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H.R. 1290 98th Congress House

A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under employee benefit plans, of benefits…

Official title: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under em… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under employee benefit plans, of benefits wrongfully denied them under such plans, and to provide for recovery by such participants and beneficiaries of a reasonable attorney's fee and costs of the action in all cases in which such denials are arbitrary or capricious.

Introduced: February 7, 1983 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Civil procedureCourts and Civil ProcedureEmployee benefit plansLawyers and legal servicesLegal fees
This bill died when the 98th Congress ended
It never became law before the 98th Congress (1983–1984) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 15, 1983
Referred to Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations.
Feb 7, 1983
Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Feb 7, 1983
Introduced in House
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 Latest action February 15, 1983

Referred to Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to revise provisions relating to civil actions brought by employee benefit plan participants and beneficiaries to recover benefits due under the terms of a plan. Directs the court to examine the administrator's denial of benefits de novo and without any presumption as to the correctness of the denial. Permits the participant or beneficiary to recover such benefits by proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the administrator erred in denying such benefits. Permits the participant or beneficiary to recover a reasonable attorney's fee and costs of such action from the Administrator if the Administrator or the Administrator's agent is found to have wrongfully denied such benefits in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1290: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under employee benefit plans, of benefits wrongfully denied them under such plans, and to provide for recovery by such participants and beneficiaries of a reasonable attorney's fee and costs of the action in all cases in which such denials are arbitrary or capricious.. 98th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1290/
MLA
"H.R. 1290: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under employee benefit plans, of benefits wrongfully denied them under such plans, and to provide for recovery by such participants and beneficiaries of a reasonable attorney's fee and costs of the action in all cases in which such denials are arbitrary or capricious.." 98th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1290/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1290, 98th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1290/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1290: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to facilitate recovery, in civil actions brought by participants and beneficiaries under employee benefit plans, of benefits wrongfully denied them under such plans, and to provide for recovery by such participants and beneficiaries of a reasonable attorney's fee and costs of the action in all cases in which such denials are arbitrary or capricious.](https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1290/)
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