[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 19873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10635]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration

29 CFR Part 2550


Insurance Company General Accounts; Notice of Hearing

AGENCY: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Proposed regulation; notice of hearing.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice of a public hearing regarding a 
proposed regulation under section 401(c) of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 as amended (ERISA) which clarifies the 
application of ERISA to insurance company general accounts. The 
proposed regulation was set forth in a notice of proposed rulemaking 
published in the Federal Register at 62 FR 66908 on December 22, 1997.

DATES: The hearing will be held on Monday, June 1, 1998, and Tuesday, 
June 2, 1998, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. on 
each day.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held in Room C-5310 of the Department of 
Labor Building, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy McColough, Office of Exemption 
Determinations, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-5649, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20210, (202) 219-8194. This is not a toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 22, 1997, the Department of 
Labor (the Department) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal Register (62 FR 66908) which clarifies the application of ERISA 
to insurance company general accounts. In that notice, the Department 
invited all interested persons to submit written comments concerning 
the proposed regulation on or before March 23, 1998.
    In view of the importance of the proposed regulation, the 
Department has decided to hold a hearing on the proposed regulation on 
Monday, June 1, 1998, and Tuesday, June 2, 1998, beginning at 9:30 a.m. 
and ending at 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. on each day, in Room C-5310 of the 
Department of Labor Building, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington 
D.C. 20210.
    Any interested person who wishes to be assured of an opportunity to 
present oral comments at the hearing should submit by 3:30 p.m. E.S.T. 
May 15, 1998: (1) a written request to be heard and (2) an outline 
(preferably five copies) of the topics to be discussed, indicating the 
time allocated to each topic. The request to be heard and accompanying 
outline should be sent to the Office of Exemption Determinations, 
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Room N-5649, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, and 
marked ``Attention: Insurance Company General Accounts Hearing.'' 
Individuals who did not file written comments regarding the proposed 
regulation may nonetheless submit a request to make oral comments at 
the hearing.
    The Department will prepare an agenda indicating the order of 
presentation of oral comments. In the absence of special circumstances, 
each commentator will be allotted fifteen minutes in which to complete 
his or her presentation and answer questions that may be posed by a 
panel of Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration employees and by 
the Department's consultant on this proposed regulation, Dr. Dan 
McGill. Information about the agenda may be obtained on or after May 
21, 1998 by telephoning Wendy McColough, Washington, D.C. (202) 219-
8194 (not a toll free number). Individuals not listed in the agenda 
will be allowed to make oral comments at the hearing to the extent time 
permits. Those individuals who make oral comments at the hearing should 
be prepared to answer questions regarding their comments. The hearing 
will be transcribed.
    Individuals with disabilities, who need special accommodations, 
should notify Wendy McColough on or before May 21, 1998.

Notice of Public Hearing

    Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on 
Monday, June 1, 1998, and Tuesday, June 2, 1998, regarding a proposed 
regulation which clarifies the application of ERISA to insurance 
company general accounts. The hearing will be held beginning at 9:30 
a.m. E.S.T. on each day, in Room C-5310 of the Department of Labor 
Building, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20210.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., this 16th day of April, 1998.
Alan D. Lebowitz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations, Pension and Welfare 
Benefits Administration, Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 98-10635 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P