Labor Dept Reviews Exemption for Secure Investments in Plans
Published Date: 1/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Labor is asking for public feedback on a paperwork update tied to a special rule that helps employee benefit plans buy certain securities without breaking the rules. This mainly affects banks and employee plans involved in these deals, ensuring prices stay fair and transactions stay clean. Comments are open until February 9, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to weigh in!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
PTE 80-83 Allows Certain Plan Purchases
Employee benefit plans and the banks that act for them may rely on Class Exemption PTE 80-83 (granted November 4, 1980) to purchase securities when the issuer may use the proceeds to reduce or retire indebtedness to a party in interest. The exemption requires that the securities be sold as part of a public offering and that the price paid not exceed the original offering price, and it provides relief from prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA (parties in interest defined in section 3(14)) and from Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Paperwork Renewal: Small Burden Estimate
The Department of Labor is submitting an information collection (OMB Control Number 1210-0064) tied to PTE 80-83 for OMB review and seeks authorization for three (3) years. The affected public is the private sector, with a total estimated 25 respondents, 25 responses, and a combined annual time burden of 15 hours; the agency will consider written comments received on or before February 9, 2026.
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