‘‘(12) by an individual for appropriate relief in 
the case of a violation of the individual’s rights 
under section 205A.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO INTERNAL REV-
ENUE CODE OF 1986.—Section 401(a) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after para-
graph (17) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(18) ADDITIONAL
SPOUSAL
CONSENT
RE-
QUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a de-
fined contribution plan to which paragraph (11) 
does not apply, except as provided in sub-
sections (c) and (d), a trust forming part of 
such plan shall not constitute a qualified trust 
under this section unless no distribution may be 
made under the plan unless the spousal consent 
requirements of subparagraph (E) are met. 
‘‘(B) COORDINATION
WITH
PARAGRAPH 
(11).—Nothing in this paragraph shall be con-
strued to exempt a defined contribution plan 
from the requirements of paragraph (11) with 
respect to any participant. 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTAIN DISTRIBU-
TIONS.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to— 
‘‘(i) any distribution that is— 
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‘‘(I) a minimum required dis-
tribution described in section 4974(b), 
‘‘(II) permitted under section 
411(a)(11) to be made without the 
consent of the participant, or 
‘‘(III) in an amount that is less 
than 25 percent of the account bal-
ance, 
‘‘(ii) any distribution in the form of a 
qualified joint and survivor annuity (as de-
fined in section 417(b)), a qualified op-
tional survivor annuity (as defined in sec-
tion 417(g)), a qualified preretirement sur-
vivor annuity (as defined in section 
417(c)), or a series of substantially equal 
periodic payments (not less frequently than 
annually) made for the joint lives (or life 
expectancies) of the participant and the 
participant’s spouse, or 
‘‘(iii) in the case of a participant who 
does not elect a form of benefit described 
in clause (ii) under the plan or who is par-
ticipating in a plan that does not provide 
such a form of benefit, any distribution of 
the participant’s entire nonforfeitable ac-
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crued benefit if 50 percent of such accrued 
benefit is transferred to an individual re-
tirement plan of the spouse of the partici-
pant. 
A transfer described in clause (iii) to an indi-
vidual retirement plan shall be treated in the 
same manner as a transfer under section 
408(d)(6). 
‘‘(D) EXCEPTIONS
FOR
CERTAIN
ROLL-
OVER
CONTRIBUTIONS.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not apply to any distribution, involving a 
participant who has a spouse, that is an eligible 
rollover distribution (as defined in section 
402(f)(2)(A)) made in the form of a direct 
trustee-to-trustee transfer within the meaning 
of paragraph (31)— 
‘‘(i) to a plan to which this paragraph 
or paragraph (11) applies, or 
‘‘(ii) to an individual retirement plan 
if— 
‘‘(I) the beneficiary of such plan 
is the spouse of the participant, or the 
spousal consent requirements of sub-
paragraph (E) are met with respect to 
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any designation of 1 or more other 
beneficiaries, and 
‘‘(II) under the terms of the indi-
vidual retirement plan, the beneficiary 
of such plan (whether the spouse or 
other beneficiary designated under 
subclause (I)) may not be changed un-
less— 
‘‘(aa) the spousal consent 
requirements 
of 
subparagraph 
(E) are met with respect to any 
such change, or 
‘‘(bb) the spousal consent 
under subclause (I) to the des-
ignation of a beneficiary other 
than the spouse expressly permits 
such designation to be changed 
without the further consent of 
the spouse. 
‘‘(E) 
SPOUSAL
CONSENT
REQUIRE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of 
this paragraph, except as provided in 
clause (ii), the spousal consent require-
ments of this subparagraph are met with 
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respect to any distribution or any designa-
tion or change of beneficiary if— 
‘‘(I) the plan provides to each 
participant, within a reasonable period 
of time before such distribution or 
designation or change of beneficiary is 
made and consistent with such regula-
tions as the Secretary may prescribe, 
a written explanation of the rights of 
the participant and the participant’s 
spouse under this paragraph, 
‘‘(II) the spouse of the partici-
pant consents in writing to the dis-
tribution or designation or change of 
beneficiary, 
‘‘(III) in the case of a distribu-
tion, the written consent under sub-
clause (II) is made during the consent 
period, and 
‘‘(IV) the written consent under 
subclause (II)— 
‘‘(aa) acknowledges the ef-
fect of such distribution or des-
ignation or change of beneficiary, 
and 
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‘‘(bb) is witnessed by a plan 
representative or a notary public. 
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTIONS
UNDER
SECTION 
417
TO
APPLY.—The requirements of 
clause (i) (other than subclause (I) there-
of) shall not apply with respect to any dis-
tribution or designation or change of bene-
ficiary if a participant establishes to the 
satisfaction of the plan administrator 
that— 
‘‘(I) there is no spouse, 
‘‘(II) the participant and the par-
ticipant’s spouse have not been mar-
ried for at least 1 year as of the date 
of the distribution or designation or 
change of beneficiary, or 
‘‘(III) such consent cannot be ob-
tained because— 
‘‘(aa) the spouse cannot be 
located, or 
‘‘(bb) of such other cir-
cumstances as the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretary 
of Labor, may by regulations pre-
scribe. 
