Legislative updates

Recent legislation passed by Congress includes several provisions that enhance the ability of workers to increase their retirement savings. One of these provisions, Section 110 of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0), also enhances the ability of employers that sponsor a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), or a SIMPLE IRA plan to supplement workers’ retirement savings by providing matching contributions to employees who make qualified student loan payments (QSLPs) in 2024 and later plan years.

Representatives Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) and Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act to help more Americans ages 18 to 20 years old access employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Gary Peters (D-MI), have introduced S. 4917, the Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act.

The Department of Treasury has issued a request for information from the financial services sector on potential opportunities and risks related to the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Tedd Budd (R-NC) have introduced S. 4398, the Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act.

Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-NC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) have announced they are introducing a resolution of congressional disapproval of the Department of Labor’s “Retirement Security Rule.”

The Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation have extended the deadline for comments related to a Request for Information (RFI) released in January pursuant to Section 319 of SECURE 2.0.

An employer that maintains a SIMPLE IRA plan is generally not permitted to maintain another retirement plan in which employees may accrue benefits—a principle known as the exclusive plan rule.

Employers that sponsor a SIMPLE plan may allow increased salary deferral limits for their employees, starting in tax year 2024.

For plan years beginning after December 29, 2022, employers that sponsor 401(k) or 403(b) plans may offer employees a “de minimis” financial incentive, such as a gift card, as long as the cost of the incentive is paid by the employer and not paid from plan assets.