Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/623
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 10:56:04+00:00

Document:
It shall be unlawful for an employment agency to fail or refuse to refer for employment, or otherwise to discriminate against, any individual because of such individual’s age, or to classify or refer for employment any individual on the basis of such individual’s age.
that is a voluntary early retirement incentive plan consistent with the relevant purpose or purposes of this chapter.
to discharge or otherwise discipline an individual for good cause.
If an employer controls a corporation whose place of incorporation is in a foreign country, any practice by such corporation prohibited under this section shall be presumed to be such practice by such employer.
The prohibitions of this section shall not apply where the employer is a foreign person not controlled by an American employer.
in the case of a defined contribution plan, the cessation of allocations to an employee’s account, or the reduction of the rate at which amounts are allocated to an employee’s account, because of age.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer, employment agency, or labor organization from observing any provision of an employee pension benefit plan to the extent that such provision imposes (without regard to age) a limitation on the amount of benefits that the plan provides or a limitation on the number of years of service or years of participation which are taken into account for purposes of determining benefit accrual under the plan.
if distribution of benefits under such plan with respect to such employee has not commenced as of the end of such year in accordance with section 1056(a)(3) of this title and section 401(a)(14)(C) of title 26, and the payment of benefits under such plan with respect to such employee is not suspended during such plan year pursuant to section 1053(a)(3)(B) of this title or section 411(a)(3)(B) of title 26, then any requirement of this subsection for continued accrual of benefits under such plan with respect to such employee during such plan year shall be treated as satisfied to the extent of any adjustment in the benefit payable under the plan during such plan year attributable to the delay in the distribution of benefits after the attainment of normal retirement age.
Compliance with the requirements of this subsection with respect to an employee pension benefit plan shall constitute compliance with the requirements of this section relating to benefit accrual under such plan.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to any employee who is a highly compensated employee (within the meaning of section 414(q) of title 26) to the extent provided in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for purposes of precluding discrimination in favor of highly compensated employees within the meaning of subchapter D of chapter 1 of title 26.
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) solely because the subsidized portion of any early retirement benefit is disregarded in determining benefit accruals or it is a plan permitted by subsection (m)..
Any regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to clause (v) of section 411(b)(1)(H) of title 26 and subparagraphs (C) and (D)  of section 411(b)(2) of title 26 shall apply with respect to the requirements of this subsection in the same manner and to the same extent as such regulations apply with respect to the requirements of such sections 411(b)(1)(H) and 411(b)(2).
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of this section solely because such plan provides a normal retirement age described in section 1002(24)(B) of this title and section 411(a)(8)(B) of title 26.
The terms “employee pension benefit plan”, “defined benefit plan”, “defined contribution plan”, and “normal retirement age” have the meanings provided such terms in section 1002 of this title.
The term “compensation” has the meaning provided by section 414(s) of title 26.
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) if a participant’s accrued benefit, as determined as of any date under the terms of the plan, would be equal to or greater than that of any similarly situated, younger individual who is or could be a participant.
For purposes of this subparagraph, a participant is similarly situated to any other individual if such participant is identical to such other individual in every respect (including period of service, compensation, position, date of hire, work history, and any other respect) except for age.
In determining the accrued benefit as of any date for purposes of this clause, the subsidized portion of any early retirement benefit or retirement-type subsidy shall be disregarded.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the accrued benefit may, under the terms of the plan, be expressed as an annuity payable at normal retirement age, the balance of a hypothetical account, or the current value of the accumulated percentage of the employee’s final average compensation.
An applicable defined benefit plan shall be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) unless the terms of the plan provide that any interest credit (or an equivalent amount) for any plan year shall be at a rate which is not greater than a market rate of return. A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of this subclause merely because the plan provides for a reasonable minimum guaranteed rate of return or for a rate of return that is equal to the greater of a fixed or variable rate of return.
An interest credit (or an equivalent amount) of less than zero shall in no event result in the account balance or similar amount being less than the aggregate amount of contributions credited to the account.
