"Disclosures are required in advance of the date the contract with the covered service provider is entered into, semi-annually, and upon request of the plan sponsor and are subject to audit rights by plan fiduciaries. If finalized, the regulations would become effective 60 days after they are issued, with an applicability date for plan years beginning on or after July 1, 2026 (i.e., January 1, 2027, for calendar year plans). Many of the provisions in the proposed regulation are similar to the provisions in the legislation passed by Congress earlier this year (Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2026) but differ in various respects. The final regulations will likely look to harmonize those varying provisions."  MORE >>