{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/6.2-952.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/6.2-952.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/6.2-952.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/6.2-952.html"}],"law_id":67346,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67346,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-952","catch_line":"Conditions for a benefits consortium","history":"2014, cc. 220, 296.","full_text":"A trust shall constitute a benefits consortium when all of the following conditions exist:\n\n1\n\nThe trust is subject to (i) ERISA and U.S. Department of Labor regulations applicable to multiple employer welfare arrangements and (ii) the authority of the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce such law and regulations;2\n\nA Form M-1, Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), for the applicable plan year shall be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor identifying the arrangement among the trust, sponsoring association, and benefit plans offered through the trust as a multiple employer welfare arrangement;3\n\nThe trust operates as a nonprofit voluntary employee beneficiary association within the meaning of § 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;4\n\nThe trust’s organizational documents:\n\t\t\ta. Provide that the trust is sponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tb. State that its purpose is to provide medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision benefits to employees of the sponsoring association and its members and the dependents of those employees through benefits plans;\n\t\t\tc. Provide that the funds of the trust are to be used for the benefit of the participating employees, and their dependents, through insurance, self-insurance, or a combination thereof as determined by the trustee and for defraying reasonable expenses of administering and operating the trust and the benefits plans offered through the trust;\n\t\t\td. Limit participation in the benefits plans offered through the trust to employers that are the sponsoring association, members of the sponsoring association, and their affiliates;\n\t\t\te. Limit the benefits plans offered through the trust to benefits plans sponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tf. Grant the sponsoring association the power to appoint the trustee of the trust;\n\t\t\tg. Provide the trustee with powers for the control and management of the trust; and\n\t\t\th. Require the trustee to discharge its duties with respect to the trust in accordance with the fiduciary duties defined in ERISA;5\n\nFive or more employers participate in the benefits plans offered through the trust;6\n\nThe trust establishes and maintains reserves determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles;7\n\nThe trust has purchased and maintains policies of specific, aggregate, and terminal excess insurance with retention levels determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles from insurers licensed to transact the business of insurance in the Commonwealth;8\n\nThe trust has secured one or more guarantees or standby letters of credit guaranteeing the payment of claims under the benefits plans offered through the trust in an aggregate amount not less than (i) the trust’s annual aggregate excess insurance retention level, minus (ii) the annual premium assessments for the benefits plans offered through the trust, minus (iii) the trust’s net assets, which net assets amount shall be net of the trust’s reasonable estimate of incurred but not reported claims; and such guarantees or letters of credit have been issued by (a) banks participating in the benefits plans offered through the trust or (b) qualified United States financial institutions as such term is used in subdivision 2 c of § 38.2-1316.4;9\n\nThe trust has purchased and maintains commercially reasonable fiduciary liability insurance;10\n\nThe trust has purchased and maintains a bond that satisfies the requirements of ERISA;11\n\nThe trust is audited annually by an independent certified public accountant;12\n\nThe trust does not include in its name the words “insurance,” “insurer,” “underwriter,” “mutual,” or any other word or term or combination of words or terms that is uniquely descriptive of an insurance company or insurance business unless the context of the remaining words or terms clearly indicates that the entity is not an insurance company and is not carrying on the business of insurance; and13\n\nThe trust does not pay commissions or other remuneration to any person that is conditioned upon the enrollment of persons in any benefits plan offered by the trust.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":244041,"text":"A trust shall constitute a benefits consortium when all of the following conditions exist:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":244042,"text":"The trust is subject to (i) ERISA and U.S. Department of Labor regulations applicable to multiple employer welfare arrangements and (ii) the authority of the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce such law and regulations;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":244043,"text":"A Form M-1, Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), for the applicable plan year shall be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor identifying the arrangement among the trust, sponsoring association, and benefit plans offered through the trust as a multiple employer welfare arrangement;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":244044,"text":"The trust operates as a nonprofit voluntary