Are You Meeting Social Security Coverage Requirements?

Understanding Social Security coverage isn’t always straightforward for governmental employers. Whether you are navigating Section 218 agreements or evaluating replacement plan requirements, knowing how these rules apply is critical to staying compliant and avoiding costly missteps.

Join Ice Miller attorneys Audra Ferguson and Nicole Giambarrese for the July installment of our Breaking the Ice webinar series alongside guest speakers Shalina Schaefer and Rachel Mattingly Phillips. Together, they will walk through the key components of Social Security coverage and replacement plans, offering practical insight for governmental entities managing these obligations.

What You’ll Learn:

• The history and evolution of Social Security coverage for state and local employees and why it still matters today
• How Section 218 agreements work, including structure, referendums processes, and common coverage pitfalls.
• When Social Security coverage is mandatory and how qualified replacement plans provide an exemption
• Safe harbor formulas for both defined benefit and defined contribution plans and what qualified and what doesn’t
• Special considerations for part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees that are often overlooked

Who Should Attend:

This session is designed for professionals responsible for public sector retirement plan compliance:

• Plan sponsors and fiduciaries overseeing governmental retirement plans
• Attorneys advising governmental plans
• Plan administrators and operations professionals managing day-to-day compliance
• Finance, HR, and compliance leaders supporting public sector entities

CLE Credit:

This program is pending approval for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Attendees licensed in states other than Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will receive certificates of attendance for self-reporting purposes.

Meet the Speakers:

Audra Ferguson, Partner

Nicole Giambarrese, Partner

Shalina Schaefer, Partner

Rachel Mattingly Phillips, Associate