4011.3—Notice requirement.

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this part, the plan administrator of a plan must provide a Participant Notice for a plan year if a variable rate premium is payable for the plan under section 4006(a)(3)(E) of ERISA and part 4006 of this chapter for that plan year, unless, for that plan year or for the prior plan year, the plan meets the Deficit Reduction Contribution (“DRC”) Exception Test in paragraph (b) of this section. The DRC Exception Test may be applied using the Small Plan DRC Exception Test rules in § 4011.4(b), where applicable.
(b) DRC Exception Test— (1) Basic rule. A plan meets the DRC Exception Test for a plan year if it is exempt from the requirements of section 302(d) of ERISA for that plan year by reason of section 302(d)(9), without regard to the small plan exemption in section 302(d)(6)(A).
(2) 1994 plan year. A plan satisfies the DRC Exception Test for the 1994 plan year if, for any two of the plan years beginning in 1992, 1993, and 1994 (whether or not consecutive), the plan satisfies any requirement of section 302(d)(9)(D)(i) of ERISA.
(c) Penalties for non-compliance. If a plan administrator fails to provide a Participant Notice within the specified time limit or omits material information from a Participant Notice, the PBGC may assess a penalty under section 4071 of ERISA of up to $1,100 a day for each day that the failure continues.

Code of Federal Regulations

[61 FR 34026, July 1, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 36994, July 10, 1997]
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