§ 2570.31 Definitions.

For purposes of these procedures, the following definitions apply:

(a) An affiliate of a person means—

(1) Any person directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual;

(2) Any director of, relative of, or partner in, any such person;

(3) Any corporation, partnership, trust, or unincorporated enterprise of which such person is an officer, director, or a 5 percent or more partner or owner; or

(4) Any employee or officer of the person who—

(i) Is highly compensated (as defined in section 4975(e)(2)(H) of the Code), or

(ii) Has direct or indirect authority, responsibility, or control regarding the custody, management, or disposition of plan assets involved in the subject exemption transaction.

(b) A class exemption is an administrative exemption, granted under section 408(a) of ERISA, section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, and/or 5 U.S.C. 8477(c)(3), which applies to any transaction and party in interest within the class of transactions and parties in interest specified in the exemption when the conditions of the exemption are satisfied.

(c) Department means the U.S. Department of Labor and includes the Secretary of Labor or his or her delegate exercising authority with respect to prohibited transaction exemptions to which this subpart applies.

(d) Exemption transaction means the transaction or transactions for which an exemption is requested.

(e) An individual exemption is an administrative exemption, granted under section 408(a) of ERISA, section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, and/or 5 U.S.C. 8477(c)(3), which applies only to the specific parties in interest and transactions named or otherwise defined in the exemption.

(f) A party in interest means a person described in section 3(14) of ERISA or 5 U.S.C. 8477(a)(4) and includes a disqualified person, as defined in section 4975(e)(2) of the Code.

(g) Pooled fund means an account or fund for the collective investment of the assets of two or more unrelated plans, including (but not limited to) a pooled separate account maintained by an insurance company and a common or collective trust fund maintained by a bank or similar financial institution.

(h) A qualified appraisal report is any appraisal report that satisfies all of the requirements set forth in this subpart at § 2570.34(c)(4).

(i) A qualified independent appraiser is any individual or entity with appropriate training, experience, and facilities to provide a qualified appraisal report on behalf of the plan regarding the particular asset or property appraised in the report, that is independent of and unrelated to any party in interest engaging in the exemption transaction and its affiliates; in general, the determination as to the independence of the appraiser is made by the Department on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. In making this determination, the Department generally will take into account the amount of both the appraiser's revenues and projected revenues for the current federal income tax year (including amounts received for preparing the appraisal report) that will be derived from the party in interest or its affiliates relative to the appraiser's revenues from all sources for the prior federal income tax year. Absent facts and circumstances demonstrating a lack of independence, the Department will operate according to the presumption that such appraiser will be independent if the revenues it receives or is projected to receive, within the current federal income tax year, from parties in interest (and their affiliates) to the transaction are not more than 2% of such appraiser's annual revenues based upon its prior income tax year. Although the presumption does not apply when the aforementioned percentage exceeds 2%, an appraiser nonetheless may be considered independent based upon other facts and circumstances provided that it receives or is projected to receive revenues that are not more than 5% within the current federal income tax year from parties in interest (and their affiliates) to the transaction based upon its prior income tax year.

(j) A qualified independent fiduciary is any individual or entity with appropriate training, experience, and facilities to act on behalf of the plan regarding the exemption transaction in accordance with the fiduciary duties and responsibilities prescribed by ERISA, that is independent of and unrelated to any party in interest engaging in the exemption transaction and its affiliates; in general, the determination as to the independence of a fiduciary is made by the Department on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. In making this determination, the Department generally will take into account the amount of both the fiduciary's revenues and projected revenues for the current federal income tax year (including amounts received for preparing fiduciary reports) that will be derived from the party in interest or its affiliates relative to the fiduciary's revenues from all sources for the prior federal income tax year. Absent facts and circumstances demonstrating a lack of independence, the Department will operate according to the presumption that such fiduciary will be independent if the revenues it receives or is projected to receive, within the current federal income tax year, from parties in interest (and their affiliates) to the transaction are not more than 2% of such fiduciary's annual revenues based upon its prior income tax year. Although the presumption does not apply when the aforementioned percentage exceeds 2%, a fiduciary nonetheless may be considered independent based upon other facts and circumstances provided that it receives or is projected to receive revenues that are not more than 5% within the current federal income tax year from parties in interest (and their affiliates) to the transaction based upon its prior income tax year.