Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Q: SECTION 1. PERIODIC PENSION BENEFITS STATEMENTS.

(a) In General.--Section 105(a) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1025(a)) is amended by striking ''shall
furnish'' and all that follows through the period and inserting
''shall--
''(1) in the case of a plan other than a defined benefit
plan, furnish to each plan participant at least once each year,
and, in the case of any plan, furnish to a plan participant or
beneficiary upon their written request, a statement in written
or electronic form indicating, on the basis of the latest
available information--
''(A) the total benefits accrued, and
''(B) the nonforfeitable pension benefits, if any,
which have accrued, or the earliest date on which
benefits will become nonforfeitable, and
''(2) in the case of a defined benefit plan, furnish to
each plan participant at least once every 3 years, a statement
in written or electronic form indicating the plan's approximate
benefit levels at various levels of pay and service, including
information as to whether such benefit levels are affected by
breaks in service, family leave, or otherwise.''.
(b) Rule for Multiemployer Plans.--Section 105(d) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1025(d)) is amended
to read as follows:
''(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), in the case of a plan to
which more than 1 unaffiliated employer is required to contribute and
to which subsection (a)(1) applies, a statement described in subsection
(a)(1) shall be required upon the written request of a participant or
beneficiary.''.
(c) Penalty for Failure To Disclose.--Section 502(c)(1)(A) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C.
1132(c)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ''or section 101(e)(1)'' and
inserting '', section 101(e)(1), or section 105(a)''.
(d) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 101(a)(2) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1021(a)(2)) is amended by
striking ''105(a) and (c)'' and inserting ''105(a), (c), and
(d)''.
(2) Section 106(b) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1026(b)) is
amended by striking ''and 105(c)'' and inserting '', 105(c),
and 105(d)''.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to plan years beginning after the earlier of--
(1) the date of issuance by the Secretary of Labor of
regulations--
(A) providing guidance for simplifying defined
benefit plan calculations with respect to the
information required under section 105 of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C.
1025), and
(B) requiring that the statements required under
the amendments made by this section are written in a
form calculated to be understood by an average plan
participant and specifying model language for such
statements, or
(2) December 31, 1998.

SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF BENEFIT CALCULATIONS.

(a) In General.--Section 105 of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1025) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
''(e)(1) In the case of a participant or beneficiary who is
entitled to a distribution of a benefit under an employee pension
benefit plan, the administrator of such plan shall provide to the
participant or beneficiary the information described in paragraph (2)
upon the written request of the participant or beneficiary.
''(2) The information described in this paragraph includes--
''(A) a worksheet explaining how the amount of the
distribution was calculated and stating the assumptions used
for such calculation,
''(B) upon written request of the participant or
beneficiary, any documents relating to the calculation (if
available), and
''(C) such other information as the Secretary may
prescribe.
Any information provided under this paragraph shall be in a form
calculated to be understood by the average plan participant.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 101(a)(2) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1021(a)(2)), as amended by
section 1(d)(1), is amended by striking ''105(a), (c), and
(d)'' and inserting ''105(a), (c), (d), and (e)''.
(2) Section 106(b) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1026(b)), as
amended by section 1(d)(2), is amended by striking ''and
105(d)'' and inserting ''105(d), and 105(e)''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to distributions made after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. DISCRETIONARY SECRETARIAL IMPOSITION OF PENALTIES FOR FAILURE
TO DISCLOSE TO PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES.

(a) In General.--Section 501(c) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1132(c)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
''(7) The Secretary may assess a civil penalty of not more than
$100 a day for each violation by any administrator of section 104(b) or
105. For purposes of this paragraph, each violation with respect to any
single participant or beneficiary shall be treated as a separate
violation.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply
to violations occurring after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF PARTICIPANT.

Section 3(7) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(29 U.S.C. 1002(7)) is amended by striking ''who is or may become'' and
inserting ''who was, is, or may become''.

SEC. 5. REVIEW OF DENIAL OF BENEFIT CLAIMS.

(a) Model Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedure.--Section 503
(29 U.S.C. 1133) is amended--
(1) by inserting ''(a) In General.--'' after ''Sec. 503.'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
''(b) Model Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures.--
''(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a model
alternative dispute resolution procedure to be adopted by any
plan at its discretion for appeals of plan benefits claims
denials to which subsection (a) applies.
''(2) Experts and fees.--The Secretary--
''(A) shall maintain a roster of employee benefit
experts who may be called upon to serve as neutral
experts in the procedure under paragraph (1), and
''(B) may assess fees as necessary from each party
to cover the costs of experts called.
The Secretary may reduce or waive a fee under subparagraph (B)
on the basis of inability to pay.
''(3) Notice.--The Secretary shall--
''(A) notify individuals of the procedure
established under paragraph (1) or other sources of
assistance in resolving benefits claim disputes, and
''(B) provide model information with respect to the
procedure to be included in all summary plan
descriptions and benefit determinations.''
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to claims made after the date of enactment of this Act.
A:
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require furnishing of pension benefits statements: (1) annually by plans other than defined benefit plans; (2) triennially by defined benefit plans; and (3) upon written request by any plan.
Requires a plan administrator to disclose certain information relating to calculation of pension benefits upon the request of any participant or beneficiary entitled to a benefit distribution under an employee pension benefit plan.
Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to assess civil penalties for plan administrators' failures to disclose certain information to participants and beneficiaries.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a model alternative dispute resolution procedure to be adopted by any plan at its discretion for appeals of plan benefits claims denials to which certain ERISA provisions apply; and (2) maintain a roster of employee benefit experts who may be called upon to serve as neutral experts in such procedure. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) assess fees to cover the costs of experts called; and (2) reduce or waive such a fee on the basis of inability to pay.