Notice2026-06509
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Employee Benefit Plan Claims Procedure Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 3, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor Department
Abstract
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 64 (Friday, April 3, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 64 (Friday, April 3, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16976-16977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06509]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Employee Benefit Plan Claims Procedure Under
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employee
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)-sponsored information
collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency
receives on or before May 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Howell by telephone at 202-
693-6782, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85c1cac9dad5d7c4dad5d0c7c9ccc6c5e1eae9abe2eaf3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3c787370636c6e7d636c697e70757f7c585350125b534a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In November 2000, the Department issued a
final regulation establishing minimum claims procedure requirements
that all employee benefit plans under ERISA must meet in order to
satisfy the requirements of section 503 of ERISA. Section 505 of ERISA
authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations as appropriate or
necessary to carry out the provisions of Title I of ERISA. The
regulation requires plans to provide every claimant who is denied a
claim with a written or electronic notice that contains the specific
reasons for denial, a reference to the relevant plan provisions on
which the denial is based, a description of any additional information
necessary to perfect the claim, and a description of steps to be taken
if the participant or beneficiary wishes to appeal the denial. The
[[Page 16977]]
regulation also requires that any adverse decision upon review be in
writing (including electronic means) and include specific reasons for
the decision, as well as references to relevant plan provisions. For
additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related
notice published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2025 (90 FR
30984).
Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and
the public is generally not required to respond to an information
collection, unless the OMB approves it and displays a currently valid
OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions
of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to
comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
Agency: DOL-EBSA.
Title of Collection: Employee Benefit Plan Claims Procedure Under
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
OMB Control Number: 1210-0053.
Affected Public: Private sector.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,336,356.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 1,910,577,375.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 38,050,660 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $501,736,152.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).)
Michael Howell,
Senior Paperwork Reduction Act Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2026-06509 Filed 4-2-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 3, 2026.
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