29 U.S.C. § 1231
Section 1231 · Congressional study
This is § 3031 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 6 court decisions — leading case Rose v. Long Island Railroad Pension Plan (1987)
Most recently applied in Robinette v. Hunsecker (May 2013)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(a) The Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate shall study retirement plans established and maintained or financed (directly or indirectly) by the Government of the United States, by any State (including the District of Columbia) or political subdivision thereof, or by any agency or instrumentality of any of the foregoing. Such study shall include an analysis of—
(1) the adequacy of existing levels of participation, vesting, and financing arrangements,
(2) existing fiduciary standards, and
(3) the necessity for Federal legislation and standards with respect to such plans.
In determining whether any such plan is adequately financed, each committee shall consider the necessity for minimum funding standards, as well as the taxing power of the government maintaining the plan.
(b) Not later than December 31, 1976, the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Ways and Means shall each submit to the House of Representatives the results of the studies conducted under this section, together with such recommendations as they deem appropriate. The Committee on Finance and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources shall each submit to the Senate the results of the studies conducted under this section together with such recommendations as they deem appropriate not later than such date.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Change of Name
Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995.
Committee on Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate, effective Mar. 7, 1979, by Senate Resolution No. 30, 96th Congress. See, also, Rule XXV of Standing Rules of Senate adopted Nov. 14, 1979.
Committee on Labor and Public Welfare of Senate abolished and replaced by Committee on Human Resources of Senate, effective Feb. 11, 1977. See Rule XXV of Standing Rules of Senate, as amended by Senate Resolution No. 4 (popularly cited as the “Committee System Reorganization Amendments of 1977”), approved Feb. 4, 1977.