Balance the Scales Act

Retirement Security, Q4 2025 1.H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 2.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 3.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 4.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 5.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 6.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 7.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 8.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 9.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 10.H.R.2958 Balance the Scales Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to report annually to Congress about its use of common interest agreements. 11.H.R.2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 12.H.R.3526, S.2867 Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025: This legislation allows individuals to take an early distribution out of an IRA of up to $50,000 for a qualified first-time home purchase without the 10% additional income tax penalty. Current rules only allow up to a $10,000 early distribution without penalty. 13.H.R.4718, S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 14.S.2003 Strengthening Benefits Plans Act of 2025: This legislation permits surplus assets in a retiree health account to be used for other benefits, like active employee health benefits. The legislation also permits surplus assets in a defined benefit plan to be used to provide contributions to the employers defined contribution plan without terminating the defined benefit plan. 15.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 16.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 17.H.R.4548, S.2365 Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025: This legislation makes the credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and the retirement auto-enrollment credit available to tax-exempt eligible small employers. 18.H.R.5325 Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan: This legislation directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a regulation that would permit retirement plan fiduciaries to transfer unclaimed retirement distributions to State unclaimed property programs. 19.H.R.5748 Retirement Investment Choice Act: This legislation codifies Executive Order 14330 relating to democratizing access to alternative assets for 401(k) investors. 20.S.3083 Providing Complete Information to Retirement Investors Act: This legislation adds a new notice requirement to participants investing through brokerage windows in 401(k) plans to explain that the investments in a brokerage window have not been prudently selected and are not monitored by a plan fiduciary. 21.S.3086 Restoring Integrity in Fiduciary Duty Act: This legislation limits fiduciary consideration of nonpecuniary factors for investments. The bill further states that ERISA fiduciaries must also make decisions regarding the exercise of shareholder rights and proxy voting based on pecuniary factors. 22.H.R.5887 Saving for the Future Act: This legislation establishes a hybrid emergency savings and 401(k)-type government-run program called the Federal Universal Personal Savings Investment Program and creates UP Retirement Accounts for every full-time and part-time worker not covered by an active defined benefit pension plan. The legislation also requires employers to make a minimum employer contribution to the workers retirement account. 23.H.R.6084 ERISA Litigation Reform Act: This legislation amends the pleading standard under ERISA Section 502 for certain claims to put the burden on the plaintiff to plausibly allege and prove that an ERISA prohibitive transaction occurred that is not exempt under ERISA section 408(b)(2). 24.H.R.6324 Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act: This legislation would: (1) permit an in-service plan distribution to an individual retirement annuity on or after attainment of age 50; and (2) include a specific reference to an individual retirement annuity as a rollover option under a simplified 402(f) safe harbor notice. 25.H.R.6417, S.3333 Emergency Savings Enhancement Act of 2025: This legislation would double the maximum balance limit for Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Accounts (PLESAs) from $2,500 to $5,000 and allows Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs) to participate. 26.H.R.6450, S.3352 Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act: This legislation would permit rollover contributions from Roth IRAs to designated Roth accounts in qualified retirement plans, like 401(k)s. 27.H.R.6722 Automatic IRA Act of 2025: The legislation would require employers with more than 10 employees that do not sponsor a retirement plan to automatically enroll their employees in IRAs (automatic IRAs) or other automatic contribution plans or arrangements, like 401(k) plans. The legislation also requires 401(k) plans with over 100 participants plans must permit participants to elect to receive at least 50 percent of their vested account balance in the form of lifetime income. This requirement does not apply to participants with balances below $200,000. 28.H.R.6729, S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 29.H.R.7185 Home Savings Act: This legislation permits penalty-free withdrawals from a 401(k) account for up to five years when the funds are used for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. The legislation also allows an individual to make a penalty-free 401(k) withdrawal and gift those funds to a relative, exempt from gift tax, provided the relative uses the money for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. 30.H.R.7362 Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act: This legislation extends the Form 5500 filing deadline to October 15 (for calendar year retirement plans), thus eliminating the need for an extension. 31.H.R.7556, S.2335 Pensions for All Act: This legislation requires every employer to provide to their employees a retirement program with benefits equivalent to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or to elect for their employees to participate in FERS. 32.H.R.8273, S.4291 Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026: This legislation allows full-time family caregivers to qualify for up to five additional years of retirement plan catch-up contributions. Catch-up contributions currently allow individuals over age 50 to contribute above the standard annual retirement plan contribution limit, with even higher limits available for those ages 60 to 63. 33.H.R.8274, S.4292 Improving Retirement for Family Caregivers Act of 2026: Current law limits Roth IRA contributions to the lesser of $7,000 or total annual income. This legislation eliminates the annual income requirement for family caregivers, thus allowing them to contribute to a Roth IRA even if they do not have any income. 34.H.R.8313 Trump Accounts for All Generations Act: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted last year created the Trump Account, which is a new individual tax-preferred savings vehicle for children, with a $1,000 government seed contribution for every child born in the United States from 2025 to 2029. This legislation makes the $1,000 government contribution for children permanent and indexes the $1,000 contribution amount to inflation beginning in 2029. 35.H.R.8314 OPTIONS Act: The legislation allows employees to allocate employer contributions among various pre-tax benefits, including retirement accounts, health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and educational assistance programs. 36.S.4360 Investigation Status and Governance for Honest Transparency (INSIGHT) Act: This legislation requires the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. And it also requires the Department of Labor to formalize and disclose situations in which it is providing adverse assistance which means assistance to plaintiffs lawyers suing ERISA benefit plan sponsors and fiduciaries. 37.H.R.8783, S.4511 Charity Parity Act: Current law allows retirement savers to exclude up to $111,000 in annual gross income to make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), but only if the funds are donated directly from an IRA. This tax break excludes distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s and 403(b)s. So, under current law, individuals must first roll assets into an IRA to make a QCD. The Charity Parity Act would permit direct QCDs from employer-sponsored retirement plans. 38.H.R.8837, S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. The House version of the legislation allows the service provider to claim the tax credit as payment for services that would ordinarily be charged to the employer for starting the plan. 39.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

