§477. Limitations on payment of benefits

A. The payment of benefits made under R.S. 11:446 or under this Subpart shall be subject to the limitations of this Section. The payment of benefits shall commence not later than April first of the year following the calendar year in which the later of the following occurs: the member retires, or the member reaches the age of seventy years and six months.

B.(1) Unless the member has elected otherwise on or before December 31, 1983, the entire benefit of a member shall be distributed over a period not longer than the longest of the following periods:

(a) The member's life.

(b) If the member is married, the life of the member's designated beneficiary.

(c) The member's life expectancy.

(d) The joint life and last survivor life expectancy of the member and his designated beneficiary.

(2) If the member is married and his spouse survives him, the designated beneficiary for at least a qualified joint and survivor annuity and fifty percent of his Deferred Retirement Option Plan Account shall be his spouse, unless such spouse has consented to the contrary in writing before a notary public, or such spouse cannot be located and the member submits an original affidavit signed by him before a notary public and evidencing good faith efforts to locate the spouse. For purposes of this Paragraph, "spouse" means that person who is married to the member under a legal regime of community of acquets and gains on his effective date of retirement or effective date of participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, whichever is earlier.

C.(1) If the member dies before his benefit has commenced, the remainder of such interest shall be distributed to the member's beneficiary within five years after the date of such member's death.

(2) Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to any portion of a member's benefit which is payable to or for the benefit of a designated beneficiary, over the life of or over the life expectancy of such beneficiary, so long as such distributions begin not later than one year after the date of the member's death, or, in the case of the member's surviving spouse, the date the member would have attained the age of seventy years and six months. If the designated beneficiary is the member's surviving spouse and if the surviving spouse dies before the distribution of benefits commences, then Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be applied as if the surviving spouse were the member. If the designated beneficiary is a child of the member, for purposes of satisfying the requirement of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, any amount paid to such child shall be treated as if paid to the member's surviving spouse if such amount would become payable to such surviving spouse (if alive) upon the child's reaching age eighteen or, if later, upon the child's completing a designated event. For purposes of this Paragraph a designated event shall be the later of the date the child is no longer disabled or the date the child ceases to be a full-time student (or attains age twenty-three, if earlier).

(3) Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply if the distribution of the member's interest has commenced and is for a term certain over a period permitted in Subsection B.

(4) Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply if the member has elected otherwise on or before December 31, 1983, (or such later date to which such election period shall be subject under Internal Revenue Code Sec. 401(a)).

D. As to any benefit payable by the retirement system which is not optional as of December 31, 1983, the member shall be considered to have made the election referred to in Subsections B and C, if he were a member on or before such time.

E. If by operation of the provisions of law or by action of the board of trustees, a survivor benefit is payable to a specified person or persons, the member shall be considered to have designated such person as an alternate beneficiary hereunder. If there is more than one such person, then the youngest such person shall be considered to have been so designated.

F. This Section shall be effective for members of the system who complete any service under the system on or after July 1, 1987, with employers contributing to the system.

Acts 1972, No. 135, §1, eff. July 26, 1972; Redesignated from R.S. 42:607 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1997, No. 1109, §1, eff. July 14, 1997.