Skip to main content

You are here

Government Affairs Testimony Archive

For ASPPA Government Affairs testimony from 2009, or earlier, please click HERE.

On June 18, 2013, Mark Dunbar, ACOPA’s President, testified on behalf of ASPPA and ACOPA at a PBGC hearing on the proposed reportable events rule. [Testimony]

On June 14, 2012, Robert Richter testified before the ERISA Advisory Council on behalf of ASPPA regarding the challenges and best practices concerning beneficiary designations in retirement plans. His written testimony is.[here]

On April 17, 2012, Judy Miller testified on behalf of ASPPA and its sister organizations at a Ways and Means Committee Hearing on Tax Reform and Tax-favored Accounts, [written] [oral]

On February 7, 2012, Judy Miller, MSPA, testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services in opposition to Massachusetts House bill 1194, which would establish commonwealth-run retirement plans for small employers (less than 100 employees). [written testimony] 

On March 20, 2012, ASPPA submitted testimony for the record relating to the hearing held March 7 by the Senate Special Committee on Aging regarding ““Opportunities for Savings: Removing Obstacles for Small Business”. The testimony challenges myths about the small plan marketplace and urges Congress to maintain a level playing field. [Testimony]

On September 15, 2011, Judy Miller, MSPA, ASPPA’s Director of Retirement Policy, testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee at a hearing regarding Tax Reform Options: Promoting Retirement Security. [Written Testimony] [Oral Testimony]

On September 1, 2011, Richard Carpenter, testified on behalf of ASPPA at an Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans hearing on data security and privacy issues. ASPPA filed a statement for the record with the Council that addressed these issues. [Statement]

On July 21, 2011, Kristi Cook, JD, TGPC, testified on behalf of ASPPA and NTSAA at an Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans hearing on 403(b) plans. ASPPA and NTSAA filed a statement for the record with the Council that addressed: (1) differences between 403(b) plans and 401(a) qualified plans; (2) the safe harbor exclusion under Title I of ERISA; (3) challenges for disclosure of fees and services under section 408(b)(2) of ERISA for 403(b) plans; (4) 403(b) plan termination and handling of custodial mutual fund accounts; and (5) audit issues and financial statements. [Statement for the Record]

On March 1, 2011, Brian H. Graff, Executive Director/CEO of ASPPA, testified on behalf of ASPPA, the National Association of Independent Retirement Plan Advisors (NAIRPA), and the Council of Independent 401(k) Recordkeepers (CIKR) at a Department of Labor hearing on the Definition of Fiduciary proposed regulation. Graff indicated that the organizations generally support the proposed change to the regulation and encouraged the Department not to apply the regulation to IRAs.[Testimony]

On January 26, 2011, Thomas J. Finnegan, MSPA, CPC, president of ASPPA, testified on behalf of ASPPA and the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA) at an IRS/Treasury hearing on proposed additional rules regarding hybrid retirement plans. Finnegan said final regulations should treat plan sponsors who have followed the rules in good faith fairly, provide a clear framework for plan design moving forward, and balance plan design flexibility with strong participant protections. [Testimony]

Robert Richter, president-elect of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), provided testimony regarding recommendations to modify Circular 230 (31 CFR part 10 §REG-138637-07) before a hearing of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Friday October 8, 2010. In his testimony, Richter advocated that the IRS permit a single preparer (the individual with supervisory authority) to register on behalf of the firm as the tax return preparer for purposes of filing Form 5500 and that guidance be issued on which components of Form 5500 have sufficient impact on tax returns to require registration.[Testimony]

On September 15, 2010, Sheldon Smith, Esq., a partner in the Compensation and Benefit Practice Group of the law firm of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, testified on behalf of ASPPA before a joint hearing held by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Labor on issues relating to Lifetime Income Distribution Options for Participants and Beneficiaries. (LINK) ASPPA previously submitted comments to both Agencies in response to a Request for Information on this topic issued jointly on February 2, 2010. [Testimony] 

On August 31, 2010, M. Kristi Cook, of the Law Offices M. Kristi Cook PC, testified on behalf of ASPPA and NTSAA before the U.S. Department of Labor Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans on the subject of pension plan auditing, “limited scope” audits and financial reporting models in the context of 403(b) plans and arrangements. [Testimony]