Collapse to view only § 1204. Coordination between the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Labor

§ 1201. Procedures in connection with the issuance of certain determination letters by the Secretary of the Treasury covering qualifications under Internal Revenue Code
(a) Additional material required of applicants
(b) Opportunity to comment on application
(1) Whenever an application is made to the Secretary of the Treasury for a determination of whether a pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan, a trust which is a part of such a plan, or an annuity or bond purchase plan meets the requirements of part I of subchapter D of chapter 1 of title 26, the Secretary shall upon request afford an opportunity to comment on the application at any time within 45 days after receipt thereof to—
(A) any employee or class of employee qualifying as an interested party within the meaning of the regulations referred to in subsection (a).1
1 So in original. The period probably should be a comma.
(B) the Secretary of Labor, and
(C) the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
(2) The Secretary of Labor may not request an opportunity to comment upon such an application unless he has been requested in writing to do so by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or by the lesser of—
(A) 10 employees, or
(B) 10 percent of the employees
who qualify as interested parties within the meaning of the regulations referred to in subsection (a). Upon receiving such a request, the Secretary of Labor shall furnish a copy of the request to the Secretary of the Treasury within 5 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays (as set forth in section 6103 of title 5)).
(3) Upon receiving such a request from the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of the Treasury shall furnish to the Secretary of Labor such information held by the Secretary of the Treasury relating to the application as the Secretary of Labor may request.
(4) The Secretary of Labor shall, within 30 days after receiving a request from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or from the necessary number of employees who qualify as interested parties, notify the Secretary of the Treasury, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and such employees with respect to whether he is going to comment on the application to which the request relates and with respect to any matters raised in such request on which he is not going to comment. If the Secretary of Labor indicates in the notice required under the preceding sentence that he is not going to comment on all or part of the matters raised in such request, the Secretary of the Treasury shall afford the corporation, and such employees, an opportunity to comment on the application with respect to any matter on which the Secretary of Labor has declined to comment.
(c) Intervention by Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or Secretary of Labor into declaratory judgment action under section 7476 of title 26, action by Corporation authorized
(d) Notification and information by Secretary of the Treasury to Secretary of Labor upon issuance by Secretary of the Treasury of a determination letter to applicant
(e) Effective date
(Pub. L. 93–406, title III, § 3001, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 995; Pub. L. 100–203, title IX, § 9343(b), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–372; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7891(a)(1), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2445.)
§ 1202. Procedures with respect to continued compliance with Internal Revenue requirements relating to participation, vesting, and funding standards
(a) Notification by Secretary of the Treasury to Secretary of Labor of issuance of a preliminary notice of intent to disqualify or of commencement of proceedings to determine satisfaction of requirements
(b) Notification to Secretary of Labor before Secretary of the Treasury sends notice of deficiency under section 4971 of title 26; waiver of imposition of tax; requests for investigation; consultation
(c) Extended application of regulations prescribed by Secretary of the Treasury relating to minimum participation standards, minimum vesting standards, and minimum funding standards
(d) Opportunity afforded Secretary of the Treasury to intervene in cases involving construction or application of minimum standards; review of briefs filed by Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or Secretary of Labor
(e) Consultative requirements respecting promulgation of proposed or final regulations
(Pub. L. 93–406, title III, § 3002, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 996; Pub. L. 96–364, title IV, § 402(b)(3), Sept. 26, 1980, 94 Stat. 1299; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7891(a)(1), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2445.)
§ 1202a. Employee plans compliance resolution system
(a) In general
(b) Improvements
The Secretary of the Treasury shall continue to update and improve the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (or any successor program), giving special attention to—
(1) increasing the awareness and knowledge of small employers concerning the availability and use of the program;
(2) taking into account special concerns and circumstances that small employers face with respect to compliance and correction of compliance failures;
(3) extending the duration of the self-correction period under the Self-Correction Program for significant compliance failures;
(4) expanding the availability to correct insignificant compliance failures under the Self-Correction Program during audit; and
(5) assuring that any tax, penalty, or sanction that is imposed by reason of a compliance failure is not excessive and bears a reasonable relationship to the nature, extent, and severity of the failure.
(Pub. L. 109–280, title XI, § 1101, Aug. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 1055.)
§ 1203. Procedures in connection with prohibited transactions
(a) Notification to Secretary of Labor; opportunity to comment on imposition of tax under section 4975 of title 26; waiver; requests for investigations
(b) Consultation
(c) Transmission of information to Secretary of the Treasury
(Pub. L. 93–406, title III, § 3003, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 998; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7891(a)(1), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2445.)
§ 1204. Coordination between the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Labor
(a) Whenever in this chapter or in any provision of law amended by this chapter the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor are required to carry out provisions relating to the same subject matter (as determined by them) they shall consult with each other and shall develop rules, regulations, practices, and forms which, to the extent appropriate for the efficient administration of such provisions, are designed to reduce duplication of effort, duplication of reporting, conflicting or overlapping requirements, and the burden of compliance with such provisions by plan administrators, employers, and participants and beneficiaries.
(b) In order to avoid unnecessary expense and duplication of functions among Government agencies, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor may make such arrangements or agreements for cooperation or mutual assistance in the performance of their functions under this chapter, and the functions of any such agencies as they find to be practicable and consistent with law. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor may utilize, on a reimbursable or other basis, the facilities or services, of any department, agency, or establishment of the United States or of any State or political subdivision of a State, including the services, of any of its employees, with the lawful consent of such department, agency, or establishment; and each department, agency, or establishment of the United States is authorized and directed to cooperate with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor and, to the extent permitted by law, to provide such information and facilities as they may request for their assistance in the performance of their functions under this chapter. The Attorney General or his representative shall receive from the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor for appropriate action such evidence developed in the performance of their functions under this chapter as may be found to warrant consideration for criminal prosecution under the provisions of this subchapter or other Federal law.
(Pub. L. 93–406, title III, § 3004, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 998.)