employee beneficiary association within the meaning of § 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":244045,"text":"The trust’s organizational documents:\n\t\t\ta. Provide that the trust is sponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tb. State that its purpose is to provide medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision benefits to employees of the sponsoring association and its members and the dependents of those employees through benefits plans;\n\t\t\tc. Provide that the funds of the trust are to be used for the benefit of the participating employees, and their dependents, through insurance, self-insurance, or a combination thereof as determined by the trustee and for defraying reasonable expenses of administering and operating the trust and the benefits plans offered through the trust;\n\t\t\td. Limit participation in the benefits plans offered through the trust to employers that are the sponsoring association, members of the sponsoring association, and their affiliates;\n\t\t\te. Limit the benefits plans offered through the trust to benefits plans sponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tf. Grant the sponsoring association the power to appoint the trustee of the trust;\n\t\t\tg. Provide the trustee with powers for the control and management of the trust; and\n\t\t\th. Require the trustee to discharge its duties with respect to the trust in accordance with the fiduciary duties defined in ERISA;","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":244046,"text":"Five or more employers participate in the benefits plans offered through the trust;","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4","next_prefix":"6"},"6":{"id":244047,"text":"The trust establishes and maintains reserves determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles;","type":"section","prefixes":["6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"6","prefix_anchor":"6","level":1,"prior_prefix":"5","next_prefix":"7"},"7":{"id":244048,"text":"The trust has purchased and maintains policies of specific, aggregate, and terminal excess insurance with retention levels determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles from insurers licensed to transact the business of insurance in the Commonwealth;","type":"section","prefixes":["7"],"prefix":"7","entire_prefix":"7","prefix_anchor":"7","level":1,"prior_prefix":"6","next_prefix":"8"},"8":{"id":244049,"text":"The trust has secured one or more guarantees or standby letters of credit guaranteeing the payment of claims under the benefits plans offered through the trust in an aggregate amount not less than (i) the trust’s annual aggregate excess insurance retention level, minus (ii) the annual premium assessments for the benefits plans offered through the trust, minus (iii) the trust’s net assets, which net assets amount shall be net of the trust’s reasonable estimate of incurred but not reported claims; and such guarantees or letters of credit have been issued by (a) banks participating in the benefits plans offered through the trust or (b) qualified United States financial institutions as such term is used in subdivision 2 c of § 38.2-1316.4;","type":"section","prefixes":["8"],"prefix":"8","entire_prefix":"8","prefix_anchor":"8","level":1,"prior_prefix":"7","next_prefix":"9"},"9":{"id":244050,"text":"The trust has purchased and maintains commercially reasonable fiduciary liability insurance;","type":"section","prefixes":["9"],"prefix":"9","entire_prefix":"9","prefix_anchor":"9","level":1,"prior_prefix":"8","next_prefix":"10"},"10":{"id":244051,"text":"The trust has purchased and maintains a bond that satisfies the requirements of ERISA;","type":"section","prefixes":["10"],"prefix":"10","entire_prefix":"10","prefix_anchor":"10","level":1,"prior_prefix":"9","next_prefix":"11"},"11":{"id":244052,"text":"The trust is audited annually by an independent certified public accountant;","type":"section","prefixes":["11"],"prefix":"11","entire_prefix":"11","prefix_anchor":"11","level":1,"prior_prefix":"10","next_prefix":"12"},"12":{"id":244053,"text":"The trust does not include in its name the words “insurance,” “insurer,” “underwriter,” “mutual,” or any other word or term or combination of words or terms that is uniquely descriptive of an insurance company or insurance business unless the context of the remaining words or terms clearly indicates that the entity is not an insurance company and is not carrying on the business of insurance; and","type":"section","prefixes":["12"],"prefix":"12","entire_prefix":"12","prefix_anchor":"12","level":1,"prior_prefix":"11","next_prefix":"13"},"13":{"id":244054,"text":"The trust does not pay commissions or other remuneration to any person that is conditioned upon the enrollment of persons in any benefits plan offered by the trust.","type":"section","prefixes":["13"],"prefix":"13","entire_prefix":"13","prefix_anchor":"13","level":1,"prior_prefix":"12"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13985,"edition_id":1,"name":"Benefits Consortium","identifier":"17","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13791,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:31","permalink":{"id":265363,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13985,"identifier":"17","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17","url":"\/6.2\/II\/8\/17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13791,"edition_id":1,"name":"Banks","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13000,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:53","permalink":{"id":265065,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13791,"identifier":"8","token":"6.2\/II\/8","url":"\/6.2\/II\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13000,"edition_id":1,"name":"Depository Institutions and Trust Organizations","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12852,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:07","permalink":{"id":263685,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13000,"identifier":"II","token":"6.2\/II","url":"\/6.