Is fiduciary training required for health plan committee members?

There is no statute that says "fiduciaries must attend training." But the prudence standard requires fiduciaries to act with the skill of someone familiar with plan matters — and a fiduciary who can't demonstrate basic knowledge of their duties has a hard time demonstrating prudence.

DOL investigators routinely ask what fiduciary training committee members have received, and litigation discovery does the same. A thin answer undermines every other defense.

The practical standard is simple: train every new committee member when appointed, refresh the full committee annually, and document it — dates, topics, attendees. The training itself doesn't need to be elaborate; consistent, documented coverage of duties, prohibited transactions, and the committee's own procedures is what counts.