House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) sent a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer requesting information about the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council. The ERISA Advisory Council was established by section 512 of ERISA to advise the Secretary of Labor and the Employee Benefits Security Administration and submit recommendations regarding the Secretary’s functions under ERISA.
In the letter, Scott and DeSaulnier complain that the Advisory Council has not scheduled a meeting during President Trump’s second term and request information on when it will have its four statutorily mandated meetings in 2025. The lawmakers also asked Secretary DeRemer if she is planning to eliminate the Advisory Council despite the fact that it is “clearly specified in federal law and the Trump Administration has no authority to ignore these requirements.”