Retirees and certain beneficiaries may change who receives remaining annuity payments, but the selection must be in writing on prescribed forms and filed with the director.
Sec. 854.006. CHANGE OF BENEFICIARY OR DIVISION OF BENEFIT FOR CERTAIN PERSONS RECEIVING MONTHLY BENEFITS. (a) A retiree who is receiving payments of an annuity for the retiree's life but with payments to continue if the retiree dies until a determined number of payments have been made may, with the consent of the retiree's spouse if there is one, revoke any existing selection and designation of beneficiary nominated to receive any monthly payments that may become due under the annuity after the retiree's death and may select a new beneficiary to whom the monthly payments are to be made. (b) A person who, as beneficiary of a deceased retiree, is receiving monthly payments of any fixed-term annuity described by Subsection (a) may select and designate a person to whom will be paid any monthly payments that may be due under the annuity after the death of the beneficiary making the designation. (c) Any selection and designation of beneficiary under Subsection (a) or (b) must be in writing, on forms prescribed by the board of trustees, and will become effective on filing with the director. (d) If a qualified domestic relations order, as that term is defined by Section 804.001, so provides, the benefit payable to a retiree who is receiving payments of an annuity for the retiree's life with payments to continue after the retiree's death until the death of another person under Section 854.104(c)(1), (2), or (5) may be divided by the retirement system into two annuities if: (1) the person who was designated to receive the continued payment after the retiree's death is the same person as the alternate payee; (2) the domestic relations order specifies that one of the two annuities is payable over the remaining life of the retiree, with no payments to be made under that annuity after the death of the retiree; (3) the domestic relations order specifies that the annuity payable to the alternate payee is payable over the remaining life of that person, with no payments to be made under that annuity after the death of the alternate payee named in the order; and (4) the domestic relations order specifies that the portion of the benefit payable to the alternate payee is stated as a fixed percentage of the present benefit payable to the retiree, which percentage may not exceed 50 percent of a benefit provided under Section 854.104(c)(2) and may not exceed 75 percent of a benefit provided under Section 854.104(c)(5) . (e) The division of an annuity under Subsection (d) is effective when the order is determined by the retirement system to be a qualified domestic relations order, and the amount of each of the two annuities shall be computed by the retirement system at that time, based on tables that have been adopted by the retirement system and in effect at that time, so that the two annuities are actuarially equivalent at the time of division to the annuity being divided. (f) If a divorce decree or a qualified domestic relations order, as that term is defined by Section 804.001, so provides, the benefit payable to a retiree who is receiving payments of an annuity for the retiree's life with payments to continue after the retiree's death until the death of another person under Section 854.104(c)(1), (2), or (5), 854.305(c), or 854.410(c) may be increased to the amount that would have been payable if the retiree had selected an annuity payable only during the retiree's lifetime if: (1) the proceeding in which the decree or order is entered terminates the marriage between the retiree and the person who was designated to receive the continued payment after the retiree's death; (2) the decree or order awards the retiree all benefits resulting from the retiree's participation in the retirement system; and (3) the decree or order is signed after December 31, 1999. (g) A decree or order under Subsection (f) applies only to annuity payments made after the date the retirement system receives and approves the decree or order as complying with Subsection (f). Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 466, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 26, 1991. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 57, Sec. 10, 11, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 83, Sec. 7, eff. Dec. 31, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 599, Sec. 11, eff. Jan. 1, 2004. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 991 (S.B. 1337), Sec. 11, eff. January 1, 2020.