29 U.S.C. § 1350 Missing Participants

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-21 (published on www.congress.gov on 11/13/2023)

(a) General rule

(1) Payment to the corporation

A plan administrator satisfies section 1341(b)(3)(A) of this title in the case of a missing participant only if the plan administrator-

(A) transfers the participant's designated benefit to the corporation or purchases an irrevocable commitment from an insurer in accordance with clause (i) of section 1341(b)(3)(A) of this title, and

(B) provides the corporation such information and certifications with respect to such designated benefits or irrevocable commitments as the corporation shall specify.

(2) Treatment of transferred assets

A transfer to the corporation under this section shall be treated as a transfer of assets from a terminated plan to the corporation as trustee, and shall be held with assets of terminated plans for which the corporation is trustee under section 1342 of this title, subject to the rules set forth in that section.

(3) Payment by the corporation

After a missing participant whose designated benefit was transferred to the corporation is located-

(A) in any case in which the plan could have distributed the benefit of the missing participant in a single sum without participant or spousal consent under section 1055(g) of this title, the corporation shall pay the participant or beneficiary a single sum benefit equal to the designated benefit paid the corporation plus interest as specified by the corporation, and

(B) in any other case, the corporation shall pay a benefit based on the designated benefit and the assumptions prescribed by the corporation at the time that the corporation received the designated benefit.

The corporation shall make payments under subparagraph (B) available in the same forms and at the same times as a guaranteed benefit under section 1322 of this title would be available to be paid, except that the corporation may make a benefit available in the form of a single sum if the plan provided a single sum benefit (other than a single sum described in subsection (b)(2)(A)).

(b) Definitions

For purposes of this section-

(1) Missing participant

The term "missing participant" means a participant or beneficiary under a terminating plan whom the plan administrator cannot locate after a diligent search.

(2) Designated benefit

The term "designated benefit" means the single sum benefit the participant would receive-

(A) under the plan's assumptions, in the case of a distribution that can be made without participant or spousal consent under section 1055(g) of this title;