(a) Upon the legal separation or dissolution of marriage of a retired member, the court may include in the judgment or court order a determination of the community property rights of the parties in the retired member’s retirement allowance and, if applicable, retirement benefit under this part consistent with this section. Upon election under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 2610 of the Family Code, the court order awarding the nonmember spouse a community property share in the retirement allowance or retirement benefit, or both, of a retired member shall be consistent with this section.
(b) If the court does not award the entire retirement allowance or retirement benefit under this part to the retired member and the retired member is receiving a retirement allowance that has not been modified pursuant to Section 24300 or 24300.1, a single life annuity pursuant to Section 25011 or 25018, or a member only annuity described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Sections 25011.1 and 25018.1, the court shall require only that the system pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the retired member’s retirement allowance or retirement benefit, or both, under this part.
(c) If the court does not award the entire retirement allowance or retirement benefit under this part to the retired member and the retired member is receiving an allowance that has been actuarially modified pursuant to Section 24300 or 24300.1, or a joint and survivor annuity pursuant to Section 25011, 25011.1, 25018, or 25018.1, the court shall order only one of the following:
(1) The retired member shall maintain the retirement allowance or joint and survivor annuity, or both, under this part without change.
(2) The retired member shall cancel the option that modified the retirement allowance under this part pursuant to Section 24322 and elect a new joint and survivor option or designate a new beneficiary or both, and the system shall pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the retirement allowance payable to the retired member, the option beneficiary, or both.
(3) The retired member shall cancel the joint and survivor annuity under which the retirement benefit is being paid pursuant to Section 24324, and elect a new joint and survivor annuity or designate a new annuity beneficiary or both, based on the actuarial equivalent of the member’s canceled annuity, and the system shall pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the retirement benefit payable to the retired member, the annuity beneficiary, or both.
(4) The retired member shall take the action specified in both paragraphs (2) and (3).
(5) The retired member shall cancel the option that modified the retirement allowance under this part pursuant to Section 24322 and elect an unmodified retirement allowance and the system shall pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the retired member’s retirement allowance under this part.
(6) The retired member shall cancel, pursuant to Section 24324, the joint and survivor annuity under which the retirement benefit is being paid, and elect a single life annuity, and the system shall pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the retirement benefit payable to the retired member.
(7) The retired member shall take the action specified in both paragraphs (5) and (6).
(d) If the option beneficiary or annuity beneficiary or both under this part, other than the nonmember spouse, predeceases the retired member, the court shall order the retired member to designate a new option beneficiary pursuant to Section 24323, or a new annuity beneficiary pursuant to Section 24324 and shall order the system to pay the nonmember spouse, by separate warrant, his or her share of the community property interest in the retirement allowance or retirement benefit payable to the retired member or the new option beneficiary or annuity beneficiary or each of them.
(e) The right of the nonmember spouse to receive his or her community property share of the retired member’s retirement allowance or retirement benefit or both under this section shall terminate upon the death of the nonmember spouse. However, the nonmember spouse may designate a beneficiary under the Defined Benefit Program and a payee under the Defined Benefit Supplement Program to receive his or her community property share of the retired member’s accumulated retirement contributions and accumulated Defined Benefit Supplement account balance under this part in the event that there are remaining accumulated retirement contributions and a balance of credits in the member’s Defined Benefit Supplement account to be paid upon the death of the nonmember spouse.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 755, Sec. 16. (SB 1220) Effective January 1, 2015.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018