Client expense: $1,103,598 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Retirement Security, Q4 2025 1.H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 2.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 3.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 4.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 5.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 6.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 7.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 8.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 9.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 10.H.R.2958 Balance the Scales Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to report annually to Congress about its use of common interest agreements. 11.H.R.2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 12.H.R.3526, S.2867 Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025: This legislation allows individuals to take an early distribution out of an IRA of up to $50,000 for a qualified first-time home purchase without the 10% additional income tax penalty. Current rules only allow up to a $10,000 early distribution without penalty. 13.H.R.4718, S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 14.S.2003 Strengthening Benefits Plans Act of 2025: This legislation permits surplus assets in a retiree health account to be used for other benefits, like active employee health benefits. The legislation also permits surplus assets in a defined benefit plan to be used to provide contributions to the employers defined contribution plan without terminating the defined benefit plan. 15.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 16.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 17.H.R.4548, S.2365 Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025: This legislation makes the credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and the retirement auto-enrollment credit available to tax-exempt eligible small employers. 18.H.R.5325 Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan: This legislation directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a regulation that would permit retirement plan fiduciaries to transfer unclaimed retirement distributions to State unclaimed property programs. 19.H.R.5748 Retirement Investment Choice Act: This legislation codifies Executive Order 14330 relating to democratizing access to alternative assets for 401(k) investors. 20.S.3083 Providing Complete Information to Retirement Investors Act: This legislation adds a new notice requirement to participants investing through brokerage windows in 401(k) plans to explain that the investments in a brokerage window have not been prudently selected and are not monitored by a plan fiduciary. 21.S.3086 Restoring Integrity in Fiduciary Duty Act: This legislation limits fiduciary consideration of nonpecuniary factors for investments. The bill further states that ERISA fiduciaries must also make decisions regarding the exercise of shareholder rights and proxy voting based on pecuniary factors. 22.H.R.5887 Saving for the Future Act: This legislation establishes a hybrid emergency savings and 401(k)-type government-run program called the Federal Universal Personal Savings Investment Program and creates UP Retirement Accounts for every full-time and part-time worker not covered by an active defined benefit pension plan. The legislation also requires employers to make a minimum employer contribution to the workers retirement account. 23.H.R.6084 ERISA Litigation Reform Act: This legislation amends the pleading standard under ERISA Section 502 for certain claims to put the burden on the plaintiff to plausibly allege and prove that an ERISA prohibitive transaction occurred that is not exempt under ERISA section 408(b)(2). 24.H.R.6324 Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act: This legislation would: (1) permit an in-service plan distribution to an individual retirement annuity on or after attainment of age 50; and (2) include a specific reference to an individual retirement annuity as a rollover option under a simplified 402(f) safe harbor notice. 25.H.R.6417, S.3333 Emergency Savings Enhancement Act of 2025: This legislation would double the maximum balance limit for Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Accounts (PLESAs) from $2,500 to $5,000 and allows Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs) to participate. 26.H.R.6450, S.3352 Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act: This legislation would permit rollover contributions from Roth IRAs to designated Roth accounts in qualified retirement plans, like 401(k)s. 27.H.R.6722 Automatic IRA Act of 2025: The legislation would require employers with more than 10 employees that do not sponsor a retirement plan to automatically enroll their employees in IRAs (automatic IRAs) or other automatic contribution plans or arrangements, like 401(k) plans. The legislation also requires 401(k) plans with over 100 participants plans must permit participants to elect to receive at least 50 percent of their vested account balance in the form of lifetime income. This requirement does not apply to participants with balances below $200,000. 28.H.R.6729, S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 29.H.R.7185 Home Savings Act: This legislation permits penalty-free withdrawals from a 401(k) account for up to five years when the funds are used for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. The legislation also allows an individual to make a penalty-free 401(k) withdrawal and gift those funds to a relative, exempt from gift tax, provided the relative uses the money for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. 30.H.R.7362 Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act: This legislation extends the Form 5500 filing deadline to October 15 (for calendar year retirement plans), thus eliminating the need for an extension. 31.H.R.7556, S.2335 Pensions for All Act: This legislation requires every employer to provide to their employees a retirement program with benefits equivalent to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or to elect for their employees to participate in FERS. 32.H.R.8273, S.4291 Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026: This legislation allows full-time family caregivers to qualify for up to five additional years of retirement plan catch-up contributions. Catch-up contributions currently allow individuals over age 50 to contribute above the standard annual retirement plan contribution limit, with even higher limits available for those ages 60 to 63. 33.H.R.8274, S.4292 Improving Retirement for Family Caregivers Act of 2026: Current law limits Roth IRA contributions to the lesser of $7,000 or total annual income. This legislation eliminates the annual income requirement for family caregivers, thus allowing them to contribute to a Roth IRA even if they do not have any income. 34.H.R.8313 Trump Accounts for All Generations Act: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted last year created the Trump Account, which is a new individual tax-preferred savings vehicle for children, with a $1,000 government seed contribution for every child born in the United States from 2025 to 2029. This legislation makes the $1,000 government contribution for children permanent and indexes the $1,000 contribution amount to inflation beginning in 2029. 35.H.R.8314 OPTIONS Act: The legislation allows employees to allocate employer contributions among various pre-tax benefits, including retirement accounts, health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and educational assistance programs. 36.S.4360 Investigation Status and Governance for Honest Transparency (INSIGHT) Act: This legislation requires the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. And it also requires the Department of Labor to formalize and disclose situations in which it is providing adverse assistance which means assistance to plaintiffs lawyers suing ERISA benefit plan sponsors and fiduciaries. 37.H.R.8783, S.4511 Charity Parity Act: Current law allows retirement savers to exclude up to $111,000 in annual gross income to make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), but only if the funds are donated directly from an IRA. This tax break excludes distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s and 403(b)s. So, under current law, individuals must first roll assets into an IRA to make a QCD. The Charity Parity Act would permit direct QCDs from employer-sponsored retirement plans. 38.H.R.8837, S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. The House version of the legislation allows the service provider to claim the tax credit as payment for services that would ordinarily be charged to the employer for starting the plan. 39.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

