Opinion ID: 2755185
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: relevant erisa provisions

Text: ERISA authorizes plan participants and beneficiaries to bring civil actions “to recover benefits due” and “to enforce . . . rights under the terms of the plan.” 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B). The statute also authorizes participants, beneficiaries, and fiduciaries of a plan to seek “appropriate equitable relief . . . to enforce . . . the terms of the plan.” Id. § 1132(a)(3)(B). The statute does not specify where the “terms of the plan” must be found, but it does require every “employee benefit plan” to be “established and maintained pursuant to a written instrument.” Id. § 1102(a)(1). The written instrument “shall provide for one or more named fiduciaries who jointly or severally shall have authority to control and manage the operation and administration of the plan.” Id. 9 Case: 14-11678 Date Filed: 11/25/2014 Page: 10 of 18 In the same section as the “written instrument” provision, ERISA requires that each plan must (1) provide a procedure for establishing and carrying out a funding policy and method consistent with the objectives of the plan . . . , (2) describe any procedure under the plan for the allocation of responsibilities for the operation and administration of the plan . . . , (3) provide a procedure for amending such plan, and for identifying the persons who have authority to amend the plan, and (4) specify the basis on which payments are made to and from the plan. Id. § 1102(b). The text of the statute, however, does not state that the four requirements of each plan must be in the same “written instrument” that establishes and maintains the Plan. Nonetheless, ERISA mandates that a “summary plan description of any employee benefit plan shall be furnished to participants and beneficiaries” of the plan. Id. § 1022(a). “The summary plan description . . . shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average plan participant, and shall be sufficiently accurate and comprehensive to reasonably apprise such participants and beneficiaries of their rights and obligations under the plan.” Id.