The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued a final rule on October 27, 2011, governing the process for filing requests for administrative exemptions from the prohibited transaction provisions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA’s design includes numerous safeguards to prevent employee benefit plan fiduciaries from self-dealing or otherwise threatening the integrity of such plans. Specifically, ERISA Section 406 generally prohibits the fiduciary of an ERISA-covered benefit plan from engaging in any transaction that involves the exchange of property, goods, services, or credit between the plan and a “party in interest.” ERISA Section 408(a), however, authorizes the DOL to grant administrative exemptions for “any fiduciary or transaction, or class of fiduciaries or transactions.” Employers who are interested in applying for such exemptions will welcome new procedures designed to streamline and clarify the process.  Continue to read the full post on the EBSA's final rule on Littler's Washington DC Employment Law Update blog.