Seyfarth Synopsis: On Monday, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the multiemployer pension plan bailout provisions in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (a.k.a. the latest COVID-19 relief bill) would be eligible for a simple majority vote in the Senate as part of the budget reconciliation process, and thus will remain as part of the relief bill likely to become law shortly.
On Monday, March 1st, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden released a statement reporting that the Senate Parliamentarian had determined that the multiemployer pension plan reform provisions of the American Rescue Plan, entitled the "Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021" ("Butch Lewis"), has the necessary budget impact to remain part of what is to be a budget reconciliation bill that will need only majority approval in the Senate.
In his press release, Senator Wyden stated the following:
"I'm pleased our pension protection package will remain in the critical relief bill. This economic crisis has hit already struggling pension plans like a wrecking ball, and the retirement security of millions of American workers depends on getting this package across the finish line."
Given that the inclusion of Butch Lewis will not derail plans to vote the American Rescue Plan into law by a simple majority vote in the Senate, with Vice President Harris being the tie breaker, it is highly likely that Butch Lewis will remain in the final bill and, if passed, will become law very shortly.
As discussed in our prior post, Butch Lewis as drafted will make a seriously underfunded multiemployer plan eligible for "special financial assistance" that is not subject to any financial repayment obligations, designed to cover the amount required to pay all accrued benefits through the last day of the plan year ending in 2051.
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