26 USC 9704 - Liability of assigned operators

U.S Code last checked for updates: May 02, 2024

§ 9704.

Liability of assigned operators

(a)

Annual premiums

Each assigned operator shall pay to the Combined Fund for each plan year beginning on or after February 1, 1993, an annual premium equal to the sum of the following three premiums—

(1)

the health benefit premium determined under subsection (b) for such plan year, plus

(2)

the death benefit premium determined under subsection (c) for such plan year, plus

(3)

the unassigned beneficiaries premium determined under subsection (d) for such plan year.

Any related person with respect to an assigned operator shall be jointly and severally liable for any premium required to be paid by such operator.

(b)

Health benefit premium

For purposes of this chapter—

(1)

In general

(2)

Per beneficiary premium

The Commissioner of Social Security shall calculate a per beneficiary premium for each plan year beginning on or after February 1, 1993, which is equal to the sum of—

(A)

the amount determined by dividing—

(i)

the aggregate amount of payments from the 1950 UMWA Benefit Plan and the 1974 UMWA Benefit Plan for health benefits (less reimbursements but including administrative costs) for the plan year beginning July 1, 1991, for all individuals covered under such plans for such plan year, by

(ii)

the number of such individuals, plus

(B)

the amount determined under subparagraph (A) multiplied by the percentage (if any) by which the medical component of the Consumer Price Index for the calendar year in which the plan year begins exceeds such component for 1992.

(3)

Adjustments for medicare reductions

(c)

Death benefit premium

(d)

Unassigned beneficiaries premium

(1)

Plan years ending on or before September 30, 2006

(2)

Plan years beginning on or after October 1, 2006

(A)

In general

(B)

Inadequate transfers

(e)

Premium accounts; adjustments

(1)

Accounts

(2)

Allocations

(A)

Administrative expenses

(B)

Interest

(3)

Shortfalls and surpluses

(A)

In general

(B)

Exception

Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any surplus in the health benefit premium account or the unassigned beneficiaries premium account which is attributable to—

(i)

the excess of the premiums credited to such account for a plan year over the benefits (and administrative costs) debited to such account for the plan year, but such excess shall only be available for purposes of the carryover described in section 9703(b)(2)(C)(ii) (relating to carryovers of premiums not used to provide benefits), or

(ii)

interest credited under paragraph (2)(B) for the plan year or any preceding plan year.

(C)

No authority for increased payments

(f)

Applicable percentage

For purposes of this section—

(1)

In general

(2)

Annual adjustments

In the case of any plan year beginning on or after October 1, 1994, the applicable percentage for any assigned operator shall be redetermined under paragraph (1) by making the following changes to the assignments as of October 1, 1993:

(A)

Such assignments shall be modified to reflect any changes during the period beginning October 1, 1993, and ending on the last day of the preceding plan year pursuant to the appeals process under section 9706(f).

(B)

The total number of assigned eligible beneficiaries shall be reduced by the eligible beneficiaries of assigned operators which (and all related persons with respect to which) had ceased business (within the meaning of section 9701(c)(6)) during the period described in subparagraph (A).

(C)

In the case of plan years beginning on or after October 1, 2007, the total number of assigned eligible beneficiaries shall be reduced by the eligible beneficiaries whose assignments have been revoked under section 9706(h).

(g)

Payment of premiums

(1)

In general

(2)

Deductibility

(h)

Information

(i)

Transition rules

(1)

1988 agreement operators

(A)

1st year costs

(B)

Deficits from merged plans

(C)

Failure

(D)

Premium reductions

(i)

1st year payments

(ii)

Deficit payments

(iii)

Limitation

(iv)

Plan years

(E)

Allocations of contributions and refunds

(2)

1st plan year

In the case of the plan year of the Combined Fund beginning February 1, 1993—

(A)

the premiums under subsections (a)(1) and (a)(3) shall be 67 percent of such premiums without regard to this paragraph, and

(B)

the premiums under subsection (a) shall be paid as provided in subsection (g).

(3)

Startup costs

(j)

Prepayment of premium liability

(1)

In general

If—

(A)

a payment meeting the requirements of paragraph (3) is made to the Combined Fund by or on behalf of—

(i)

any assigned operator to which this subsection applies, or

(ii)

any related person to any assigned operator described in clause (i), and

(B)

the common parent of the controlled group of corporations described in paragraph (2)(B) is jointly and severally liable for any premium under this section which (but for this subsection) would be required to be paid by the assigned operator or related person,

then such common parent (and no other person) shall be liable for such premium.

(2)

Assigned operators to which subsection applies

(A)

In general

This subsection shall apply to any assigned operator if—

(i)

the assigned operator (or a related person to the assigned operator)—

(I)

made contributions to the 1950 UMWA Benefit Plan and the 1974 UMWA Benefit Plan for employment during the period covered by the 1988 agreement; and

(II)

is not a 1988 agreement operator,

(ii)

the assigned operator (and all related persons to the assigned operator) are not actively engaged in the production of coal as of July 1, 2005, and

(iii)

the assigned operator was, as of July 20, 1992, a member of a controlled group of corporations described in subparagraph (B).

(B)

Controlled group of corporations

(C)

Coordination with repeal of assignments

(D)

Controlled group

(3)

Requirements

A payment meets the requirements of this paragraph if—

(A)

the amount of the payment is not less than the present value of the total premium liability under this chapter with respect to the Combined Fund of the assigned operators or related persons described in paragraph (1) or their assignees, as determined by the operator’s or related person’s enrolled actuary (as defined in section 7701(a)(35)) using actuarial methods and assumptions each of which is reasonable and which are reasonable in the aggregate, as determined by such enrolled actuary;

(B)

such enrolled actuary files with the Secretary of Labor a signed actuarial report containing—

(i)

the date of the actuarial valuation applicable to the report; and

(ii)

a statement by the enrolled actuary signing the report that, to the best of the actuary’s knowledge, the report is complete and accurate and that in the actuary’s opinion the actuarial assumptions used are in the aggregate reasonably related to the experience of the operator and to reasonable expectations; and

(C)

90 calendar days have elapsed after the report required by subparagraph (B) is filed with the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Labor has not notified the assigned operator in writing that the requirements of this paragraph have not been satisfied.

(4)

Use of prepayment

The Combined Fund shall—

(A)

establish and maintain an account for each assigned operator or related person by, or on whose behalf, a payment described in paragraph (3) was made,

(B)

credit such account with such payment (and any earnings thereon), and

(C)

use all amounts in such account exclusively to pay premiums that would (but for this subsection) be required to be paid by the assigned operator.

Upon termination of the obligations for the premium liability of any assigned operator or related person for which such account is maintained, all funds remaining in such account (and earnings thereon) shall be refunded to such person as may be designated by the common parent described in paragraph (1)(B).

(Added Pub. L. 102–486, title XIX, § 19143(a), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3042; amended Pub. L. 103–296, title I, § 108(h)(9)(A), Aug. 15, 1994, 108 Stat. 1487; Pub. L. 109–432, div. C, title II, §§ 211(a), 212(a)(2), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3020, 3024; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(a)(344), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1200.)

cite as: 26 USC 9704