California Government Code 21478 – (a) A member who elects to receive the unmodified allowance or …
(a) A member who elects to receive the unmodified allowance or the optional settlement in Section 21474, or the optional settlement in Section 21475, 21475.5, 21476, 21476.5, or 21477, and who names his or her spouse as the option beneficiary, and whose spouse is also an eligible survivor for the benefits provided by Section 21624, 21626, 21627, 21628, 21629, or 21630, and if the total benefit to the surviving spouse is at least 50 percent of the member’s unmodified allowance, may concurrently and irrevocably elect to have his or her allowance paid as a “qualified joint and survivor annuity.” Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, upon the election, the survivor allowance shall be paid only to the member’s spouse and shall continue to be paid upon the remarriage of the spouse. Any cost due to this election shall be paid by the member through an actuarial reduction to his or her allowance.
(b) For purposes of this section, a member’s retirement allowance shall be determined without regard to any limitation required pursuant to Section 415 of Title 26 of the United States Code but the amount payable to the spouse shall be subject to those limits as if it were the retirement allowance of the member.
Terms Used In California Government Code 21478
- Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
- 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
- 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
(c) This section shall apply to any member who retires on or after January 1, 2018.
(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 199, Sec. 22. (AB 2404) Effective January 1, 2017.)