ERISA Preemption Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) oversight, Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958), The INSIGHT Act (S. 4360) Proposed regulation regarding investment selection in retirement plans Facilitating automatic re-enrollment of unenrolled plan participants, (S. 1831) Reduction in required age for participation in retirement plans to 18, (S. 1707 / HR 4718) Defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans Retiree health accounts (S. 2003) Market-based cash balance pension plans Pooled Employer Plans and Multiple Employer Plans Trump Accounts Trump IRAs - SAVERS Match Electronic delivery of retirement plans statements and notices Caregiver retirement savings catch-up credit, S. 4291 / HR 8273 The Form 5500 Simplification Act (HR 7362)

Client expense: $214,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Treasury, Dept of

H.R. 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act H.R. 6084, ERISA Litigation Reform Act DOL proposed rule on Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives DOL QPAM Exemption

Client expense: $1,190,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE

Retirement Security, Q4 2025 1.H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 2.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 3.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 4.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 5.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 6.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 7.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 8.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 9.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 10.H.R.2958 Balance the Scales Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to report annually to Congress about its use of common interest agreements. 11.H.R.2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 12.H.R.3526, S.2867 Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025: This legislation allows individuals to take an early distribution out of an IRA of up to $50,000 for a qualified first-time home purchase without the 10% additional income tax penalty. Current rules only allow up to a $10,000 early distribution without penalty. 13.H.R.4718, S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 14.S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. 15.S.2003 Strengthening Benefits Plans Act of 2025: This legislation permits surplus assets in a retiree health account to be used for other benefits, like active employee health benefits. The legislation also permits surplus assets in a defined benefit plan to be used to provide contributions to the employers defined contribution plan without terminating the defined benefit plan. 16.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 17.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 18.H.R.4548, S.2365 Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025: This legislation makes the credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and the retirement auto-enrollment credit available to tax-exempt eligible small employers. 19.H.R.5325 Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan: This legislation directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a regulation that would permit retirement plan fiduciaries to transfer unclaimed retirement distributions to State unclaimed property programs. 20.H.R.5748 Retirement Investment Choice Act: This legislation codifies Executive Order 14330 relating to democratizing access to alternative assets for 401(k) investors. 21.S.3083 Providing Complete Information to Retirement Investors Act: This legislation adds a new notice requirement to participants investing through brokerage windows in 401(k) plans to explain that the investments in a brokerage window have not been prudently selected and are not monitored by a plan fiduciary. 22.S.3086 Restoring Integrity in Fiduciary Duty Act: This legislation limits fiduciary consideration of nonpecuniary factors for investments. The bill further states that ERISA fiduciaries must also make decisions regarding the exercise of shareholder rights and proxy voting based on pecuniary factors. 23.H.R.5887 Saving for the Future Act: This legislation establishes a hybrid emergency savings and 401(k)-type government-run program called the Federal Universal Personal Savings Investment Program and creates UP Retirement Accounts for every full-time and part-time worker not covered by an active defined benefit pension plan. The legislation also requires employers to make a minimum employer contribution to the workers retirement account. 24.H.R.6084 ERISA Litigation Reform Act: This legislation amends the pleading standard under ERISA Section 502 for certain claims to put the burden on the plaintiff to plausibly allege and prove that an ERISA prohibitive transaction occurred that is not exempt under ERISA section 408(b)(2). 25.H.R.6324 Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act: This legislation would: (1) permit an in-service plan distribution to an individual retirement annuity on or after attainment of age 50; and (2) include a specific reference to an individual retirement annuity as a rollover option under a simplified 402(f) safe harbor notice. 26.H.R.6417, S.3333 Emergency Savings Enhancement Act of 2025: This legislation would double the maximum balance limit for Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Accounts (PLESAs) from $2,500 to $5,000 and allows Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs) to participate. 27.H.R.6450, S.3352 Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act: This legislation would permit rollover contributions from Roth IRAs to designated Roth accounts in qualified retirement plans, like 401(k)s. 28.H.R.6722 Automatic IRA Act of 2025: The legislation would require employers with more than 10 employees that do not sponsor a retirement plan to automatically enroll their employees in IRAs (automatic IRAs) or other automatic contribution plans or arrangements, like 401(k) plans. The legislation also requires 401(k) plans with over 100 participants plans must permit participants to elect to receive at least 50 percent of their vested account balance in the form of lifetime income. This requirement does not apply to participants with balances below $200,000. 29.H.R.6729, S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 30.H.R.7185 Home Savings Act: This legislation permits penalty-free withdrawals from a 401(k) account for up to five years when the funds are used for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. The legislation also allows an individual to make a penalty-free 401(k) withdrawal and gift those funds to a relative, exempt from gift tax, provided the relative uses the money for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence. 31.H.R.7362 Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act: This legislation extends the Form 5500 filing deadline to October 15 (for calendar year retirement plans), thus eliminating the need for an extension. 32.H.R.7556, S.2335 Pensions for All Act: This legislation requires every employer to provide to their employees a retirement program with benefits equivalent to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or to elect for their employees to participate in FERS. 33.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

