Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 88 Part 1.djvu/909

 88 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 93-406-SEPT. 2, 1974

date of enactment of this Act. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any assignment or alienation made for the purposes of defraying plan administration costs. For purposes of this paragraph a loan made to a participant or beneficiary shall not be treated as an assignment or alienation if such loan is secured by the participant's accrued nonforfeitable benefit and is exempt from the tax imposed by section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (relating to tax on prohibited transactions) by reason of section 4975(d)(1) of such Code. TEMPORARY VARIANCES FROM CERTAIN VESTING

865

Post,

p. 971,

REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 207. In the case of any plan maintained on January 1, 1974, if, 29 USC ios7. not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the administrator petitions the Secretary, the Secretary may prescribe an alternate method which shall be treated as satisfying the requirements of section 203(a)(2) or 204(b)(1) (other than subparagraph (D) thereof) or both for a period of not more than 4 years. The Secretary may prescribe such alternate method only v^^hen he finds that— (1) the application of such requirements would increase the costs of the plan to such an extent that there would result a substantial risk to the voluntary continuation of the plan or a substantial curtailment of benefit levels or the levels of employees' compensation, (2) the application of such requirements or discontinuance of the plan would be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate, and (3) a waiver or extension of time granted under section 303 or 304 of this Act would be inadequate. ^ ^P°^ *> PP873. In the case of any plan with respect to which an alternate method has been prescribed under the preceding provisions of this subsection for a period of not more than 4 years, if, not later than 1 year before the expiration of such period, the administrator petitions the Secretary for an extension of such alternate method, and the Secretary makes the findings required by the preceding sentence, such alternate method may be extended for not more than 3 years. MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATIONS OF PLANS OR TRANSFERS OF P L A N ASSETS

SEC. 208. A pension plan may not merge or consolidate with, or transfer its assets or liabilities to, any other plan after the date of the enactment of this Act, unless each participant in the plan would (if the plan then terminated) receive a benefit immediately after the merger, consolidation, or transfer which is equal to or greater than the benefit he would have been entitled to receive immediately before the merger, consolidation, or transfer (if the plan had then terminated). This paragraph shall apply in the case of a multiemployer plan only to the extent determined by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

29 USC 1058.

RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 209. (a)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2) every employer shall, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, maintain records with respect to each of his employees sufficient to determine the benefits due or which may become due to such employees. The plan administrator shall make a report, in such manner and at such time as may be provided in regulations prescribed by the

29 USC 1059.

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