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‘‘(iii) CONSENT LIMITED TO SPOUSE 
AND
EVENT.—Any written consent by a 
spouse under clause (i), or the establish-
ment by a participant that an exception 
under clause (ii) (other than subclause (I) 
thereof) applies with respect to a spouse, 
shall be effective only with respect to that 
spouse and to the distribution or designa-
tion or change of beneficiary to which it 
relates. 
‘‘(iv) CONSENT
PERIOD.—For pur-
poses of this subparagraph, the term ‘con-
sent period’ means, with respect to any 
distribution— 
‘‘(I) the 90-day period imme-
diately preceding the date of such dis-
tribution, or 
‘‘(II) such other period as the 
Secretary may provide.’’. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATES. 
(a) INCREASING SPOUSAL PROTECTION UNDER DE-
FINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS.—Except as provided in 
subsection (b), the amendments made by section 3 shall 
apply to distributions and rollover contributions made in 
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plan years beginning after the date that is 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) PROVISIONS
RELATING
TO
PLAN
AMEND-
MENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If this paragraph applies to 
any plan or contract amendment, such plan or con-
tract shall be treated as being operated in accord-
ance with the terms of the plan during the period 
described in paragraph (2)(C). 
(2) AMENDMENTS TO WHICH PARAGRAPH (1) 
APPLIES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) shall 
apply to any amendment to any plan or annuity 
contract which is made— 
(i) pursuant to the amendments made 
by section 3 or pursuant to any regulation 
issued under section 205A of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 
or section 401(a)(18) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986, as added by section 3; 
and 
(ii) on or before the last day of the 
first plan year beginning on or after the 
date that is 3 years after the date de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
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In the case of a governmental plan (as defined 
in section 414(d) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986), this subparagraph shall be applied by 
substituting ‘‘5 years’’ for ‘‘3 years’’ in clause 
(ii). 
(B) CONDITIONS.—Subparagraph (A) shall 
not apply to any amendment unless— 
(i) the plan or contract is operated as 
if such plan or contract amendment were 
in effect for the period described in sub-
paragraph (C); and 
(ii) such plan or contract amendment 
applies retroactively for such period. 
(C) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period de-
scribed in this subparagraph is the period— 
(i) beginning on the effective date 
specified by the plan; and 
(ii) ending on the date described in 
subparagraph (A)(ii) (or, if earlier, the 
date the plan or contract amendment is 
adopted). 
SEC. 5. ACCESS TO INDEPENDENT CONSUMER INFORMA-
TION AND UNDERSTANDING. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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(1) the term ‘‘consumer’’ means any person 
who purchases or acquires any goods, products, serv-
ices, or credit related to the retirement or later life 
economic security of the consumer; and 
(2) the term ‘‘financial product or service pro-
vider’’ means any person who engages in the busi-
ness of providing any retirement financial product or 
service to any consumer. 
(b) REQUIRED LINK TO CONSUMER AWARENESS IN-
FORMATION.—In any offer for the sale, exchange, or other 
transfer of a retirement financial product or service to a 
consumer carried out by a financial product or service pro-
vider, such provider shall provide, in a manner consistent 
with subsection (c), an easily accessible link to the website 
of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (referred 
to in this section as the ‘‘CFPB’’) at which the consumer 
may access information, literature, guides, programs, 
tools, strategies, or any other resource produced by the 
CFPB or other Federal agency relating to retirement 
planning or later life economic security. 
(c) DETERMINATION.—In order to ensure that the re-
quirement under subsection (b) is effectively carried out, 
the Financial Literacy and Education Commission shall 
determine and publish on its website the appropriate link 
to the CFPB’s website for access to the CFPB’s and other 
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Federal agencies’ consumer education materials, the pre-
ferred format of such link, and any accompanying descrip-
tion of the CFPB and the consumer education materials 
associated with such link. 
SEC. 6. GRANTS TO PROMOTE FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR 
WOMEN. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT AWARDS.—The Sec-
retary of Labor, acting through the Director of the Wom-
en’s Bureau, shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
eligible entities to enable such entities to improve the fi-
nancial literacy of women who are working age or in re-
tirement, to increase the likelihood of the women realizing 
a secure and stable retirement. 
(b) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a community-based 
organization with proven experience and expertise in serv-
ing working-age or retired women. 
(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary of Labor at such time, in such man-
ner, and accompanied by such information as such Sec-
retary may require. 
(d) MINIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—The Secretary of 
Labor shall award grants under this section in amounts 
of not less than $250,000. 
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(e) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to 
develop and implement financial literacy education, and 
related activities including outreach, awareness building, 
and counseling to increase women’s knowledge of retire-
ment planning and consumer, economic, and personal fi-
nancial concepts. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding 
fiscal year. 
SEC. 7. GRANTS TO ASSIST LOW-INCOME WOMEN AND SUR-
VIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OBTAIN-
ING QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS OR-
DERS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT AWARDS.—The Sec-
retary of Labor, acting through the Director of the Wom-
en’s Bureau and in conjunction with the Assistant Sec-
retary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, 
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible enti-
ties to enable such entities to assist low-income women 
and survivors of domestic violence in obtaining qualified 
domestic relations orders and ensuring that those women 
actually obtain the benefits to which they are entitled 
through those orders. 
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