S 3086, Restoring Integrity in Fiduciary Duty Act HR 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act HR 2958, Balance the Scales Act HR 2988, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act HR 6084, ERISA Litigation Reform Act EO on Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors DOL proposed rule on "Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives"

Client expense: $1,290,000 · Firm income: Not reported

ERISA preemption Oversight of EBSA programs - EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (2869); Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958) Alternative investments in qualified retirement plans Pooled Employer Plans Collective investment trusts (CITs) and insurance company separate accounts HR 1013 and HR 3383 ERISA Litigation Reform Act (HR 6084) Limited Scope Audit Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 77-4 INSIGHT Act (Sen. Banks) Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation single-employer premiums Market Based Cash Balance Plans Age of participation in retirement plans reduced from 21 to 18 (HR 4718 / S. 1707) Permitting optional re-enrollment, S. 1831 Defined Benefit Pension Plans (DBs), retiree health accounts, IRC sec. 401(h) limited access to surplus, S. 2003 Child Saving Accounts (IRC sec. 530A, Trump Accounts) Retire Through Ownership Act, HR 5160 / S. 2403

Client expense: $230,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Treasury, Dept of

ERISA preemption Technical corrections to SECURE 2.0 Collective investment trusts (CITs) and insurance company separate accounts for use by 403(b) plans; Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions, (HR 1013) Age of required participation in retirement plans reduced from 21 to 18, (S. 1707) Automatic re-enrollment of unenrolled plan participants permitted by (S. 1831) EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) Retire Through Ownership Act (HR 5169) Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958) Common Interest Agreements used by the U.S. DOL Pleading standards, legislative proposal applicable to ERISA cases Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans; pension plan de-risking, retiree health accounts Required Roth catch-up contributions and Roth optional matching and non-elective contributions guidance Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums and due date for premium payment Direct Final Rule Revocations by EBSA 401(k) plan investments in alternative assets and lifetime income Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) Retirement benefits for independent workers white paper regarding Supreme Court petition, Johnson v. Parker Hannifin

Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported

ERISA Preemption Oversight of EBSA programs Alternative investments in qualified retirement plans Standard of review for fiduciary decisions Pooled Employer Plans Collective investment trusts (CITs) and insurance company separate accounts for use by 403(b) plans Age of required participation in retirement plans reduced from 21 to 18 Permitting automatic re-enrollment of unenrolled participants EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) Retire Through Ownership Act (HR 5169 / S 2403) Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958) ERISA Litigation Reform Act (HR 6084) Pleading standards legislative proposal regarding standards applicable to ERISA, deference to fiduciary decisions Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans; pension plan de-risking, retiree health accounts Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) Market-based cash balance plans Pension Risk Transfers Roth Catch-up contributions Trump (child saving) Accounts Retirement plan limits for 2026 and segment rates

