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Employee Retirement Income Security Act — ERISA 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.

ERISA requires plans to provide participants with plan information including important information about plan features and funding; provides fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets; requires plans to establish a grievance and appeals process for participants to get benefits from their plans; and gives participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches of fiduciary duty.

There have been a number of amendments to ERISA, expanding the protections available to health benefit plan participants and beneficiaries. One important amendment, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), provides some workers and their families with the right to continue their health coverage for a limited time after certain events, such as the loss of a job. Another amendment to ERISA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which provides important new protections for working Americans and their families who have preexisting medical conditions or might otherwise suffer discrimination in health coverage based on factors that relate to an individual's health. Other important amendments include the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, and the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act 1988.  Q & A (scroll thru the document)

In general, ERISA does not cover group health plans established or maintained by governmental entities, churches for their employees, or plans which are maintained solely to comply with applicable workers compensation, unemployment, or disability laws. ERISA also does not cover plans maintained outside the United States primarily for the benefit of nonresident aliens or unfunded excess benefit plans. Department of Labor's Web Site

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Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) - ERISA is a federal law that regulates employee benefit plans, such as group health plans, that private sector employers, employee organizations (such as a union), or both, offer to employees and their families.

ERISA Enforcement Statistics, Civil & Criminal  DOL Site

See the FULL code on Cornell University's Site

Definitions Section 1002 Cornell Site

Section 1003.  What employers are covered by ERISA (Click here as some of the  links below don't work)  2005-09-29

Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section and in sections 1051, 1081, and 1101 of this title, this subchapter shall apply to any employee benefit plan (Code)  DOL Explanation  if it is established or maintained—

(1) by any employer engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce; or

(2) by any employee organization or organizations representing employees engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce; or

(3) by both.

(1) such plan is a governmental plan (as defined in section 1002 (32) of this title);

(2) such plan is a church plan (as defined in section 1002 (33) of this title) with respect to which no election has been made under section 410 (d) of title 26;

(3) such plan is maintained solely for the purpose of complying with applicable workmen’s compensation laws or unemployment compensation or disability insurance laws;

(4) such plan is maintained outside of the United States primarily for the benefit of persons substantially all of whom are nonresident aliens; or

(5) such plan is an excess benefit plan (as defined in section 1002 (36) of this title) and is unfunded.

The provisions of part 7 of subtitle B of this subchapter shall not apply to a health insurance issuer (as defined in section 1191b (b)(2) of this title) solely by reason of health insurance coverage (as defined in section 1191b (b)(1) of this title) provided by such issuer in connection with a group health plan (as defined in section 1191b (a)(1) of this title) if the provisions of this subchapter do not apply to such group health plan.

United States Code TITLE 29 - LABOR CHAPTER 18 - EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM Subchapter I. Protection Of Employee Benefit Rights  Section 1002. Definitions Section 1003. Coverage Subchapter II. Jurisdiction, Administration, Enforcement; Joint Pension Task Force, Etc. Subchapter III. Plan Termination Insurance  Chapter Notes