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viser or any affiliate thereof is to receive
(including compensation provided by any
third party) in connection with the provi-
sion of the advice or in connection with the
sale, acquisition, or holding of the security
or other property,
‘‘(ii) of any material affiliation or con-
tractual relationship of the fiduciary ad-
viser or affiliates thereof in the security or
other property,
‘‘(iii) of any limitation placed on the
scope of the investment advice to be pro-
vided by the fiduciary adviser with respect
to any such sale, acquisition, or holding of
a security or other property,
‘‘(iv) of the types of services provided
by the fiduciary advisor in connection with
the provision of investment advice by the
fiduciary adviser, and
‘‘(v) that the adviser is acting as a fi-
duciary of the plan in connection with the
provision of the advice,
‘‘(B) the fiduciary adviser provides appro-
priate disclosure, in connection with the sale,
acquisition, or holding of the security or other
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property, in accordance with all applicable secu-
rities laws,
‘‘(C) the sale, acquisition, or holding oc-
curs solely at the direction of the recipient of
the advice,
‘‘(D) the compensation received by the fi-
duciary adviser and affiliates thereof in connec-
tion with the sale, acquisition, or holding of the
security or other property is reasonable, and
‘‘(E) the terms of the sale, acquisition, or
holding of the security or other property are at
least as favorable to the plan as an arm’s
length transaction would be.
‘‘(2) STANDARDS FOR PRESENTATION OF IN-
FORMATION.—The notification required to be pro-
vided to participants and beneficiaries under para-
graph (1)(A) shall be written in a clear and con-
spicuous manner and in a manner calculated to be
understood by the average plan participant and shall
be sufficiently accurate and comprehensive to rea-
sonably apprise such participants and beneficiaries
of the information required to be provided in the no-
tification.
‘‘(3) EXEMPTION CONDITIONED ON CONTINUED
AVAILABILITY OF REQUIRED INFORMATION ON RE-
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QUEST
FOR
YEAR.—The requirements of para-
graph (1)(A) shall be deemed not to have been met
in connection with the initial or any subsequent pro-
vision of advice described in paragraph (1) to the
plan, participant, or beneficiary if, at any time dur-
ing the provision of advisory services to the plan,
participant, or beneficiary, the fiduciary adviser fails
to maintain the information described in clauses (i)
through (iv) of subparagraph (A) in currently accu-
rate form and in the manner described in paragraph
(2) or fails—
‘‘(A) to provide, without charge, such cur-
rently accurate information to the recipient of
the advice no less than annually,
‘‘(B) to make such currently accurate in-
formation available, upon request and without
charge, to the recipient of the advice, or
‘‘(C) in the event of a material change to
the information described in clauses (i) through
(iv) of paragraph (1)(A), to provide, without
charge, such currently accurate information to
the recipient of the advice at a time reasonably
contemporaneous to the material change in in-
formation.
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‘‘(4) MAINTENANCE FOR 6 YEARS OF EVIDENCE
OF COMPLIANCE.—A fiduciary adviser referred to in
paragraph (1) who has provided advice referred to in
such paragraph shall, for a period of not less than
6 years after the provision of the advice, maintain
any records necessary for determining whether the
requirements of the preceding provisions of this sub-
section and of subsection (b)(14) have been met. A
transaction prohibited under section 406 shall not be
considered to have occurred solely because the
records are lost or destroyed prior to the end of the
6-year period due to circumstances beyond the con-
trol of the fiduciary adviser.
‘‘(5) EXEMPTION FOR PLAN SPONSOR AND CER-
TAIN OTHER FIDUCIARIES.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), a plan sponsor or other person who
is a fiduciary (other than a fiduciary adviser)
shall not be treated as failing to meet the re-
quirements of this part solely by reason of the
provision of investment advice referred to in
section 3(21)(A)(ii) (or solely by reason of con-
tracting for or otherwise arranging for the pro-
vision of the advice), if—
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‘‘(i) the advice is provided by a fidu-
ciary adviser pursuant to an arrangement
between the plan sponsor or other fidu-
ciary and the fiduciary adviser for the pro-
vision by the fiduciary adviser of invest-
ment advice referred to in such section,
‘‘(ii) the terms of the arrangement re-
quire compliance by the fiduciary adviser
with the requirements of this subsection,
and
‘‘(iii) the terms of the arrangement
include a written acknowledgment by the
fiduciary adviser that the fiduciary adviser
is a fiduciary of the plan with respect to
the provision of the advice.
‘‘(B) CONTINUED DUTY OF PRUDENT SE-
LECTION OF ADVISER AND PERIODIC REVIEW.—
Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be construed
to exempt a plan sponsor or other person who
is a fiduciary from any requirement of this part
for the prudent selection and periodic review of
a fiduciary adviser with whom the plan sponsor
or other person enters into an arrangement for
the provision of advice referred to in section
3(21)(A)(ii). The plan sponsor or other person
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who is a fiduciary has no duty under this part
to monitor the specific investment advice given
by the fiduciary adviser to any particular recipi-
ent of the advice.