Client expense: $210,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office

H.R. 20/S. 852, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 H.R. 581/S. 169, Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025 H.R. 1119, Unemployment Integrity Act of 2025 H.R. 1177/S. 492, Improve & Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act H.R. 1319/S. 2228, Modern Worker Empowerment Act H.R. 1320, Modern Worker Security Act H.R. 1801/S. 772, Employer Participation in Repayment Act H.R. 1827/S. 847, Child Care Availability and Affordability Act H.R. 2572, Worker Enfranchisement Act H.R. 2952, SALT Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act Re: EBSA Investigation H.R. 3552/S. 1843, Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 3734, Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act H.R. 4366, Save Local Business Act H.R. 4424, Securing Help for Involuntary Employment Loss and Displacement (SHIELD) Act H.R. 4896/S. 2613, Warehouse Worker Protection Act H.R. 5169, Retire through Ownership Act H.R. 5408/S. 844, Faster Labor Contracts Act H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act S. 1261, American Franchise Act S.2828, Child Care Modernization Act S.J.Res. 8, A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Homeland Security relating to "Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Employment Authorization Document Renewal Applicants" Draft legislation titled Working Families Flexibility Act Draft legislation titled Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act Draft legislation titled Fair and Open Competition Act Draft legislation titled Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act Draft legislation titled Stop Unemployment Fraud Act Draft legislation titled Upward Mobility Act Potential legislation reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Nominations of Scott Mayer and James Murphy to serve on the National Labor Relations Board Nomination of Crystal Carey to serve as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board Nomination of Janet Dhillon to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign Workers in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include Consideration of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations (88 Fed. Reg. 88,290-88,295, February 13, 2024) OSHA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Concerning Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Settings (89 Fed. Reg. 70,698-70,699, August 30, 2024) Final Wage and Hour Division rulemaking defining classification of independent contractors and employees under FLSA (89 Fed. Reg. 1,638-1,743, January 10, 2024) Final Wage and Hour Division rulemaking Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees (89 Fed. Reg. 32,842-32,973, April 26, 2024) Solicitation for Public Comments on Provisions of Franchise Agreements and Franchisor Business Practices FTC Docket No: -2023-0026 Final OSHA rulemaking on Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process (89 Fed. Reg. 22,558-22,601, April 1, 2024) Proposed Rule, National Labor Relations Board; Representation-Case Procedures: Election Bars; Proof of Majority Support in Construction Industry Collective-Bargaining Relationships (87 Fed. Reg. 66,890-66,933, November 4, 2022) Final rule regarding Representation-Case Procedures (88 Fed. Reg. 58,076-58,102, August 25, 2023) Various issues relating to unemployment insurance; paid leave including paid family and sick leave; reforms to the Fair Labor Standards Act (P.L. 75-178); debarment of federal contractors (blacklisting); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) conciliation regulation; rescission of the joint employer standard under the Fair Labor Standards Act (P.L. 75-718); priorities for reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P.L. 113-28); implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) (P.L. 117-328); implementation of the PUMP for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act (P.L. 117-328); FTC's Multilateral Pharmaceutical Merger Taskforce; USMCA Labor Council; proposed amendment to the U.S. Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (Longshore Act), relating to the establishment of statutory presumptions of coverage and compensability for illnesses; potential legislation on the minimum wage; legal and regulatory framework for evaluating mergers and acquisitions; corporate consolidation through serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies; accreditation of International Labor Conference delegation to the International Labor Organization; proposed restructuring plan for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and its National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory; Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age; implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, (P.L. 119-21); employer speech rights concerns to the National Labor Relations Board; Executive Order 14036, Promoting Competition in the American Economy; implementation of Executive Order 14330, Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors; Registered Apprenticeship Program; elimination of Executive Order 14063, Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects; antitrust and consumer protection law grounded in economic analysis; competition policy chapters in trade negotiations and associated agreements; appropriations for the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice; international concerns in the areas of antitrust, standards and investment; domestic and international antitrust policy; authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act sections 5, 13b and 19; policies and practices related to the FTC expanding its authority; transparency at the FTC; duration of FTC consent orders; FTC rulemaking authority and procedure under Federal Trade Commission Act Section 18; enforcement of the antitrust laws regarding mergers; contract terms and their relationship to competition, particularly relating to worker non-compete clauses and exclusive contracts; regulation of digital platforms; Robinson-Patman Act-related policy and enforcement matters; concerns related to FTC Trade Regulation Rule rulemaking; concerns related to Protecting Americans Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (P .L. 118-50); changes to the FTCs Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act merger filing rule; workforce development; education; second chance hiring; International Labor Organization and the international labor conference; apprenticeships

H.R. 1801/S. 772, Employer Participation in Repayment Act H.R. 2262, Flexibility for Workers Education Act H.R. 2270, Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act H.R. 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act H.R. 4329, Building Civic Bridges Act H.R. 4806/S. 2511, College Transparency Act S. 2828, Child Care Modernization Act of 2025 Draft legislation expanding the IRSs role in ensuring the utilization of the 45F tax credit Draft legislation creating a child care innovation grant within the SBA Department of Education Notice of Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committees to prepare regulations for Higher Education Act programs as amended in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (90 Fed. Reg. 35,261-35,264, July 25, 2025) Various issues relating to reauthorization and implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P.L. 113-128); higher education, including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (P.L. 89-329); implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, (P.L. 119-21); student data privacy in K-12 and higher education; Registered Apprenticeship Program; Department of Education: Requirements and Responsibilities for Third-Party Servicers and Institutions (Docket ID ED-2022-OPE-0103); Department of Educations proposed priority and definitions on Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education; implementation of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and the Employer Provided Child Care Tax Credit (45F); general education and workforce preparation; education savings accounts

Client expense: $17,960,000 · Firm income: Not reported

HR 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act HR 2958, Balance the Scales Act HR 2988, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act HR 5325, Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan HR 6084, ERISA Litigation Reform Act EO on Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors

