The following Letter Type C, or variations thereof, was submitted by individuals or entities.

Letter Type C:

Dear Chairman Atkins,

I am writing as a constituent in your district/state who could lose the ability to receive critical health and financial information on printed paper. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have each proposed a rule that would flip the default from paper to electronic delivery. The public comment window closes September 21, 2026.

The DOL has proposed allowing group health plans to provide required ERISA health-plan communications electronically by default. At the same time, the SEC has proposed allowing electronic delivery of many investor disclosures without first obtaining affirmative consent from recipients.

While digital communications provide important benefits, many Americans continue to depend on paper communications. Older Americans, individuals with limited internet access, those with disabilities, and consumers who simply prefer paper will face challenges if paper communications become less available.

These are not routine notices - they contain critical information about health benefits, claims procedures, retirement savings, investment accounts, and shareholder rights. Missed or overlooked emails could mean a missed claims deadline, an unnoticed change to retirement savings, or exposure to the phishing and fraud schemes that increasingly target electronic financial communications. Internet crime cost Americans over $16.6 billion in 2024 alone, with limited recovery for victims.

This is also a jobs and manufacturing issue in communities like ours. Companies that manufacture paper products and produce printed health plan and financial documents support family-wage jobs, and a sudden regulatory shift away from printed paper delivery would impact these workers and their communities.

I respectfully ask you to take the following concrete steps before the September 21 comment deadline:

•       Send a letter to DOL and the SEC urging them to preserve paper as the default option, with digital delivery available only by informed opt-in.
•       Support inclusion of report language or an appropriations rider directing the SEC and DOL not to finalize any rule that makes electronic delivery the default without affirmative consumer consent.
•       Require robust safeguards - clear multi-notice transition periods, free and simple paper opt-out rights, and protections against fraud - for any transition to electronic delivery.
•       Direct agency staff to specifically account for the needs of seniors, rural and Tribal residents, and workers without reliable broadband or digital literacy.

Prioritize disclosure effectiveness and consumer protection over administrative cost savings to agencies and industry. Modernization should not come at the expense of accessibility, transparency, or informed decision-making.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,