Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/919

 120 STAT. 888

PUBLIC LAW 109–280—AUG. 17, 2006 ‘‘(i) a complete or partial withdrawal of an employer has occurred, or ‘‘(ii) an employer is liable for withdrawal liability payments with respect to such complete or partial withdrawal, and ‘‘(B) such determination is based in whole or in part on a finding by the plan sponsor under section 4212(c) that a principal purpose of any transaction which occurred after December 31, 1998, and at least 5 years (2 years in the case of a small employer) before the date of the complete or partial withdrawal was to evade or avoid withdrawal liability under this subtitle, then the person against which the withdrawal liability is assessed based solely on the application of section 4212(c) may elect to use the special rule under paragraph (2) in applying subsection (d) of this section and section 4219(c) to such person. ‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE.—Notwithstanding subsection (d) and section 4219(c), if an electing person contests the plan sponsor’s determination with respect to withdrawal liability payments under paragraph (1) through an arbitration proceeding pursuant to subsection (a), through an action brought in a court of competent jurisdiction for review of such an arbitration decision, or as otherwise permitted by law, the electing person shall not be obligated to make the withdrawal liability payments until a final decision in the arbitration proceeding, or in court, upholds the plan sponsor’s determination, but only if the electing person— ‘‘(A) provides notice to the plan sponsor of its election to apply the special rule in this paragraph within 90 days after the plan sponsor notifies the electing person of its liability by reason of the application of section 4212(c); and ‘‘(B) if a final decision in the arbitration proceeding, or in court, of the withdrawal liability dispute has not been rendered within 12 months from the date of such notice, the electing person provides to the plan, effective as of the first day following the 12-month period, a bond issued by a corporate surety company that is an acceptable surety for purposes of section 412 of this Act, or an amount held in escrow by a bank or similar financial institution satisfactory to the plan, in an amount equal to the sum of the withdrawal liability payments that would otherwise be due under subsection (d) and section 4219(c) for the 12-month period beginning with the first anniversary of such notice. Such bond or escrow shall remain in effect until there is a final decision in the arbitration proceeding, or in court, of the withdrawal liability dispute, at which time such bond or escrow shall be paid to the plan if such final decision upholds the plan sponsor’s determination. ‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF SMALL EMPLOYER.—For purposes of this subsection— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘small employer’ means any employer which, for the calendar year in which the transaction referred to in paragraph (1)(B) occurred and for each of the 3 preceding years, on average— ‘‘(i) employs not more than 500 employees, and

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