[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 9]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR2520.104b-30]

[Page 435-436]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
 CHAPTER XXV--EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                                  LABOR
 
PART 2520_RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE
--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart F_Disclosure Requirements
 
Sec. 2520.104b-30  Charges for documents.

    (a) Application. The plan administrator of an employee benefit plan 
may impose a reasonable charge to cover the cost of furnishing to 
participants and beneficiaries upon their written request as required 
under section 104(b)(4) of the Act, copies of the following information, 
statements or documents: The latest updated summary plan description, 
and the latest annual report, any terminal report, the bargaining 
agreement, trust agreement, contract, or other instruments under which 
the plan is established or operated. No charge may be assessed for 
furnishing information, statements or documents as required by other 
provisions of the Act, which include, in part 1 of title I, sections 
104(b)(1), (2), (3) and (c) and 105(a) and (c).
    (b) Reasonableness. The charge assessed by the plan administrator to 
cover the costs of furnishing documents is reasonable if it is equal to 
the actual cost per page to the plan for the least expensive means of 
acceptable reproduction, but in no event may such charge exceed 25 cents 
per page. For example, if a plan printed a large number of pamphlets at 
$1.00 per 50-page pamphlet, the actual cost of reproduction for the 
entire pamphlet ($1.00) would be equal to 2 cents per page. If only one 
page of such a pamphlet were requested, the actual cost of providing 
that page from the printed copy would be $1.00, since the copy would no 
longer be complete. In such a case, the least expensive means of 
acceptable reproduction would be individually reproducing the page 
requested at a charge of no more than 25 cents. On the other hand, if 
six pages of the same plan document were requested and each page cost 20 
cents to be reproduced, the actual cost of providing those pages would 
be $1.20. In such a case, if a printed copy is available, the least 
expensive means of acceptable reproduction would be to use pages from 
the printed copy at a charge of no more than $1.00. No other charge for 
furnishing documents, such as handling or

[[Page 436]]

postage charges, will be deemed rea sonable. The plan administrator 
shall provide information to a plan participant or beneficiary, upon 
request, about the charge that would be made to provide a copy of 
material described in this paragraph.

[41 FR 16964, Apr. 23, 1976, as amended at 41 FR 37575, Sept. 7, 1976]