plan. It must say the plan name and how it is run. For group health plans (see section 1191b(a)(1)), it must say if a health insurance issuer (see section 1191b(b)(2)) pays or runs the plan and give that issuer’s name and address. It must name the administrator and agent for legal papers, trustees if different, any collective bargaining rules, who can join, how benefits become nonforfeitable, what can cause loss of benefits, who pays for the plan and who provides benefits, the plan year end date and record-keeping basis, how to file claims and appeals and the remedies for denied claims (including procedures under section 1133), the Department of Labor office for help and, for health plans, rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and, if the employer chooses, the model notice required for the State under section 1181(f)(3)(B)(i).
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §1022
Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A summary plan description of any employee benefit plan shall be furnished to participants and beneficiaries as provided in section 1024(b) of this title. The summary plan description shall include the information described in subsection (b), shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average plan participant, and shall be sufficiently accurate and comprehensive to reasonably apprise such participants and beneficiaries of their rights and obligations under the plan. A summary of any material modification in the terms of the plan and any change in the information required under subsection (b) shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average plan participant and shall be furnished in accordance with section 1024(b)(1) of this title.
(b)The summary plan description shall contain the following information: The name and type of administration of the plan; in the case of a group health plan (as defined in section 1191b(a)(1) of this title), whether a health insurance issuer (as defined in section 1191b(b)(2) of this title) is responsible for the financing or administration (including payment of claims) of the plan and (if so) the name and address of such issuer; the name and address of the person designated as agent for the service of legal process, if such person is not the administrator; the name and address of the administrator; names, titles, and addresses of any trustee or trustees (if they are persons different from the administrator); a description of the relevant provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement; the plan’s requirements respecting eligibility for participation and benefits; a description of the provisions providing for nonforfeitable pension benefits; circumstances which may result in disqualification, ineligibility, or denial or loss of benefits; the source of financing of the plan and the identity of any organization through which benefits are provided; the date of the end of the plan year and whether the records of the plan are kept on a calendar, policy, or fiscal year basis; the procedures to be followed in presenting claims for benefits under the plan including the office at the Department of Labor through which participants and beneficiaries may seek assistance or information regarding their rights under this chapter and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 with respect to health benefits that are offered through a group health plan (as defined in section 1191b(a)(1) of this title), the remedies available under the plan for the redress of claims which are denied in whole or in part (including procedures required under section 1133 of this title), and if the employer so elects for purposes of complying with section 1181(f)(3)(B)(i) of this title, the model notice applicable to the State in which the participants and beneficiaries reside.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 93–406, known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Titles I, III, and IV of such Act are classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1001 of this title and Tables. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 104–191, Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 1936. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1996 Amendment note set out under section 201 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and Tables.
Amendments
2009—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–3 substituted “, the remedies” for “and the remedies” and inserted “, and if the employer so elects for purposes of complying with section 1181(f)(3)(B)(i) of this title, the model notice applicable to the State in which the participants and beneficiaries reside” before the period at end. 1997—Pub. L. 105–34, § 1503(b)(2)(B), substituted “Summary plan description” for “Plan description and summary plan description” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–34, § 1503(b)(1), struck out “(1)” after subsec. designation and struck out par. (2) which read as follows: “A plan description (containing the information required by subsection (b)) of any employee benefit plan shall be prepared on forms prescribed by the Secretary, and shall be filed with the Secretary as required by section 1024(a)(1) of this title. Any material modification in the terms of the plan and any change in the information described in subsection (b) shall be filed in accordance with section 1024(a)(1)(D) of this title.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–34, § 1503(b)(2)(A), substituted “The summary plan description shall contain” for “The plan description and summary plan description shall contain”. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–204 made technical amendment to references in original act which appear in text as references to section 1191b of this title. Pub. L. 104–191 inserted “in the case of a group health plan (as defined in section 1191b(a)(1) of this title), whether a health insurance issuer (as defined in section 1191b(b)(2) of this title) is responsible for the financing or administration (including payment of claims) of the plan and (if so) the name and address of such issuer;” after “type of administration of the plan;” and “including the office at the Department of Labor through which participants and beneficiaries may seek assistance or information regarding their rights under this chapter and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 with respect to health benefits that are offered through a group health plan (as defined in section 1191b(a)(1) of this title)” after “presenting claims for benefits under the plan”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–3 effective Apr. 1, 2009, and applicable to child health assistance and medical assistance provided on or after that date, with certain exceptions, see section 3 of Pub. L. 111–3, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1396 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Effective Date
of 1996
Amendments
Amendment by Pub. L. 104–204 applicable with respect to group health plans for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1998, see section 603(c) of Pub. L. 104–204 set out as a note under section 1003 of this title. Amendment by Pub. L. 104–191 applicable with respect to group health plans for plan years beginning after June 30, 1997, except as otherwise provided, see section 101(g) of Pub. L. 104–191, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1181 of this title.
Regulations
Secretary authorized, effective Sept. 2, 1974, to promulgate
Regulations
wherever provisions of this subchapter call for the promulgation of
Regulations
, see section 1031 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
29 U.S.C. § 1022
Title 29 — Labor
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73