Client expense: $916,510 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE

1.H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 2.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 3.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 4.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 5.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 6.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 7.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 8.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 9.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 10.H.R.2958 Balance the Scales Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to report annually to Congress about its use of common interest agreements. 11.H.R.2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 12.H.R.4718, S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 13.S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 14.S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. 15.S.2003 Strengthening Benefits Plans Act of 2025: This legislation permits surplus assets in a retiree health account to be used for other benefits, like active employee health benefits. The legislation also permits surplus assets in a defined benefit plan to be used to provide contributions to the employers defined contribution plan without terminating the defined benefit plan. 16.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 17.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 18.H.R.4548, S.2365 Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025: This legislation makes the credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and the retirement auto-enrollment credit available to tax-exempt eligible small employers. 19.H.R.5325 Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan: This legislation directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a regulation that would permit retirement plan fiduciaries to transfer unclaimed retirement distributions to State unclaimed property programs. 20.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

1.H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 2.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 3.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 4.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 5.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 6.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 7.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 8.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 9.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 10.H.R.2958 Balance the Scales Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to report annually to Congress about its use of common interest agreements. 11.H.R.2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 12.H.R.4718, S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 13.S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 14.S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. 15.S.2003 Strengthening Benefits Plans Act of 2025: This legislation permits surplus assets in a retiree health account to be used for other benefits, like active employee health benefits. The legislation also permits surplus assets in a defined benefit plan to be used to provide contributions to the employers defined contribution plan without terminating the defined benefit plan. 16.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 17.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 18.H.R.4548, S.2365 Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025: This legislation makes the credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and the retirement auto-enrollment credit available to tax-exempt eligible small employers. 19.H.R.5325 Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan: This legislation directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a regulation that would permit retirement plan fiduciaries to transfer unclaimed retirement distributions to State unclaimed property programs. 20.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

H.R. 1801/S. 772, Employer Participation in Repayment Act H.R. 2262, Flexibility for Workers Education Act H.R. 2270, Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act H.R. 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act H.R. 4329, Building Civic Bridges Act H.R. 4806/S. 2511, College Transparency Act Department of Education Notice of Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committees to prepare regulations for Higher Education Act programs as amended in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (90 Fed. Reg. 35,261-35,264, July 25, 2025) Various issues relating to reauthorization and implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P.L. 113-128); higher education, including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (P.L. 89-329); implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, (P.L. 119-21); student data privacy in K-12 and higher education; childcare and early education; Department of Education: Requirements and Responsibilities for Third-Party Servicers and Institutions (Docket ID ED-2022-OPE-0103); Department of Educations proposed priority and definitions on Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education; implementation of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and the Employer Provided Child Care Tax Credit (45F); general education and workforce preparation; educational data; education savings accounts

Client expense: $13,650,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.R. 20/S. 852, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 H.R. 581/S. 169, Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025 H.R. 1119, Unemployment Integrity Act of 2025 H.R. 1177/ S. 492, Improve & Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act H.R. 1319/S. 2228, Modern Worker Empowerment Act H.R. 1320, Modern Worker Security Act H.R. 1801/S. 772, Employer Participation in Repayment Act H.R. 1827/S. 847, Child Care Availability and Affordability Act H.R. 2572, Worker Enfranchisement Act H.R. 2952, SALT Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act Re: EBSA Investigation H.R. 3552/S. 1843, Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 3734, Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act H.R. 4366, Save Local Business Act H.R. 4424, Securing Help for Involuntary Employment Loss and Displacement Act (SHIELD) H.R. 4896/S. 2613, Warehouse Worker Protection Act H.R. 5169, Retire through Ownership Act H.R. 5408/S. 844, Faster Labor Contracts Act H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act S.J.Res. 8, A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Homeland Security relating to "Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Employment Authorization Document Renewal Applicants" Draft legislation titled Child Care Modernization Act Draft legislation titled Working Families Flexibility Act Draft legislation titled Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act Draft legislation titled Fair and Open Competition Act Draft legislation titled Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act Potential legislation reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P.L.113-28) Nominations of Scott Mayer and James Murphy to serve on the National Labor Relations Board Nomination of Andrea Lucas to be Commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Nomination of Daniel Aronowitz to be Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration Nomination of Janet Dhillon to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign Workers in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include Consideration of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations (88 Fed. Reg. 88,290-88,295, February 13, 2024) OSHA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Concerning Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Settings (89 Fed. Reg. 70,698-70,699, August. 30, 2024) Final Wage and Hour Division rulemaking defining classification of independent contractors and employees under FLSA (89 Fed. Reg. 1,638-1,743, January 10, 2024) Final Wage and Hour Division rulemaking Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees (89 Fed. Reg. 32,842-32,973, April 26, 2024) Solicitation for Public Comments on Provisions of Franchise Agreements and Franchisor Business Practices FTC Docket No: -2023-0026 Final OSHA rulemaking on Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process (89 Fed. Reg. 22,558-22,601, April 1, 2024) Proposed Rule, National Labor Relations Board; Representation-Case Procedures: Election Bars; Proof of Majority Support in Construction Industry Collective-Bargaining Relationships (87 Fed. Reg. 66,890-66,933, November 4, 2022) Final rule regarding Representation-Case Procedures (88 Fed. Reg. 58,076-58,102, August 25, 2023) Various issues relating to unemployment insurance; paid leave including paid family and sick leave; reforms to the Fair Labor Standards Act (P.L. 75-178); debarment of federal contractors (blacklisting); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) conciliation regulation; rescission of the joint employer standard under the Fair Labor Standards Act (P.L. 75-718); FTC's Multilateral Pharmaceutical Merger Taskforce; USMCA Labor Council; proposed amendment to the U.S. Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (Longshore Act), relating to the establishment of statutory presumptions of coverage and compensability for illnesses; potential legislation on the minimum wage; legal and regulatory framework for evaluating mergers and acquisitions; corporate consolidation through serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies; changes to the FTCs Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act merger filing rule; implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) (P.L. 117-328); implementation of the PUMP for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act (P.L. 117-328); accreditation of International Labor Conference delegation to the International Labor Organization; proposed restructuring plan for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and its National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory; Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age; implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, (P.L. 119-21); employer speech rights concerns to the National Labor Relations Board; Executive Order 14036, Promoting Competition in the American Economy; elimination of Executive Order 14063, Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects; antitrust grounded in economic analysis; competition policy chapters in trade negotiations and associated agreements; appropriations for the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice; international concerns in the areas of antitrust, standards and investment; domestic and international antitrust policy; authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act sections 5, 13b and 19; policies and practices related to the FTC expanding its authority; transparency at the FTC; duration of FTC consent orders; enforcement of the antitrust laws regarding mergers; contract terms and their relationship to competition, particularly relating to worker non-compete clauses and exclusive contracts; regulation of digital platforms; Robinson-Patman Act-related policy and enforcement matters; concerns related to FTC Trade Regulation Rule rulemaking; concerns related to Protecting Americans Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (P.L. 118-50); policy matters related to the FTCs unfair and deceptive acts and practices authority; negative option rule, including revocation under the Congressional Review Act (P.L. 104-121); workforce development; education; second chance hiring; International Labor Organization and the international labor conference

