A.(1)  Unless the member has elected otherwise on or before December 31, 1983, the entire benefit of a member shall be distributed over a period no longer than any of the following periods:

(a)  The member’s life.

(b)  The life of the member’s designated beneficiary, if the member is married.

(c)  The member’s life expectancy.

(d)  The joint life and last survivor life expectancy of the member and his designated beneficiary.

(2)  If the member is married and his spouse survives him, the designated beneficiary for at least a qualified joint and survivor annuity and fifty percent of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan Account shall be his spouse, unless such spouse has consented to the contrary in writing before a notary public.  For purposes of this Paragraph, “spouse” shall mean that person who is married to the member under a legal regime of community of acquets and gains on his effective date of retirement or effective date of participation in the DROP, whichever is earlier.

(3)  If the member was a member on or before December 31, 1983, he shall be deemed to have made the election referred to in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection. If a member dies after the commencement of his benefits, the remaining portion of his benefit shall be distributed at least as rapidly as before his death.  Payment of survivor benefits shall not be considered to violate this provision.

B.(1)  If the member dies before his benefit has commenced, the remainder of such interest shall be distributed to the member’s beneficiary within five years after the date of such member’s death.

(2)  However, the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply:

(a)  To any portion of a member’s benefit which is payable to or for the benefit of a designated beneficiary, over the life of or over the life expectancy of the beneficiary, provided that the distributions begin no later than one year after the date of the member’s death, or in the case of the member’s surviving spouse, the date the member would have attained the age of seventy years and six months.  If the designated beneficiary is a child of the member, for purposes of satisfying the requirement of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, any amount paid to the child shall be treated as if paid to the member’s surviving spouse if the amount would become payable to the surviving spouse, if alive, upon the child’s reaching age eighteen or, if later, upon the child’s completing a designated event.  For purposes of this Subparagraph, a designated event shall be the later of the date the child ceases to have a disability or the date the child ceases to be a full-time student or attains age twenty-three, if earlier.

(b)  If the distribution of the member’s interest has commenced and is for a term certain over a period permitted in Subsection A of this Section.

(c)  If the member has elected otherwise on or before December 31, 1983, or such later date to which such election period shall be subject under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a).

C.  As to any benefit payable by the retirement system which is not optional as of December 31, 1983, the member shall be considered to have made the election referred to in Subsections A and B of this Section, if he were a member on or before such time.

D.  If by operation of law or by action of the board of trustees, a survivor benefit is payable to a specified person, the member shall be considered to have designated the person as an alternate beneficiary.  If there is more than one such person, then the youngest child with a disability shall be considered to have been so designated, or, if none, then the youngest person entitled to receive a survivor benefit shall be considered to have been so designated.  The designation of a designated beneficiary shall not prevent payment to multiple beneficiaries, but shall only establish the permitted period of payments.

E.  Payment in accordance with the survivor benefit provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 11:3685(A)(2) shall be deemed not to violate the provisions of Subsections A and B of this Section.

F.  This Section shall be effective for members of the system who complete any service under the system on or after July 1, 1995, with employers contributing to the system.

Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 97, §1, eff. May 5, 1998; Acts 2011, No. 399, §1, eff. July 1, 2011; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE:  Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).