Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73
§1381 Withdrawal liability established; criteria and definitions
Title 29 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - PLAN TERMINATION INSURANCE › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Special Provisions for Multiemployer Plans › Part part 1— - employer withdrawals › § 1381
Summary
When an employer leaves a multiemployer plan, fully or partly, the employer must pay withdrawal liability. The amount is the employer’s allocable share of unfunded vested benefits as worked out under section 1391, then adjusted in this order: any de minimis reduction (sec. 1389); partial-withdrawal rules (sec. 1386); the annual payment cap (sec. 1399(c)(1)(B)); and section 1405. "Complete withdrawal" and "partial withdrawal" mean what sections 1383 and 1385 describe.
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §1381
Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)If an employer withdraws from a multiemployer plan in a complete withdrawal or a partial withdrawal, then the employer is liable to the plan in the amount determined under this part to be the withdrawal liability.
(b)For purposes of subsection (a)—
(1)The withdrawal liability of an employer to a plan is the amount determined under section 1391 of this title to be the allocable amount of unfunded vested benefits, adjusted—
(A)first, by any de minimis reduction applicable under section 1389 of this title,
(B)next, in the case of a partial withdrawal, in accordance with section 1386 of this title,
(C)then, to the extent necessary to reflect the limitation on annual payments under section 1399(c)(1)(B) of this title, and
(D)finally, in accordance with section 1405 of this title.
(2)The term “complete withdrawal” means a complete withdrawal described in section 1383 of this title.
(3)The term “partial withdrawal” means a partial withdrawal described in section 1385 of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 1381, Pub. L. 93–406, title IV, § 4402, formerly § 4082, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 1034; S.Res. 4, Feb. 4, 1977; Pub. L. 95–214, § 1, Dec. 19, 1977, 91 Stat. 1501; S.Res. 30, Mar. 7, 1979; Pub. L. 96–24,
June 19, 1979, 93 Stat. 70; Pub. L. 96–239, § 1, Apr. 30, 1980, 94 Stat. 341; Pub. L. 96–293, § 1,
June 30, 1980, 94 Stat. 610, renumbered § 4402 and amended Pub. L. 96–364, title I, § 108(a)-(c)(1), Sept. 26, 1980, 94 Stat. 1267, relating to the
Effective Date
s and special rules for this subchapter, was transferred to section 1461 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Part effective Sept. 26, 1980, see section 1461(e)(2) of this title. Elimination of Retroactive Application of
Amendments
Made by Multiemployer Pension Plan
Amendments
Act of 1980, Pub. L. 96–364 Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title V, § 558(a), (c), (d),
July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 899, provided that: “(a) In General.—“(1) Liability.—Any withdrawal liability incurred by an employer pursuant to part 1 of subtitle E of title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) as a result of the complete or partial withdrawal of such employer from a multiemployer plan before
September 26, 1980, shall be void. “(2) Refunds.—Any amounts paid by an employer to a plan sponsor as a result of such withdrawal liability shall be refunded by the plan sponsor to the employer with interest (in accordance with section 401(a)(2) [26 U.S.C. 401(a)(2)]), less a reasonable amount for administrative expenses incurred by the plan sponsor (other than legal expenses incurred with respect to the plan) in calculating, assessing, and refunding such amounts. “(c) No Increase in Liability.—The
Amendments
made by this section [amending section 1391, 1397, 1399, 1415 and 1461 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 1385 of this title] shall not be construed to increase the liability incurred by any employer pursuant to part 1 of subtitle E of title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.), as in effect immediately before the
Amendments
made by subsection (b) [amending section 1391, 1397, 1399, 1415, and 1461 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 1385 of this title], as a result of the complete or partial withdrawal of such employer from a multiemployer plan prior to
September 26, 1980. “(d) Special Rule for Certain Binding Agreements.—In the case of an employer who, on
September 26, 1980, has a binding agreement to withdraw from a multiemployer plan, subsection (a)(1) shall be applied by substituting ‘
December 31, 1980’ for ‘
September 26, 1980’.” Applicability to Certain Employers Withdrawn Before Sept. 26, 1980, From Multiemployer Plan Covering Employees in Seagoing Industry;
Effective Date
, Coverage, Etc.Pub. L. 96–364, title I, § 108(c)(4), Sept. 26, 1980, 94 Stat. 1269, provided that: “In the case of an employer who withdrew before the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 26, 1980] from a multiemployer plan covering employees in the seagoing industry (as determined by the corporation), sections 4201 through 4219 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as added by this Act, [section 1381 through 1399 of this title], are effective as of
May 3, 1979. For the purpose of applying section 4217 [section 1397 of this title] for purposes of the preceding sentence, the date ‘
May 2, 1979,’ shall be substituted for ‘
April 28, 1980,’ and the date ‘
May 3, 1979’ shall be substituted for ‘
April 29, 1980’. For purposes of this paragraph, terms which are used in title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [this subchapter], or in
Regulations
prescribed under that title, and which are used in the preceding sentence have the same meaning as when used in that Act [see
Short Title
note set out under section 1001 of this title] or those
Regulations
. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘employer’ includes only a substantial employer covering employees in the seagoing industry (as so determined) in connection with ports on the West Coast of the United States, but does not include an employer who withdrew from a plan because of a change in the collective bargaining representative.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
29 U.S.C. § 1381
Title 29 — Labor
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73