H.R. 1013 - Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act; entire bill H.R. 2089 - Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH); entire bill H.R. 2544 - Financial Freedom Act; entire bill H.R. 2696 - Retirement Savings for Americans Act; entire bill H.R. 2958 - Balance the Scales Act; entire bill H.R. 2988 - Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act; entire bill H.R. 5284 - Claiming Age Clarity Act; entire bill S. 424 - Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act; entire bill S. 1222 - Financial Freedom Act; entire bill S. 1526 - Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA); entire bill S. 1707 - Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act; entire bill S. 1831 - Auto Re-enroll Act of 2025; entire bill S. 1839 - Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH); entire bill S. 1840 - Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act; entire bill S. 2217 - Independent Retirement Fairness Act; entire bill Not Yet Introduced: Excise taxes on Individual Retirement Accounts

Client expense: $320,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

ERISA preemption Technical corrections to SECURE 2.0 Collective investment trusts (CITs) and insurance company separate accounts for use by 403(b) plans; Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions, (HR 1013) Age of required participation in retirement plans reduced from 21 to 18, (S. 1707) Automatic re-enrollment of unenrolled plan participants permitted by (S. 1831) EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) Retire Through Ownership Act (HR 5169) Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958) Common Interest Agreements used by the U.S. DOL Pleading standards, legislative proposal applicable to ERISA cases Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans; pension plan de-risking, retiree health accounts Required Roth catch-up contributions and Roth optional matching and non-elective contributions guidance Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums and due date for premium payment Direct Final Rule Revocations by EBSA 401(k) plan investments in alternative assets and lifetime income Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) Retirement benefits for independent workers white paper regarding Supreme Court petition, Johnson v. Parker Hannifin

Client expense: $220,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.R. 2869, EBSA Investigations Transparency Act H.R. 2958, Balance the Scales Act H.R. 2988, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act H.R. 5325, Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan Executive Order on Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors ERISA litigation reform and pleading standards

