DOL encourages the public to seek ERISA advisory opinions 

DOL already has a longstanding process for requesting opinion letters. For nearly five decades, members of the regulated community have been able to seek the agency’s formal guidance on ERISA’s application to particular factual situations — though the pace of that guidance has slowed in recent years. ERISA procedure 76-1 describes the process for requesting opinion letters, which typically come in two forms:

Advisory opinions interpret ERISA’s requirements and apply them to a specific factual situation. However, DOL generally won’t issue opinion letters on whether particular conduct satisfies ERISA’s fiduciary standards of care. Only the organizations or individuals described in an advisory opinion may rely on it (though practitioners often view these opinions as persuasive guidance for others in similar situations).

Information letters describe a well-established interpretation or principle of ERISA without addressing a specific factual situation. These letters are informational only and not binding on DOL.

The announcement doesn’t indicate whether DOL is considering modifying ERISA procedure 76-1.