Washington Legislative Update

With the midterms behind us and a new Congress seated, this session will provide insights on the current political environment and the prospects for legislative activity with a divided government. The session will look at where we have been, where we are now and where we might be going as we head into the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election.

The 2022 election changed the makeup of Congress and the dynamics of what is happening inside the beltway. This panel discussion will focus on how the change might impact employee benefits and will consider:

• Who are the players?
• What is on the agenda?
• Committees to watch
• What issues are rising to the forefront?

This session will address the legislative and regulatory issues of unique interest to those who work with multiemployer plans. Join your peers to hear the latest issues that impact your sector and discuss matters of common interest, including special financial assistance, withdrawal liability regulations, paid sick leave and other late-breaking matters as appropriate

This session will address the legislative and regulatory issues of unique interest to those who work with public sector plans. Join your peers to hear the latest issues that impact your sector and discuss matters of common interest, including derisking of DB Plans, ESG investing in public plans, variable plan designs, state initiatives and other late-breaking matters as appropriate.

This session will address the legislative and regulatory issues of unique interest to those who work with single employer plans. Join your peers to hear the latest issues that impact your sector and discuss matters of common interest, including employer PBM reporting, state single payer initiatives and other late-breaking matters as appropriate.

Lisa M. Gomez, Assistant Secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor has been invited to share insights on the department’s regulatory agenda, enforcement priorities and address issues of importance to the employee benefits community.

Mental health and substance abuse challenges continue to plague all ages. This session will focus on what’s happening on the legislative and regulatory front and what plan sponsors can, should and are required to do.

• Surgeon General’s report on mental health
• Proposed rules
• MHPAEA
• Audit red flags
• Trends

This panel discussion will address what is happening with ESG, including:

• Legislative and regulatory activity
• State activity
• Guidance—History and current.

With a brewing showdown on the debt ceiling, it’s important to understand what might be coming down the road so you can plan for the future. This session will provide an update on current economic conditions, insights on key economic indicators, and thoughts on how government and regulators may respond to economic activity.

This session will review the new withdrawal liability regulations and how trustees may change the way they think about it. Topics include:

• Overview of regulations
• Court cases
• Impact on financial statements.

An array of benefits legislation has been enacted since the Dobbs decision came down last summer. This session will cover

• COVID-19
• Secure Act 2.0
• Inflation Reduction Act
• No Surprise Act and Transparency Rule
• Rx reporting
• ACA update
• Post-Dobbs litigation

Benefits and labor law often intersect. This session will look at activity in the employment and labor law area, focusing on:

• EEOC guidance
• FLSA changes
• NLRB activities
• OSHA update
• Hybrid and remote work.

This session will give you a better perspective on how to address the unique needs of those in your covered population who are members of the LGBTQ community. Topics include:

• Understanding the unique needs of the LGBTQ community
• Coverage issues for dependents
• What you can and cannot do
• Correlation to your DEI initiatives.