(b) Initial Review of Claim. The Claim Review Subcommittee shall review the claim and, unless special circumstances require an extension of time, within 90 days after receipt of the claim give written or electronic notice to the claimant of its decision with respect to the claim. If special circumstances require an extension of time, the claimant shall be so advised in writing within the initial 90-day period and in no event shall such an extension exceed 90 days. The notice of the decision of the Claim Review Subcommittee with respect to the claim shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant and, if the claim is wholly or partially denied, shall set forth the specific reasons for the denial, specific references to the pertinent Plan provisions on which the denial is based, a description of any additional material or information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary, and an explanation of the appeals procedure under the Plan and the time limits applicable to such procedure (including a statement of the claimant’s right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of ERISA following the final first denial of a claim).
(c) Appeal of Claim Denial. The claimant (or his or her duly authorized representative) may request a review of the denial by filing with the full Committee a written request for such review within 60 days after notice of the denial has been received by the claimant. Within the same 60-day period, the claimant may submit to the Committee written comments, documents, records and other information relating to the claim. Upon request and free of charge, the claimant also may have reasonable access to, and copies of, documents, records and other information relevant to the claim.
(d) Review of Claim Denial. If a request for review is so filed, review of the denial shall be made by the Committee and the claimant shall be given written or electronic notice of the Committee’s final decision within 60 days after receipt of such request, unless special circumstances require an extension of time. If special circumstances require an extension of time, the claimant shall be so advised in writing within the initial 60-day period and in no event shall such an extension exceed 60 days.
If the appeal of the claim is wholly or partially denied, the notice of the Committee’s final decision shall include specific reasons for the decision, specific references to the pertinent Plan provisions on which the decision is based and a statement that the claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all relevant documents, records and information. The notice shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant and shall notify the claimant of his or her right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of ERISA.
ARTICLE IX
Amendment or Termination
Section 9.1. Amendment. ServiceMaster shall have the right to amend the Plan from time to time, provided that no such amendment shall reduce the amount credited to a Participant’s Account without the consent of the Participant or, if the Participant is deceased, his or her Beneficiary. The Plan shall be amended by resolutions duly adopted by the Board or, to the extent the amendment (i) is required or deemed advisable as a result of legislation, regulation, or other actions, (ii) concerns routine or administrative matters or (iii) does not materially affect the cost of the Plan to any Employer, by either the Board or the Committee.
Section 9.2. Plan Termination. The Board may, in its discretion, terminate the Plan with respect to some or all Accounts and accelerate the payment of such Accounts:
(a) within 12 months of a corporate dissolution taxed under section 331 of the Code, or with the approval of a bankruptcy court pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §503(b)(1)(A), provided that the payments with respect to each such Account are included in the Participant’s gross income in the latest of (i) the calendar year in which the Plan termination occurs, (ii) the calendar year in which such Account becomes vested or (iii) the first calendar year in which the payments are administratively practicable;
(b) within 30 days preceding or within 12 months following a change in control event, as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.409A-2(g)(4)(i) or
(c) upon any other termination event permitted under section 409A of the Code.
Section 9.3. Special Termination Right. Each Participant who has attained or will attain age 65 on or before December 31, 2005 shall be entitled to terminate his or her participation in the Plan and to receive an immediate and full distribution of such Participant’s entire Account on or before December 31, 2005.
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ARTICLE X
General Provisions
Section 10.1. Applicable Law. The provisions of this Plan shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, except as preempted by ERISA, the Code and other Federal law.
Section 10.2. Assumption of Company Liability. ServiceMaster’s obligations under the Plan may be assumed by any subsidiary of ServiceMaster, in which case such subsidiary shall be obligated to satisfy all of ServiceMaster’s obligations under the Plan and ServiceMaster shall be released from any continuing obligation under the Plan. At ServiceMaster’s request, each Participant or designated Beneficiary shall sign such documents as ServiceMaster may require in order to effect the purposes of this subsection. If an Employer ceases to be a subsidiary of ServiceMaster, each Participant employed by such Employer shall be deemed to have terminated employment with the ServiceMaster Companies for purposes of this Plan.
Section 10.3. Number and Headings. Wherever any words are used herein in the singular form they shall be construed as though they were also used in the plural form in all cases where they would so apply. Headings of sections and subsections of the Plan are inserted for convenience of reference and are not part of the Plan and are not to be considered in the construction thereof.
Section 10.4. Immunity of Board and Committee Members. The members of the Board and the Committee may rely upon any information, report or opinion supplied to them by an officer of ServiceMaster or any legal counsel, independent public accountant or actuary, and shall be fully protected in relying upon any such information, report or opinion. No member of the Board or the Committee shall have any liability to the ServiceMaster Companies or any Participant, former Participant, designated Beneficiary, person claiming under or through any Participant or designated Beneficiary or other person interested or concerned in connection with any decision made by such member pursuant to the Plan which was based upon any such information, report or opinion if such member reasonably relied thereon in good faith.
Section 10.5. Non-alienation of Benefits. A Participant’s rights to the amount credited to his or her Account under the Plan shall not be grantable, transferable, pledgeable or otherwise assignable, in whole or in part, by the voluntary or involuntary acts of any person, or by operation of law, and shall not be liable or taken for any obligation of such person. Any such attempted grant, transfer, pledge or assignment shall be null and void and without any legal effect.
Section 10.6. Notices. Any notice required to be given by the Employers or the Committee hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered in person or by U.S. mail, interoffice mail, express courier service or electronic mail.
Section 10.7. Plan Not to Affect Employment Relationship. Neither the adoption of the Plan nor its operation shall in any way affect the right and power of the Employers to dismiss or otherwise terminate the employment or change the terms of the employment or amount of compensation of any Participant at any time for any reason with or without cause. By accepting any payment under the Plan, each Participant, former Participant, designated Beneficiary and each person claiming under or through such person, shall be conclusively bound by any action or decision taken or made or to be taken or made under the Plan by the Board or the Committee.
Section 10.8. Severability. If any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if illegal or invalid provisions had never been set forth herein.
Section 10.9. Successors and Assigns. The Plan is binding on all persons entitled to benefits hereunder and their respective heirs and legal representatives, on the Committee and its successor, on the Employers, and on ServiceMaster and its successors.
Section 10.10. Withholding for Taxes. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan to the contrary, the appropriate amounts shall be withheld from any distribution made under the Plan or from a Participant’s Compensation as may be required for purposes of complying with applicable Federal or state tax withholding requirements.
Section 10.11. Compliance With Section 409A of Code. This Plan is intended to comply with the provisions of section 409A of the Code, and shall be interpreted and construed accordingly. The Committee shall have the discretion and authority to amend the Plan at any time to satisfy any requirements of section 409A of the Code or guidance provided by the U.S. Treasury Department to the extent applicable to the Plan.
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