EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The Treasury Department and the IRS issued proposed regulations on Pension Protection Act funding rules. REG-139236-07, Measurement of Assets and Liabilities for Pension Funding Purposes , will provide employers who sponsor single-employer defined benefit plans with guidance regarding the measurement of pension assets and liabilities under the new funding rules. Plan sponsors need to determine the contribution requirements that apply to their defined benefit plans for the first year that the new funding rules apply. The new funding rules are generally effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2008, with the regulations being proposed to be effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2009. Plan sponsors can rely on these proposed regulations for purposes of satisfying section 430 requirements for plan years beginning in 2008.