On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The court overruled its own 1984 holding in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., in which it stated that the federal courts, in many cases, should defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous federal statutes.
The decision in Loper Bright is a strong statement by the Supreme Court that it is the federal courts’ responsibility, not that of federal agencies, to interpret laws passed by Congress. This decision undoubtedly will have an impact on the interpretation and application of federal law, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and the Internal Revenue Code. We will have to wait to see what the extent of that impact will be. But as of now, we do know that courts will have a greater role in shaping regulations, including those governing ERISA-covered employee benefits.
In this PLANSPONSOR article, “Chevron Explained,” Groom principal David Kaleda explores the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. and how that decision might affect benefits covered by ERISA.
To read the article, click here.
