Opinion ID: 391158
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Federal law relating to employee benefits plans

Text: 8 In 1974, Congress enacted ERISA, a comprehensive federal statutory program designed to curb a variety of abuses associated with pension and other employee benefits plans, see 29 U.S.C. § 1001 (statement of congressional purpose). To protect the integrity of the federal regulatory scheme, ERISA § 514(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1144(a), provides that ERISA shall supersede any and all State laws insofar as they may now or hereafter relate to any employee benefit plan described in (ERISA § 4(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1003(a)) and not exempt under (ERISA § 4(b), 29 U.S.C. § 1003(b)). 7 Section 4(a) of ERISA extends ERISA coverage to any employee benefit plan maintained by an employer or union that affects interstate commerce. Section 4(b)(3) exempts from ERISA, inter alia, benefit plans maintained solely for the purpose of complying with applicable ... disability insurance laws. 8 9