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12852,"edition_id":1,"name":"Financial Institutions and Services","identifier":"6.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","permalink":{"id":263249,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12852,"identifier":"6.2","token":"6.2","url":"\/6.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73959,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-951","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/6.2-951\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-951","metadata":false},{"id":67346,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-952","catch_line":"Conditions for a benefits consortium","url":"\/6.2-952\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-952","metadata":false},{"id":55058,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-953","catch_line":"Benefits consortium and sponsoring association not subject to regulation or taxation as an insurance company","url":"\/6.2-953\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-953","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73959,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-951","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/6.2-951\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-951","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":55058,"structure_id":13985,"section_number":"6.2-953","catch_line":"Benefits consortium and sponsoring association not subject to regulation or taxation as an insurance company","url":"\/6.2-953\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-953","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/6.2-952\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2014. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 220<\/a> and 296<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73959,"section_number":"6.2-951","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/6.2-951\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":83595,"section_number":"38.2-1316.4","catch_line":"Credit allowed any ceding insurer","order_by":null,"url":"\/38.2-1316.4\/"}],"permalink":{"id":265369,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67346,"identifier":"6.2-952","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-952","url":"\/6.2-952\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/6.2-952\/","token":"6.2\/II\/8\/17\/6.2-952","dublin_core":{"Title":"Conditions for a benefits consortium","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 6.2-952","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A trust shall constitute a benefits consortium<\/span> when all of the following conditions exist:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The trust is subject to (i) ERISA<\/span> and U.S. Department of Labor regulations applicable to multiple employer welfare arrangements and (ii) the authority of the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce such law<\/span> and regulations; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> A Form M-1, Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), for the applicable plan year shall be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor identifying the arrangement among the trust, sponsoring association<\/span>, and benefit plans offered through the trust as a multiple employer welfare arrangement; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The trust operates as a nonprofit voluntary employee beneficiary association within the meaning of § 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The trust’s organizational documents:\n\t\t\ta. Provide that the trust is sponsored by the sponsoring association<\/span>;\n\t\t\tb. State that its purpose is to provide medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision benefits to employees of the sponsoring association<\/span> and its members and the dependents of those employees through benefits plans;\n\t\t\tc. Provide that the funds of the trust are to be used for the benefit of the participating employees, and their dependents, through insurance, self-insurance, or a combination thereof as determined by the trustee and for defraying reasonable expenses of administering and operating the trust and the benefits plans offered through the trust;\n\t\t\td. Limit participation in the benefits plans offered through the trust to employers that are the sponsoring association<\/span>, members of the sponsoring association<\/span>, and their affiliates;\n\t\t\te. Limit the benefits plans offered through the trust to benefits plans sponsored by the sponsoring association<\/span>;\n\t\t\tf. Grant the sponsoring association<\/span> the power to appoint the trustee of the trust;\n\t\t\tg. Provide the trustee with powers for the control and management of the trust; and\n\t\t\th. Require the trustee to discharge its duties with respect to the trust in accordance with the fiduciary duties defined in ERISA<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Five or more employers participate in the benefits plans offered through the trust; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> The trust establishes and maintains reserves determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