Client expense: $1,450,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE

Retirement Security H.R.1013, S.424 Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025: Allows 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trust or Separate Accounts Insurance Products to establish investment parity with other defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s. 1.H.R.2023, S.988 Womens Retirement Protection Act (WRPA): This legislation imposes spousal consent requirements on nearly all distributions from defined contribution plans. The bill also seeks to enhance financial literacy through grants to community-based organizations and offers grants to such organizations to help low-income women and survivors of domestic abuse obtain qualified domestic relations orders. 2.H.R.2067, S.928 Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA): This bill prohibits ERISA-covered retirement plans from making new investments in companies controlled by or based in countries considered to be foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries include China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also requires fiduciaries to disclose continuing investments in such entities and sanctioned firms. 3.H.R.2089 Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH): The legislation provides that reinvested mutual fund dividends are not subject to capital gains taxation until the investor sells his or her shares. 4.H.R.2163 No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act: The bill ensures that victims of retirement account fraud are not subject to the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions. 5.H.R.2544, S.1222 Financial Freedom Act of 2025: The legislation prohibits the Secretary of Labor from restricting the investments available in self-directed 401(k) brokerage windows. The bill also prohibits the DOL from preventing a fiduciary from selecting, any particular type of investment alternative, provided that a fiduciary provides the participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, nor can the DOL require that any particular type of investment be either favored or disfavored, other than on the basis of the investments risk-return characteristics. 6.H.R.2696, S.1526 Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA): This legislation establishes a federally run American Worker Retirement Plan for private-sector workers that do not have access to a workplace-based retirement plan. The bill also includes an enhanced federal matching contribution that only applies to lower income workers that participate in the federal plan. 7.H.R.2748 First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act: This legislation increases the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their retirement savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000 (indexed to inflation) without the 10% additional income tax on early retirement plan distributions to use as a down payment on their home. 8.H.R.2869 EBSA Investigations Transparency Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to submit annual reports to Congress on the status of its open employee plan audits and to explain why any audits open for more than 36 months have not been closed. 9.H.R. 2958 Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements Act: This legislation requires the Department of Labor to formalize and disclose situations in which it is providing adverse assistance which means assistance to plaintiffs lawyers suing ERISA benefit plan sponsors and fiduciaries. 10.H.R. 2988 Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act: This legislation amends ERISA to specify that a retirement plan fiduciary shall be considered acting solely in the interest of participants only if: 1) the investment does not subordinate the interest of participants in their retirement income or financial benefits under the plan to other objectives, including ESG objectives and 2) the fiduciary does not sacrifice investment returns or take on additional investment risks to promote goals unrelated to the plan. 11.S.1707 Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act: This legislation lowers the required minimum participation age in ERISA-covered retirement plans from age 21 to age 18. 12.S.1831 Auto Reenroll Act of 2025: This legislation amends the qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) safe harbor in the tax code for 401(k) plans to allow for automatic periodic reenrollment into the plan. 13.S.1840 Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act: This legislation raises the floor for the existing $250 per-employee tax credit available to small businesses to create retirement plans, ensuring that all small businesses can receive a tax credit of at least $2,500. 14.S.2210 Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act: This legislation establishes a safe harbor under federal law for companies that would like to voluntarily provide independent workers with any benefit or protection commonly provided to full-time employees, such as retirement and health care benefits. 15.S.2217 Independent Retirement Fairness Act: This legislation relaxes the audit rules for pooled employer plans (PEPs) and allows companies to enroll their independent workers in PEPs and simplified employer pensions (SEPs) IRAs without triggering employee classification. 16.General Accounts Product Corrections Act: This proposed legislation clarifies fiduciary responsibilities for life insurance companies as it relates to investments in their general accounts. Income Security S. 2415 and H.R. 7107, the Long-Term Care Affordability Act: Would allow for tax free distributions from retirement accounts to fund LTC contracts. H.R. 133, Both provisions are in the larger bill. H.R.1185 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member. H.R.1940 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R.2163 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for tax-advantaged distributions from health savings accounts during family or medical leave, and for other purposes. Issue: paid family and medical leave S.463 - FAMILY Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave- paid family and medical leave proposal would offer paid leave benefits via a payroll tax for birth or adoption of a child or caring for a sick family member S.920 - New Parents Act of 2019. Issue: paid family and medical leave Discussion draft - CRADLE Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave - allows for a deferment of retirement benefits for paid leave benefits. Proposed FY 2020 Budget proposal on paid family and medical leave. Issue: paid family and medical leave H.R. 2694 - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Issue: paid family and medical leave. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2022, S.Con.Res.14. The budget resolution calls for the $3.5 trillion in long-term investments to be fully offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings, and long-term economic growth. In addition, the agreement would prohibit new taxes on families making less than $400,000 per year, and on small businesses and family farms. Issue: Medicare/Dental (Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age). H.R. 5376- Build Back Better Act This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child-care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Excepted Benefits on Supplemental Benefits-proposed tri-agency rule through HHS, Treasury and Labor. S.3680 - Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act Diversity and Inclusion H.R. 5084 - Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 5360 - Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 281 - Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion. H.R. 7946 and S. 4464 - Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. Issue: diversity and inclusion.

H.R. 1013 - Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act; entire bill H.R. 2089 - Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH); entire bill H.R. 2544 - Financial Freedom Act; entire bill H.R. 2696 - Retirement Savings for Americans Act; entire bill H.R. 2958 - Balance the Scales Act; entire bill H.R. 2988 - Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act; entire bill S. 424 - Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act; entire bill S. 1222 - Financial Freedom Act; entire bill S. 1526 - Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA); entire bill S. 1707 - Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act; entire bill S. 1839 - Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding (GROWTH); entire bill S. 1840 - Retirement Investment in Small Employers (RISE) Act; entire bill S. 1831 - Auto Re-enroll Act of 2025; entire bill Not Yet Introduced: Excise taxes on Individual Retirement Accounts

Client expense: $230,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

ERISA Preemption Technical glitch in HR 1 that applied an unintended 21% excise tax on any company that sponsors a retirement plan, VEBA or sponsors a controlled charity Technical corrections to SECURE 2.0 Collective investment trusts and insurance company separate accounts for use by 403(b) plans; Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions, (HR 1013) Age of required participation in retirement plans reduced from 21 to 18, (S. 1707) Automatic re-enrollment of unenrolled plan participants permitted by (S. 1831) EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements (HR 2958) Common Interest Agreements used by the U.S. DOL Pleading standards legislative proposal regarding applicable to ERISA cases Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans; pension plan de-risking, retiree health accounts Required Roth catch-up contributions and Roth optional matching and non-elective contributions guidance Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums and due date for premiums in 2025 Student loans and Employer Participation in Repayment Act (S. 772 / HR 1801)

Client expense: $331,216 · Firm income: Not reported