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) "participant" means a member, retiree, or an actual or potential beneficiary, survivor, or contingent annuitant of the retirement system designated pursuant to this chapter; and
     (b) "family law order" means a certified copy of a judgment, decree, or order of a court with competent jurisdiction concerning child support, parental support, 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.
     (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 appropriate retirement system; or
     (b) an amount or duration of payment greater than that available to a participant under the appropriate retirement system.
     (5) A family law order may only provide for payment to an alternate payee as follows:
     (a) Service retirement benefit payments or withdrawals of member contributions may be apportioned by directing payment of a percentage of the amount payable or payment of a fixed amount of no more than the amount payable to the participant.
     (b) The maximum amount of disability or survivorship benefits that may be apportioned to alternate payees is the monthly benefit amount that would have been payable on the date of termination of service if the member had retired without disability or death.
     (c) Retirement benefit adjustments for which a participant is eligible after retirement may be apportioned only if existing benefit payments are apportioned. The adjustments must be apportioned in the same ratio as existing benefit payments.
     (d) Payments must be limited to the life of the appropriate participant. The duration of payments to an alternate payee may be further limited only to a specified maximum time, the life of the alternate payee, or the life of a specified participant. Payments to an alternate payee may be limited to a specific amount per month if the number of payments is specified. The alternate payee's rights and interests survive the alternate payee's death and may be transferred by inheritance.
     (e) The participant may be required to choose a specified form of benefit payment or designate a beneficiary or contingent annuitant if the retirement system allows for that option.
     (6) 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.
     (7) 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.

     History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 111, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 442, L. 1997.