7.<\/span> The trust has purchased and maintains policies of specific, aggregate, and terminal excess insurance with retention levels determined in accordance with sound actuarial principles from insurers licensed to transact the business of insurance in the Commonwealth; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

8.<\/span> The trust has secured one or more guarantees or standby letters of credit guaranteeing the payment of claims under the benefits plans offered through the trust in an aggregate amount not less than (i) the trust’s annual aggregate excess insurance retention level, minus (ii) the annual premium assessments for the benefits plans offered through the trust, minus (iii) the trust’s net assets<\/span>, which net assets<\/span> amount shall be net of the trust’s reasonable estimate of incurred but not reported claims; and such guarantees or letters of credit have been issued by (a) banks<\/span> participating in the benefits plans offered through the trust or (b) qualified United States financial institutions<\/span> as such term is used in subdivision 2 c of § 38.2-1316.4<\/a>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

9.<\/span> The trust has purchased and maintains commercially reasonable fiduciary liability insurance; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

10.<\/span> The trust has purchased and maintains a bond<\/span> that satisfies the requirements of ERISA<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

11.<\/span> The trust is audited annually by an independent certified public accountant; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

12.<\/span> The trust does not include in its name the words “insurance,” “insurer,” “underwriter,” “mutual,” or any other word or term or combination of words or terms that is uniquely descriptive of an insurance company or insurance business unless the context of the remaining words or terms clearly indicates that the entity<\/span> is not an insurance company and is not carrying on the business of insurance; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

13.<\/span> The trust does not pay commissions<\/span> or other remuneration to any person<\/span> that is conditioned upon the enrollment of persons<\/span> in any benefits plan offered by the trust. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONDITIONS FOR A BENEFITS CONSORTIUM (\u00a7 6.2-952)\n\nA trust shall constitute a benefits consortium when all of the following\nconditions exist:\n\n1. The trust is subject to (i) ERISA and U.S. Department of Labor regulations\napplicable to multiple employer welfare arrangements and (ii) the authority of\nthe U.S. Department of Labor to enforce such law and regulations;\n\n2. A Form M-1, Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), for\nthe applicable plan year shall be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor\nidentifying the arrangement among the trust, sponsoring association, and benefit\nplans offered through the trust as a multiple employer welfare arrangement;\n\n3. The trust operates as a nonprofit voluntary employee beneficiary association\nwithin the meaning of § 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;\n\n4. The trust’s organizational documents:\n\t\t\ta. Provide that the trust is sponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tb. State that its purpose is to provide medical, prescription drug, dental,\nand vision benefits to employees of the sponsoring association and its members\nand the dependents of those employees through benefits plans;\n\t\t\tc. Provide that the funds of the trust are to be used for the benefit of the\nparticipating employees, and their dependents, through insurance,\nself-insurance, or a combination thereof as determined by the trustee and for\ndefraying reasonable expenses of administering and operating the trust and the\nbenefits plans offered through the trust;\n\t\t\td. Limit participation in the benefits plans offered through the trust to\nemployers that are the sponsoring association, members of the sponsoring\nassociation, and their affiliates;\n\t\t\te. Limit the benefits plans offered through the trust to benefits plans\nsponsored by the sponsoring association;\n\t\t\tf. Grant the sponsoring association the power to appoint the trustee of the\ntrust;\n\t\t\tg. Provide the trustee with powers for the control and management of the\ntrust; and\n\t\t\th. Require the trustee to discharge its duties with respect to the trust in\naccordance with the fiduciary duties defined in ERISA;\n\n5. Five or more employers participate in the benefits plans offered through the\ntrust;\n\n6. The trust establishes and maintains reserves determined in accordance with\nsound actuarial principles;\n\n7. The trust has purchased and maintains policies of specific, aggregate, and\nterminal excess insurance with retention levels determined in accordance with\nsound actuarial principles from insurers licensed to transact the business of\ninsurance in the Commonwealth;\n\n8. The trust has secured one or more guarantees or standby letters of credit\nguaranteeing the payment of claims under the benefits plans offered through the\ntrust in an aggregate amount not less than (i) the trust’s annual\naggregate excess insurance retention level, minus (ii) the annual premium\nassessments for the benefits plans offered through the trust, minus (iii) the\ntrust’s net assets, which net assets amount shall be net of the\ntrust’s reasonable estimate of incurred but not reported claims; and such\nguarantees or letters of credit have been issued by (a) banks participating in\nthe benefits plans offered through the trust or (b) qualified United States\nfinancial institutions as such term is used in subdivision 2 c of §\n38.2-1316.4;\n\n9. The trust has purchased and maintains commercially reasonable fiduciary\nliability insurance;\n\n10. The trust has purchased and maintains a bond that satisfies the requirements\nof ERISA;\n\n11. The trust is audited annually by an independent certified public accountant;\n\n12. The trust does not include in its name the words “insurance,”\n“insurer,” “underwriter,” “mutual,” or any\nother word or term or combination of words or terms that is uniquely descriptive\nof an insurance company or insurance business unless the context of the\nremaining words or terms clearly indicates that the entity is not an insurance\ncompany and is not carrying on the business of insurance; and\n\n13. The trust does not pay commissions or other remuneration to any person that\nis conditioned upon the enrollment of persons in any benefits plan offered by\nthe trust.\n\nHISTORY: 2014, cc. 220, 296.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}