Title 29, LaborRelease 119-102
§1141 Coercive Interference
Title 29 › CHAPTER 18 — EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER I — PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RIGHTS › Subtitle B — Regulatory Provisions › part 5 — administration and enforcement › § 1141
Summary
It is illegal to use fraud, force, violence, or threats to stop, scare, or try to stop any plan participant or beneficiary from using rights they have under the plan, this subchapter, section 1201, or the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act. If someone does this on purpose, they can be fined $100,000, jailed for up to 10 years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §1141
Labor, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
It shall be unlawful for any person through the use of fraud, force, violence, or threat of the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, intimidate, or attempt to restrain, coerce, or intimidate any participant or beneficiary for the purpose of interfering with or preventing the exercise of any right to which he is or may become entitled under the plan, this subchapter, section 1201 of this title, or the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act [29 U.S.C. 301 et seq.]. Any person who willfully violates this section shall be fined $100,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 85–836, Aug. 28, 1958, 72 Stat. 997, which was classified generally to chapter 10 (§ 301 et seq.) of this title, and was repealed by Pub. L. 93–406, title I, § 111(a)(1), Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 851 (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), effective Jan. 1, 1975. Such section 111(a)(1) also provided that the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act should continue to apply to any conduct and events which occurred before Jan. 1, 1975 (see section 1031 of this title). For complete classification of the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act to the Code prior to such repeal, see Tables.
Amendments
2006—Pub. L. 109–280 substituted “$100,000” for “$10,000” and “10 years” for “one year”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2006 Amendment Pub. L. 109–280, title VI, § 623(b), Aug. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 979, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to violations occurring on and after the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 17, 2006].”
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. § 1141
Title 29, Labor
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102