‘‘(C) AVAILABILITY OF PLAN ASSETS FOR
PAYMENT FOR ADVICE.—Nothing in this part
shall be construed to preclude the use of plan
assets to pay for reasonable expenses in pro-
viding investment advice referred to in section
3(21)(A)(ii).
‘‘(6) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section and subsection (b)(14)—
‘‘(A) FIDUCIARY ADVISER.—The term ‘fi-
duciary adviser’ means, with respect to a plan,
a person who is a fiduciary of the plan by rea-
son of the provision of investment advice by the
person to the plan or to a participant or bene-
ficiary and who is—
‘‘(i) registered as an investment ad-
viser under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80b–1 et seq.) or under
the laws of the State in which the fiduciary
maintains its principal office and place of
business,
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entity for the broker or dealer referred to in
such section) or a person described in section
202(a)(17) of the Investment Advisers Act of
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80b–2(a)(17)) (substituting
the entity for the investment adviser referred to
in such section).’’.
(b) AMENDMENTS
TO
THE INTERNAL REVENUE
CODE OF 1986.—
(1) EXEMPTION
FROM
PROHIBITED
TRANS-
ACTIONS.—Subsection (d) of section 4975 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to exemptions
from tax on prohibited transactions) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (14), by striking ‘‘or’’ at
the end;
(B) in paragraph (15), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(16) any transaction described in subsection
(f)(7)(A) in connection with the provision of invest-
ment advice described in subsection (e)(3)(B), in
any case in which—
‘‘(A) the investment of assets of the plan
is subject to the direction of plan participants
or beneficiaries,
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‘‘(B) the advice is provided to the plan or
a participant or beneficiary of the plan by a fi-
duciary adviser in connection with any sale, ac-
quisition, or holding of a security or other prop-
erty for purposes of investment of plan assets,
and
‘‘(C) 
the 
requirements 
of 
subsection
(f)(7)(B) are met in connection with the provi-
sion of the advice.’’.
(2) ALLOWED
TRANSACTIONS
AND
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Subsection (f) of such section 4975 (relat-
ing to other definitions and special rules) is amended
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(7) PROVISIONS
RELATING
TO
INVESTMENT
ADVICE PROVIDED BY FIDUCIARY ADVISERS.—
‘‘(A) TRANSACTIONS ALLOWABLE IN CON-
NECTION WITH INVESTMENT ADVICE PROVIDED
BY FIDUCIARY ADVISERS.—The transactions re-
ferred to in subsection (d)(16), in connection
with the provision of investment advice by a fi-
duciary adviser, are the following:
‘‘(i) the provision of the advice to the
plan, participant, or beneficiary;
‘‘(ii) the sale, acquisition, or holding
of a security or other property (including
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any lending of money or other extension of
credit associated with the sale, acquisition,
or holding of a security or other property)
pursuant to the advice; and
‘‘(iii) the direct or indirect receipt of
fees or other compensation by the fiduciary
adviser or an affiliate thereof (or any em-
ployee, agent, or registered representative
of the fiduciary adviser or affiliate) in con-
nection with the provision of the advice or
in connection with a sale, acquisition, or
holding of a security or other property pur-
suant to the advice.
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO PROVI-
SION OF INVESTMENT ADVICE BY FIDUCIARY
ADVISERS.—The requirements of this subpara-
graph (referred to in subsection (d)(16)(C)) are
met in connection with the provision of invest-
ment advice referred to in subsection (e)(3)(B),
provided to a plan or a participant or bene-
ficiary of a plan by a fiduciary adviser with re-
spect to the plan in connection with any sale,
acquisition, or holding of a security or other
property for purposes of investment of amounts
held by the plan, if—
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‘‘(i) in the case of the initial provision
of the advice with regard to the security or
other property by the fiduciary adviser to
the plan, participant, or beneficiary, the fi-
duciary adviser provides to the recipient of
the advice, at a time reasonably contem-
poraneous with the initial provision of the
advice, a written notification (which may
consist of notification by means of elec-
tronic communication)—
‘‘(I) of all fees or other com-
pensation relating to the advice that
the fiduciary adviser or any affiliate
thereof is to receive (including com-
pensation provided by any third
party) in connection with the provi-
sion of the advice or in connection
with the sale, acquisition, or holding
of the security or other property,
‘‘(II) of any material affiliation
or contractual relationship of the fidu-
ciary adviser or affiliates thereof in
the security or other property,
‘‘(III) of any limitation placed on
the scope of the investment advice to
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be provided by the fiduciary adviser
with respect to any such sale, acquisi-
tion, or holding of a security or other
property,
‘‘(IV) of the types of services
provided by the fiduciary advisor in
connection with the provision of in-
vestment advice by the fiduciary ad-
viser, and
‘‘(V) that the adviser is acting as
a fiduciary of the plan in connection
with the provision of the advice,
‘‘(ii) the fiduciary adviser provides ap-
propriate disclosure, in connection with the
sale, acquisition, or holding of the security
or other property, in accordance with all
applicable securities laws,
‘‘(iii) the sale, acquisition, or holding
occurs solely at the direction of the recipi-
ent of the advice,
‘‘(iv) the compensation received by the
fiduciary adviser and affiliates thereof in
connection with the sale, acquisition, or
holding of the security or other property is
reasonable, and
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‘‘(v) the terms of the sale, acquisition,
or holding of the security or other property
are at least as favorable to the plan as an
arm’s length transaction would be.
