Notwithstanding Section 21453, an election of optional settlement 2 or 3, or optional settlement 4 involving life contingency in which a spouse is designated as the beneficiary, may be modified as provided in this section in the event of a dissolution of marriage or a legal separation in which the division of the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the retired member, or in an annulment of the marriage in which a court confirms the annulment. The modification shall provide that payment shall be continued during the retired person‘s lifetime in accordance with the optional settlement then in effect but that no monthly allowance shall be paid following the retired person’s death, and in lieu thereof there shall be paid in a lump sum to the member’s estate or a beneficiary designated by him or her the amount, if any, by which the member’s accumulated contributions at retirement exceed the total payments made to the retired person to the date of his or her death.

This section shall apply to any member who retires on or before December 31, 2017.

Terms Used In California Government Code 21454

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Government Code 12.2

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 241, Sec. 12. (SB 525) Effective January 1, 2018.)