Notice2026-18510
Renewal of Charter of Advisory Committee on Actuarial Examinations
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
September 10, 2026
Issuing agencies
Joint Board for Enrollment of Actuaries
Abstract
The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries announces the renewal of the charter of the Advisory Committee on Actuarial Examinations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 174 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 174 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57654-57655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18510]
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JOINT BOARD FOR THE ENROLLMENT OF ACTUARIES
Renewal of Charter of Advisory Committee on Actuarial
Examinations
AGENCY: Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.
ACTION: Notice of renewal of Advisory Committee.
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SUMMARY: The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries announces the
renewal of the charter of the Advisory Committee on Actuarial
Examinations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Van Osten, Designated
Federal Officer, 202-317-3648, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#53363f3a29323136273b7d397d25323d3c2027363d133a21207d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c2a7aeabb8a3a0a7b6aaeca8ecb4a3acadb1b6a7ac82abb0b1eca5adb4">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), the Joint Board for
the Enrollment of Actuaries (Joint Board) is providing notice of the
renewal of the charter of the Advisory Committee on Actuarial
Examinations (Advisory Committee). The Public Interest Determination,
approved by the Joint Board, is provided in accordance with 41 CFR 102-
3.65.
Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries (Joint Board) Advisory
Committee on Actuarial Examinations Public Interest Determination
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew, reestablish,
or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory committee, an
agency must first consult with the General Services Administration's
Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat) and, as part of the
consultation, provide a written public interest determination approved
by the head of the agency to the Secretariat with a copy to the Office
of Management and Budget. In addition, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.35, an
agency shall follow the same consultation process and document in
writing the same determination of need before creating a subcommittee
under a discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members
of a parent advisory committee.
Information on the following factors for the committee is provided
to the Secretariat to demonstrate that renewing the committee is in the
public interest:
1. Annual budget: $37,394.00.
(a) Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis: 0.1.
(b) Other Federal internal costs: $2,394.00.
(c) Proposed payments to members: N/A.
(d) Proposed number of members: Nine.
(e) Reimbursable costs: $35,000.
2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be
recommended during the fiscal year: N/A.
3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the
necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership.
All committee members are appointed as Special Government Employees
and selected primarily for their technical experience. The Joint Board
for the Enrollment of Actuaries (Joint Board) attempts to ensure
maximum practicable representation on the committee of most points of
view extant in the enrolled actuary community. To that end, the Joint
Board seeks to appoint members with expertise in one or more of the
three main practice areas: small single employer plans, large single
employer plans, and multiemployer plans.
To the extent possible, the Joint Board selects several members
from each of these practice areas. Membership balance is not static and
may change depending on the work of the committee. To attain balanced
membership, the Joint Board limits the number of members employed by
any one firm or affiliated with any one actuarial organization. In
addition, to the extent possible, the Joint Board seeks geographic
representation of members.
4. List of all other Federal advisory committees of the agency: N/
A.
5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the
Federal advisory Committee or subcommittee is not available from
another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source,
or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source.
The Joint Board is the only federal agency responsible for writing
actuarial examinations and setting other criteria to determine
actuaries' qualifications for enrollment under the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Thus, the functions the committee
performs cannot be obtained from other sources within the government.
Moreover, the committee's functions cannot be performed effectively by
members of the Joint Board. The Joint Board consists of five federal
government employees, three from the Department of the Treasury and two
from the Department of Labor. In addition, a non-voting representative
from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is appointed to the
Board. Each Joint Board member serves on the Joint Board in addition to
substantial responsibilities in the member's home department. The
committee supplies a breadth of current practice experience across
small single-employer, large single-employer, and multiemployer plans
that is not available from the five-member Joint Board alone. The Joint
Board has not identified a more cost-effective or less burdensome
source that would provide equivalent breadth, independence, continuity,
and balanced review. Obtaining equivalent advice through contractors or
a single professional organization would create additional cost or
administrative burden and would not provide the same multi-practice,
collective review. Committee members receive no compensation, although
authorized travel and related expenses may be reimbursed. The Joint
Board retains all final decision-making authority.
6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the
previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to
continue.
Each year, the committee develops and recommends the three
examinations and two examination program booklets that are used in the
Joint Board's examination program. In addition, the committee reviews
the examination results and recommends a passing score for each of the
three examinations given in that year. The committee also assists the
Joint Board with special projects including developing blueprints for
the examinations and identifying any changes needed in the examination
program structure to reflect changes in the law and regulations and
evolving trends in the practice of enrolled actuaries. The Joint Board
could not fulfill its mandate under section 3042 of ERISA to maintain
standards and qualifications for enrolled actuaries without the
technical expertise and assistance of the committee.
7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to
the conduct of agency business.
Section 3042 of ERISA establishes the framework for enrolling
actuaries who are authorized to perform actuarial services required
under ERISA for private pension plans. The provision directs the Joint
Board to establish standards and qualifications for enrollment,
ensuring that only individuals with the necessary technical expertise
and professional competence may certify actuarial valuations, funding
calculations, and other required pension
[[Page 57655]]
analyses. The Joint Board administers three examinations each year
pursuant to its mandate under ERISA. The Joint Board strives to ensure
that its examinations are fair and reflect current developments in
pension law and actuarial mathematics and methodology. The committee,
which consists of members representing a broad range of expertise and
experience, helps the Joint Board ensure that those examinations remain
legally current, actuarially sound, appropriately rigorous, and
relevant to actual pension actuarial practice. Such recommendations and
input are necessary to enable the Joint Board to perform its mandate
and enrollment function under ERISA. Enrolled actuaries play a vital
role in protecting the financial soundness of defined benefit pension
plans and the interests of plan participants. Enrolled actuaries help
determine whether pension plans are adequately funded, calculate
employers' required contributions, and assess the long-term ability of
plans to meet promised retirement benefits. By requiring qualified
enrolled actuaries to perform these functions, ERISA promotes accurate
financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and greater confidence that
retirement benefits will be available when participants become entitled
to them.
In conclusion, this public interest determination documents that
renewing the committee is in the public interest, essential to the
conduct of agency business, and that the information to be obtained is
not already available through another advisory committee or source
within the Federal Government.
Dated: September 8, 2026.
Chet Andrzejewski,
Chairman, Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.
[FR Doc. 2026-18510 Filed 9-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-P
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