The Secretary of the Treasury may provide by regulation for rules governing the calculation of a market rate of return for purposes of subclause (I) and for permissible methods of crediting interest to the account (including fixed or variable interest rates) resulting in effective rates of return meeting the requirements of subclause (I). In the case of a governmental plan (as defined in the first sentence of section 414(d) of title 26), a rate of return or a method of crediting interest established pursuant to any provision of Federal, State, or local law (including any administrative rule or policy adopted in accordance with any such law) shall be treated as a market rate of return for purposes of subclause (I) and a permissible method of crediting interest for purposes of meeting the requirements of subclause (I), except that this sentence shall only apply to a rate of return or method of crediting interest if such rate or method does not violate any other requirement of this chapter.
If, after June 29, 2005, an applicable plan amendment is adopted, the plan shall be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1)(H) unless the requirements of clause (iii) are met with respect to each individual who was a participant in the plan immediately before the adoption of the amendment.
the participant’s accrued benefit for years of service after the effective date of the amendment, determined under the terms of the plan as in effect after the amendment.
For purposes of clause (iii)(I), the plan shall credit the accumulation account or similar amount  with the amount of any early retirement benefit or retirement-type subsidy for the plan year in which the participant retires if, as of such time, the participant has met the age, years of service, and other requirements under the plan for entitlement to such benefit or subsidy.
The term “applicable plan amendment” means an amendment to a defined benefit plan which has the effect of converting the plan to an applicable defined benefit plan.
If the benefits of 2 or more defined benefit plans established or maintained by an employer are coordinated in such a manner as to have the effect of the adoption of an amendment described in subclause (I), the sponsor of the defined benefit plan or plans providing for such coordination shall be treated as having adopted such a plan amendment as of the date such coordination begins.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue regulations to prevent the avoidance of the purposes of this subparagraph through the use of 2 or more plan amendments rather than a single amendment.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “applicable defined benefit plan” has the meaning given such term by section 1053(f)(3) of this title.
the interest rate and mortality table used to determine the amount of any benefit under the plan payable in the form of an annuity payable at normal retirement age shall be the rate and table specified under the plan for such purpose as of the termination date, except that if such interest rate is a variable rate, the interest rate shall be determined under the rules of subclause (I).
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) solely because the plan provides offsets against benefits under the plan to the extent such offsets are allowable in applying the requirements of section 401(a) of title 26.
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) solely because the plan provides a disparity in contributions or benefits with respect to which the requirements of section 401(l) of title 26 are met.
A plan shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) solely because the plan provides for indexing of accrued benefits under the plan.
Except in the case of any benefit provided in the form of a variable annuity, clause (i) shall not apply with respect to any indexing which results in an accrued benefit less than the accrued benefit determined without regard to such indexing.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “indexing” means, in connection with an accrued benefit, the periodic adjustment of the accrued benefit by means of the application of a recognized investment index or methodology.
For purposes of this paragraph, any reference to the accrued benefit shall be a reference to such benefit accrued to date.
pursuant to a bona fide hiring or retirement plan that is not a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this chapter.
social security supplements for plan participants that commence before the age and terminate at the age (specified by the plan) when participants are eligible to receive reduced or unreduced old-age insurance benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), and that do not exceed such old-age insurance benefits.
For an individual who receives immediate pension benefits that are actuarially reduced under subparagraph (A)(i), the amount of the deduction available pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) shall be reduced by the same percentage as the reduction in the pension benefits.
is discontinued once the individual becomes eligible for an immediate and unreduced pension.
the package of benefits provided by the employer is as described in clauses (i) and (ii).
If the obligation of the employer to provide retiree health benefits is of limited duration, the value for each individual shall be calculated at a rate of $3,000 per year for benefit years before age 65, and $750 per year for benefit years beginning at age 65 and above.
If the obligation of the employer to provide retiree health benefits is of unlimited duration, the value for each individual shall be calculated at a rate of $48,000 for individuals below age 65, and $24,000 for individuals age 65 and above.
The values described in clauses (i) and (ii) shall be calculated based on the age of the individual as of the date of the contingent event unrelated to age. The values are effective on October 16, 1990, and shall be adjusted on an annual basis, with respect to a contingent event that occurs subsequent to the first year after October 16, 1990, based on the medical component of the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers published by the Department of Labor.
