19-20-305. Alternate payees -- family law orders. (1) A participant in a retirement system may have the participant's rights modified or recognized by a family law order.
     (2) For purposes of this section:
     (a) "actuarially equivalent amount" means the portion of the participant's benefit transferred to an alternate payee and actuarially adjusted to provide a benefit payable for the alternate payee's lifetime;
     (b) "alternate payee" means the former spouse of the member or retiree who is entitled to an actuarially equivalent amount or a fixed amount of the member's or retiree's retirement benefit;
     (c) "family law order" means a certified copy of a judgment, decree, or order of a court with competent jurisdiction concerning spousal maintenance or marital property rights that includes a transfer of all or a portion of a participant's payment rights in a retirement system to an alternate payee in compliance with this section; and
     (d) "participant" means a member or retiree of the retirement system.
     (3) A family law order must identify an alternate payee by full name, current address, and social security number. An alternate payee's rights and interests granted in compliance with this section are not subject to assignment, execution, garnishment, attachment, or other process. An alternate payee's rights or interests may be modified only by a family law order amending the family law order that established the right or interest.
     (4) A family law order may not require:
     (a) a type or form of benefit, option, or payment not available to the affected participant under the retirement system; or
     (b) an amount of payment greater than that available to a participant.
     (5) (a) The service, disability, or survivor retirement benefit payments or withdrawals of member contributions may be apportioned to an alternate payee by directing payment of:
     (i) an actuarially equivalent amount payable for the life of the alternate payee; or
     (ii) a fixed amount, to be deducted from the participant's benefit, of no more than the amount payable to the participant. A fixed amount must be payable for a determinate period of time not greater than the life of the participant or the life of the benefit recipient under a retirement allowance elected pursuant to 19-20-702.
     (b) (i) The actuarially equivalent service, disability, or survivor retirement benefit payable to the alternate payee must be calculated by taking the total years of service for which the benefit was earned during the marriage divided by the total years of creditable service used in the calculation of the retirement benefit, multiplied by a percentage share of the benefit payable to the alternate payee, multiplied by the total amount payable to the participant. The participant's benefit must be reduced by the amount determined under this subsection (5)(b)(i).
     (ii) The amount payable to the alternate payee, calculated under subsection (5)(b)(i), must be actuarially adjusted to provide a benefit payable for the alternate payee's lifetime.
     (6) If a participant elects to withdraw the accumulated contributions and forfeit all rights to service, disability, or survivor benefits, the alternate payee is entitled to a percentage of the amount payable as determined by the formula in subsection (5)(b)(i).
     (7) Retirement benefit adjustments for which a participant is eligible after retirement must be apportioned in the same manner as determined under subsection (5)(b)(i).
     (8) Payments of monthly benefits to the alternate payee must commence on the latest of the following dates:
     (a) the date the participant begins receiving benefits; or
     (b) the first day of the month following receipt of a certified family law order.
     (9) The board may assess a participant or an alternate payee for all costs of reviewing and administering a family law order, including reasonable attorney fees. The board may adopt rules to implement this section.
     (10) Each family law order establishing a final obligation concerning payments by the retirement system must contain a statement that the order is subject to review and approval by the board.
     (11) If the participant retired on a disability retirement benefit and the benefit is subsequently canceled pursuant to 19-20-903 or 19-20-905, the alternate payee's payments also terminate. When the participant again qualifies for retirement benefits, the amount payable to the alternate payee must be recalculated pursuant to this section.

     History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 111, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 442, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 90, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 282, L. 2009.