Benefits Think Third defined benefit ‘relief’ law less charming to plan sponsors

With the third major pension funding relief law passed in just over three years, defined benefit plans seemingly occupy a charmed position on the legislative docket. Plan sponsors investigating the details of the latest relief bill, however, may find it somewhat less charming than its predecessors.

The most recent round of DB rules changes arrived within the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA), signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 2, 2015. BBA follows hot on the heels of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA) and the 2012 passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21).