If an individual is required to pay a premium for retiree health benefits, the value calculated pursuant to this subparagraph shall be reduced by whatever percentage of the overall premium the individual is required to pay.
If an employer that has implemented a deduction pursuant to subparagraph (A) fails to fulfill the obligation described in subparagraph (E), any aggrieved individual may bring an action for specific performance of the obligation described in subparagraph (E). The relief shall be in addition to any other remedies provided under Federal or State law.
for which an individual who has attained the later of age 62 or normal retirement age is eligible.
any employee who attains the minimum age and satisfies all non-age-based conditions for receiving a benefit under the plan has an opportunity lasting not less than 180 days to elect to retire and to receive the maximum benefit that could then be elected by a younger but otherwise similarly situated employee, and the plan does not require retirement to occur sooner than 180 days after such election.
Subparagraphs (C) and (D) of section 411(b)(2) of title 26, referred to in subsec. (i)(7), were redesignated subpars. (B) and (C) of section 411(b)(2) of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, by Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7871(a)(1), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2435.
Section 1054(g)(2)(A) of this title, referred to in subsec. (i)(10)(F), was in the original “section 203(g)(2)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974”, and was translated as reading section 204(g)(2)(A) of that Act to reflect the probable intent of Congress, because section 203 does not contain a subsec. (g).
Section 3(d)(2) of the Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1996, referred to in subsec. (j)(1), probably means Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 119[2(d)(2)]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–23, 3009–25, which is set out as a note under this section.
The Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (l)(1)(A)(ii)(II), (2)(D)(i), (ii), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620, as amended. Titles II and XVIII of the Act are classified generally to subchapters II (§ 401 et seq.) and XVIII (§ 1395 et seq.), respectively, of chapter 7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables.
2015—Subsec. (l)(1)(B)(i)(I). Pub. L. 114–95 substituted “section 7801 of title 20)” for “section 7801 of title 20”.
2006—Subsec. (i)(10). Pub. L. 109–280, § 701(c), added par. (10).
Subsec. (l)(1). Pub. L. 109–280, § 1104(a)(2), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), redesignated former subpars. (A) and (B) as cls. (i) and (ii), respectively, and former cls. (i) and (ii) of former subpar. (B) as subcls. (I) and (II) of cl. (ii), respectively, and added subpar. (B).
1998—Subsec. (i)(6). Pub. L. 105–244, § 941(b), inserted “or it is a plan permitted by subsection (m).” after “accruals”.
Subsec. (m). Pub. L. 105–244, § 941(a), added subsec. (m).
1996—Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 104–208, § 101(a) [title I, § 119[1(b)(1)]], reenacted subsec. (j) of this section, as in effect immediately before Dec. 31, 1993.
“(II) age 55; and” for “and the individual has attained the age of hiring or retirement in effect under applicable State or local law on March 3, 1983, and”.
1990—Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 101–433, § 103(1), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “to observe the terms of a bona fide seniority system or any bona fide employee benefit plan such as a retirement, pension, or insurance plan, which is not a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this chapter, except that no such employee benefit plan shall excuse the failure to hire any individual, and no such seniority system or employee benefit plan shall require or permit the involuntary retirement of any individual specified by section 631(a) of this title because of the age of such individual; or”.
Subsecs. (i), (j). Pub. L. 101–433, § 103(2), redesignated subsec. (i), relating to employment as firefighter or law enforcement officer, as (j).
Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 101–433, § 103(3), added subsec. (k).
Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 101–521 added cl. (iii) in par. (2)(A), and in par. (2)(D) inserted “and solely in order to make the deduction authorized under this paragraph” after “For purposes of this paragraph” and added cl. (iii).
Pub. L. 101–433, § 103(3), added subsec. (l).
“(1) For purposes of this section, any employer must provide that any employee aged 65 or older, and any employee’s spouse aged 65 or older, shall be entitled to coverage under any group health plan offered to such employees under the same conditions as any employee, and the spouse of such employee, under age 65.
1986—Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 99–272, § 9201(b)(1), and Pub. L. 99–592, § 2(a), made identical amendments, substituting “or older” for “through 69” in two places.
Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”, which for purposes of codification was translated as “title 26” thus requiring no change in text.
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–272, § 9201(b)(3), and Pub. L. 99–592, § 2(b), made identical amendments, redesignating subsec. (g), relating to practices of foreign corporations controlled by American employers, as (h).
1984—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 98–459, § 802(b)(1), inserted “, or where such practices involve an employee in a workplace in a foreign country, and compliance with such subsections would cause such employer, or a corporation controlled by such employer, to violate the laws of the country in which such workplace is located”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 98–459, § 802(b)(2), added subsec. (g) relating to practices of foreign corporations controlled by American employers.
Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 98–369 inserted “, and any employee’s spouse aged 65 through 69,” after “aged 65 through 69” and “, and the spouse of such employee,” after “as any employee”, in subsec. (g) relating to entitlement to coverage under group health plan.
This section [amending this section and enacting provisions set out as a note below] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 7, 1998].
Except as provided in subsection (b), this title [probably means section 101(a) [title I, § 119] of Pub. L. 104–208, amending this section and enacting and repealing provisions set out as notes under this section] and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1996].
other conduct occurring more than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
the employee is given up to 180 days after the offer in which to make the election.
If the employee does not elect to be covered by the new disability benefits, the employer may continue to cover the employee under the previous disability benefits even though such previous benefits do not otherwise satisfy the requirements of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (as amended by this title).
An election of coverage under the new disability benefits shall abrogate any right the electing employee may have had to receive existing disability benefits. The employee shall maintain any years of service accumulated for purposes of determining eligibility for the new benefits.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall, on request, provide to States assistance in identifying and securing independent technical advice to assist in complying with this subsection.
The terms ‘employer’ and ‘State’ shall have the respective meanings provided such terms under subsections (b) and (i) of section 11 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 630).
The term ‘disability benefits’ means any program for employees of a State or political subdivision of a State that provides long-term disability benefits, whether on an insured basis in a separate employee benefit plan or as part of an employee pension benefit plan.
is written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average employee eligible to participate.
Nothing in this title [amending this section and section 630 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 621 of this title], or the amendments made by this title, shall be construed as limiting the prohibitions against discrimination that are set forth in section 4(j) of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 [29 U.S.C. 623(j)] (as redesignated by section 103(2) of this Act).
Pub. L. 99–592, § 3(b), Oct. 31, 1986, 100 Stat. 3342, which provided that the amendment made by section 3(a) of Pub. L. 99–592, which amended this section, was repealed Dec. 31, 1993, was itself repealed, effective Dec. 31, 1993, by Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 119[1(a)]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–23.
The amendments made by sections 9201 and 9202 [amending this section, section 1054 of this title, and section 411 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code] shall apply only with respect to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 1988, and only to employees who have 1 hour of service in any plan year to which such amendments apply.
The amendments made by section 9203 [amending sections 1002 and 1052 of this title and sections 410 and 411 of Title 26] shall apply only with respect to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 1988, and only with respect to service performed on or after such date.
such plan amendment applies retroactively to the period after such amendment takes effect and such first plan year.
The regulations and rulings issued by the Secretary of Labor, the regulations and rulings issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, and the regulations and rulings issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pursuant to the amendments made by this subtitle shall each be consistent with the others. The Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shall each consult with the others to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of the preceding sentence.
Functions vested by this section in Secretary of Labor or Civil Service Commission transferred to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1978, § 2, 43 F.R. 19807, 92 Stat. 3781, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–101 of Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053.
Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 119], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–24, required the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on tests assessing the abilities important for the completion of public safety tasks performed by law enforcement officers and firefighters no later than 3 years after Sept. 30, 1996, and to develop and issue advisory guidelines based on the results of the study no later than 4 years after Sept. 30, 1996, and authorized appropriations.
  So in original. Probably should be “similar account”.

References: § 7871
 § 101
 § 119
 § 701
 § 1104
 § 941
 § 941
 § 101
 § 119
 § 103
 § 103
 § 103
 § 103
 § 9201
 § 2
 § 9201
 § 2
 § 802
 § 802
 § 119
 § 3
 § 101
 § 119
 § 2
 § 101
 § 119