The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Annuity, Code, ERISA, insurer, irrevocable commitment, PBGC, person, and plan administrator. In addition, for purposes of this subpart:

Accrual cessation date for a participant under a subpart A plan means the date the participant stopped accruing benefits under the terms of the plan.

Accumulated single sum means, with respect to a missing distributee, the distributee's benefit transfer amount accumulated at the missing participants interest rate from the benefit determination date to the date when PBGC makes or commences payment to or with respect to the distributee.

Benefit determination date with respect to a subpart A plan means the single date selected by the plan administrator for valuing benefits under § 4050.103(d); this date must be during the period beginning on the first day a distribution is made pursuant to close-out of the plan to a distributee who is not a missing distributee and ending on the last day such a distribution is made.

Benefit transfer amount for a missing distributee of a subpart A plan means the amount determined by the plan administrator under § 4050.103(d) in the close-out of the plan.

Close-out or close out with respect to a subpart A plan means the process of the final distribution or transfer of assets pursuant to the termination of the plan.

De minimis means, with respect to the value of a benefit (or other amount), that the value does not exceed the amount specified under section 203(e)(1) of ERISA and section 411(a)(11)(A) of the Code (without regard to plan provisions).

Distributee means, with respect to a subpart A plan, a participant or beneficiary entitled to a distribution under the plan pursuant to the close-out of the plan.

Missing, with respect to a distributee under a subpart A plan, means that any one or more of the following three conditions exists upon close-out of the plan.

1. (1) The plan administrator does not know with reasonable certainty the location of the distributee.
2. (2) Under the terms of the plan, the distributee's benefit is to be paid in a lump sum without the distributee's consent, and the distributee has not responded to a notice about the distribution of the lump sum.

3. (3) Under the terms of the plan and any election made by the distributee, the distributee's benefit is to be paid in a lump sum, but the distributee does not accept the lump sum. For this purpose, a lump sum paid by check is not accepted if the check remains uncashed after—

   1. (i) A “cash-by” date prescribed (on the check or in an accompanying notice) that is at least 45 days after the issuance of the check, or
   2. (ii) If no such “cash-by” date is so prescribed, the check's stale date.

Missing participants forms and instructions means the forms and instructions provided by PBGC for use in connection with the missing participants program.

Missing participants interest rate means, for each month, the applicable federal mid-term rate (as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to section 1274(d)(1)(C)(ii) of the Code) for that month, compounded monthly.

Normal retirement date for a participant under a subpart A plan means the normal retirement date of the participant under the terms of the plan.

Pay-status or pay status means one of the following (according to context):

1. (1) With respect to a benefit, that payment of the benefit has actually started before the benefit determination date; or
2. (2) With respect to a distributee, that payment of the distributee's benefit has actually started before the benefit determination date.

PBGC missing participants assumptions means the actuarial assumptions prescribed in §§ 4044.51 through 4044.58 of this chapter with the following modifications:

1. (1) The present value is determined as of the benefit determination date instead of the plan termination date.
2. (2) The mortality assumption is the mortality table in § 4044.53(h) of this chapter.
3. (3) No adjustment is made for loading expenses under § 4044.52(d) of this chapter.
4. (4) The interest assumption is the assumption for valuing benefits under § 4044.54 of this chapter applicable to valuations occurring on December 31 of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the benefit determination date occurs. However, for benefit determination dates July 31 through December 31 of 2024, the interest assumption is the assumption for valuing benefits under § 4044.54 of this chapter applicable to valuations occurring on July 31, 2024.
5. (5) The assumed payment form of a benefit not in pay status is a straight life annuity.
6. (6) Pre-retirement death benefits are disregarded.

7. (7) Notwithstanding the expected retirement age (XRA) assumptions in §§ 4044.55 through 4044.58 of this chapter—

   1. (i) In the case of a participant who is not in pay status and whose normal retirement date is on or after the benefit determination date, benefits are assumed to commence at the XRA, determined using the high retirement rate category under table II-C (Expected Retirement Ages for Individuals in the High Category) in § 4044.58 of this chapter;
   2. (ii) In the case of a participant who is not in pay status and whose normal retirement date is before the benefit determination date, benefits are assumed to commence on the participant's normal retirement date (or accrual cessation date if later);
   3. (iii) In the case of a participant who is in pay status, benefits are assumed to commence on the date on which benefits actually commenced; and
   4. (iv) In the case of a beneficiary, benefits are assumed to commence on the benefit determination date or, if later, the earliest date the beneficiary can begin to receive benefits.

Plan lump sum assumptions means, with respect to a subpart A plan, the following:

1. (1) If the plan specifies actuarial assumptions and methods to be used to calculate a lump sum distribution, such actuarial assumptions and methods, or
2. (2) Otherwise, the actuarial assumptions specified under section 205(g)(3) of ERISA and section 417(e)(3) of the Code, determined as of the benefit determination date, including use of the missing participants interest rate to calculate the present value as of the benefit determination date of a payment or payments missed in the past.

QDRO means a qualified domestic relations order as defined in section 206(d)(3) of ERISA and section 414(p) of the Code.

Qualified survivor of a participant or beneficiary under a subpart A plan means, for any benefit with respect to the participant or beneficiary,—

1. (1) A person who survives the participant or beneficiary and is entitled under applicable provisions of a QDRO to receive the benefit;
2. (2) A person that is identified by the plan in a submission to PBGC by the plan as being entitled under applicable plan provisions (including elections, designations, and waivers consistent with such provisions) to receive the benefit; or

3. (3) If no such person is so entitled, a survivor of the participant or beneficiary who is the participant's or beneficiary's living—

   1. (i) Spouse, or if none,
   2. (ii) Child, or if none,
   3. (iii) Parent, or if none,
   4. (iv) Sibling.

Subpart A plan or plan means a plan to which this subpart A applies, as described in § 4050.101.

[82 FR 60818, Dec. 22, 2017, as amended at 89 FR 48308, June 6, 2024]