‘‘(C) STANDARDS FOR PRESENTATION OF
INFORMATION.—The notification required to be
provided to participants and beneficiaries under
subparagraph (B)(i) shall be written in a clear
and conspicuous manner and in a manner cal-
culated to be understood by the average plan
participant and shall be sufficiently accurate
and comprehensive to reasonably apprise such
participants and beneficiaries of the information
required to be provided in the notification.
‘‘(D) EXEMPTION CONDITIONED ON MAK-
ING REQUIRED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ANNU-
ALLY, ON REQUEST, AND IN THE EVENT OF MA-
TERIAL
CHANGE.—The requirements of sub-
paragraph (B)(i) shall be deemed not to have
been met in connection with the initial or any
subsequent provision of advice described in sub-
paragraph (B) to the plan, participant, or bene-
ficiary if, at any time during the provision of
advisory services to the plan, participant, or
beneficiary, the fiduciary adviser fails to main-
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tain the information described in subclauses (I)
through (IV) of subparagraph (B)(i) in cur-
rently accurate form and in the manner re-
quired by subparagraph (C), or fails—
‘‘(i) to provide, without charge, such
currently accurate information to the re-
cipient of the advice no less than annually,
‘‘(ii) to make such currently accurate
information available, upon request and
without charge, to the recipient of the ad-
vice, or
‘‘(iii) in the event of a material
change to the information described in
subclauses (I) through (IV) of subpara-
graph (B)(i), to provide, without charge,
such currently accurate information to the
recipient of the advice at a time reasonably
contemporaneous to the material change in
information.
‘‘(E) MAINTENANCE FOR 6 YEARS OF EVI-
DENCE OF COMPLIANCE.—A fiduciary adviser
referred to in subparagraph (B) who has pro-
vided advice referred to in such subparagraph
shall, for a period of not less than 6 years after
the provision of the advice, maintain any
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records necessary for determining whether the
requirements of the preceding provisions of this
paragraph and of subsection (d)(16) have been
met. A transaction prohibited under subsection
(c)(1) shall not be considered to have occurred
solely because the records are lost or destroyed
prior to the end of the 6-year period due to cir-
cumstances beyond the control of the fiduciary
adviser.
‘‘(F) EXEMPTION FOR PLAN SPONSOR AND
CERTAIN OTHER FIDUCIARIES.—A plan sponsor
or other person who is a fiduciary (other than
a fiduciary adviser) shall not be treated as fail-
ing to meet the requirements of this section
solely by reason of the provision of investment
advice referred to in subsection (e)(3)(B) (or
solely by reason of contracting for or otherwise
arranging for the provision of the advice), if—
‘‘(i) the advice is provided by a fidu-
ciary adviser pursuant to an arrangement
between the plan sponsor or other fidu-
ciary and the fiduciary adviser for the pro-
vision by the fiduciary adviser of invest-
ment advice referred to in such section,
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‘‘(ii) the terms of the arrangement re-
quire compliance by the fiduciary adviser
with the requirements of this paragraph,
‘‘(iii) the terms of the arrangement
include a written acknowledgment by the
fiduciary adviser that the fiduciary adviser
is a fiduciary of the plan with respect to
the provision of the advice, and
‘‘(iv) the requirements of part 4 of
subtitle B of title I of the Employee Re-
tirement Income Security Act of 1974 are
met in connection with the provision of
such advice.
‘‘(G) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this
paragraph and subsection (d)(16)—
‘‘(i) FIDUCIARY ADVISER.—The term
‘fiduciary adviser’ means, with respect to a
plan, a person who is a fiduciary of the
plan by reason of the provision of invest-
ment advice by the person to the plan or
to a participant or beneficiary and who
is—
‘‘(I) registered as an investment
adviser under the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80b–1 et seq.)
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or under the laws of the State in
which the fiduciary maintains its prin-
cipal office and place of business,
‘‘(II) a bank or similar financial
institution referred to in subsection
(d)(4),
‘‘(III) an insurance company
qualified to do business under the
laws of a State,
‘‘(IV) a person registered as a
broker or dealer under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a
et seq.),
‘‘(V) an affiliate of a person de-
scribed in any of subclauses (I)
through (IV), or
‘‘(VI) an employee, agent, or reg-
istered representative of a person de-
scribed in any of subclauses (I)
through (V) who satisfies the require-
ments of applicable insurance, bank-
ing, and securities laws relating to the
provision of the advice.
‘‘(ii) AFFILIATE.—The term ‘affiliate’
of another entity means an affiliated per-