Government Affairs
ASPPA’s Government Affairs department actively monitors legislative and regulatory developments affecting pension policies and private retirement plans. Government Affairs represents the views of ASPPA members before the Executive Branch (including the federal regulatory agencies) and the U.S. Congress. New legislation, regulations, and legal issues concerning pension policy and the private retirement system are the clear focus of the Government Affairs department.
Government Affairs keeps ASPPA in the forefront of policy and regulation by developing and promoting the organization’s formal positions on current issues. This is accomplished through comment letters and expert testimony on proposed actions facing legislators and regulators.
Government Affairs communicates its activities to ASPPA members through a select group of publications. ASPPA asap provides breaking news on legislative and regulatory developments via e-mail and facsimile. The bimonthly newsletter, The ASPPA Journal, offers technical analysis and insight into legislative and regulatory issues along with information on member activities and conferences.
Government Affairs puts ASPPA face-to-face with lawmakers through ASPPA PAC, the organization’s political action committee. ASPPA PAC supports candidates for federal office who favor improvements in pension policy.
On June 18, 2009, Mark Wayne, President of Freedom One Investment Advisers, testified on behalf of NAIRPA before a joint hearing held by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Labor on current issues related to the use of Target Date Funds as 401(k) investments. [Testimony]
On June 16, 2009, ASPPA, CIKR and NAIRPA submitted a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Ranking Member Michael Enzi (R-WY) in support of Phyllis C. Borzi, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security, Department of Labor.
[Letter]
On June 1, 2009 ASPPA commented on the Proposed Revenue Procedure for the pre-approved §403(b) plans as well as the draft sample plan language for use in drafting §403(b) prototype plans as stated in Announcement 2009-34.[Comment]