A. A member may designate all or a portion of any benefit paid in accordance with this Chapter to be paid in trust to any beneficiary, if the terms of the trust so provide and if the system is provided with a certified copy of the trust document. Such benefit or designated portion of a benefit shall be paid to the trust for addition to the trust property.

            B. If the trust is contested by any party or the distribution is challenged by a former spouse of the member, the system shall withhold all benefit payments or if a concursus proceeding is filed deposit them in the registry of the court until there is a final binding legal agreement or judgment regarding the proper payment of benefits.

            C. If the trust terminates under the terms of the trust prior to the death of a designated beneficiary, then any benefit or portion thereof payable after the date of termination of the trust shall be paid directly to the legal guardian of each trust beneficiary.

            D. The trustee of the trust shall immediately notify the system in writing of the death of a beneficiary. Upon the death of a beneficiary, benefit payments from the system to the trust on behalf of the deceased beneficiary shall cease.

            E. A member may designate all or a portion of any benefit paid in accordance with this Chapter to be paid monthly to a court-appointed estate administrator on behalf of the member’s surviving spouse, children, or both, for the purpose of probating a valid testament wherein such spouse, children, or both are named as legatees and the testament contains a provision for informal acceptance. For payment to be made to an estate administrator, the system shall be furnished a certified copy of the testament. This system’s actuary shall determine the methodology for calculating the amount and duration of monthly benefits payable to the estate administrator based on the provisions of the testament. Such benefit or designated portion that is paid to the estate administrator shall not be treated as an addition to the estate assets and shall not be accessible to creditors for payment of any estate debt or the estate administrator’s fees. The estate administrator shall pay such monthly benefits to the appropriate legatee in accordance with the instructions set forth in the testament. The estate administrator shall immediately notify this system in writing of the death of any legatee receiving benefits pursuant to this Subsection. If payment of a benefit or portion pursuant to this Subsection is contested by any party, the system shall withhold all disputed benefit payments and institute a concursus action and deposit such benefits into the registry of the court until there is a final binding legal agreement or judgement regarding the proper payment.

            F. For purposes of this Section only, the term “child” means the issue of a marriage of a member of this system, the legally adopted child of a member of this system, a child born outside of marriage of a female member of this system, or the child of a male member of this system if acknowledged or filiated pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Code.

            Acts 2012, No. 427, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2021, No. 140, §1.

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)).