Ask AI
Bill114th CongressFiled Nov 19, 2015Taxation
S. 2308

Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015

Bill journey · stage 1 of 5

Just introduced

Filed
Comm.
Floor
Both
Law

What it doesSummary passed senate without amendment (Dec 10, 2015)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of church pension plans, to: (1) provide that an organization otherwise eligible to participate in a church plan shall not be aggregated with another such organization and treated as a single employer with it for pension benefit rules and testing purposes unless one such organization provides at least 80% of the operating funds for the other organization during the recipient organization's preceding tax year and there is a degree of common management or supervision between the organizations, and (2) allow transfers and mergers of qualified church retirement plans without tax consequences.

The bill amends the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 to adopt benefit accrual limitations for church defined benefits plans established before 1982.

The bill also: (1) preempts any state law relating to wage, salary, or payroll payment, collection, deduction, garnishment, assignment, or withholding that would prohibit or restrict the inclusion in any church plan of an automatic contribution arrangement; and (2) allows church plans and their supporting organizations to invest plan assets in a group trust (as defined by Internal Revenue Service Revenue Rulings).

What just happenedDec 11, 2015

Held at the desk.

Who’s behind it

Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD](D-MD)Sponsor
3 cosponsors1 D2 R
Read on Congress.gov
3cosponsors1committees9actions2related bills6subjects
  1. Dec 11, 2015FloorH15000

    Held at the desk.

  2. Dec 11, 2015Floor

    Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  3. Dec 11, 2015FloorH14000

    Received in the House.

  4. Dec 10, 2015Floor

    Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S8617-8618)

  5. Dec 10, 2015Floor17000

    Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S8617-8618)

  6. Dec 10, 2015Discharge

    Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8617-8618)

    Finance Committee
  7. Dec 10, 2015Committee14500

    Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S8617-8618)

    Finance Committee
  8. Nov 19, 2015IntroReferral

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    Finance Committee
  9. Nov 19, 2015IntroReferral10000

    Introduced in Senate

Passed Senate without amendmentDec 10, 201582

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of church pension plans, to: (1) provide that an organization otherwise eligible to participate in a church plan shall not be aggregated with another such organization and treated as a single employer with it for pension benefit rules and testing purposes unless one such organization provides at least 80% of the operating funds for the other organization during the recipient organization's preceding tax year and there is a degree of common management or supervision between the organizations, and (2) allow transfers and mergers of qualified church retirement plans without tax consequences.

The bill amends the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 to adopt benefit accrual limitations for church defined benefits plans established before 1982.

The bill also: (1) preempts any state law relating to wage, salary, or payroll payment, collection, deduction, garnishment, assignment, or withholding that would prohibit or restrict the inclusion in any church plan of an automatic contribution arrangement; and (2) allows church plans and their supporting organizations to invest plan assets in a group trust (as defined by Internal Revenue Service Revenue Rulings).

Introduced in SenateNov 19, 2015

Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of church pension plans, to: (1) provide that an organization otherwise eligible to participate in a church plan shall not be aggregated with another such organization and treated as a single employer with it unless one such organization provides at least 80% of the operating funds for the other organization during the recipient organization's preceding tax year and there is a degree of common management or supervision between the organizations, (2) adopt benefit accrual limitations for church defined benefit plans established before 1982, and (3) allow transfers and mergers of qualified church retirement plans.

The bill also: (1) preempts any state law relating to wage, salary, or payroll payment, collection, deduction, garnishment, assignment, or withholding that would directly or indirectly prohibit or restrict the inclusion in any church plan of an automatic contribution arrangement; and (2) allows church plans and their supporting organizations to invest plan assets in a group trust (as defined by Internal Revenue Service Revenue Rulings).

Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015 — Informed