2006 Minnesota Statutes

353.32 REFUNDS AFTER DEATH OF MEMBER OR FORMER MEMBER.
    Subdivision 1. Before retirement. If a member or former member who terminated public
service dies before retirement or before receiving any retirement annuity and no other payment
of any kind is or may become payable to any person, a refund shall be paid to the designated
beneficiary or, if there be none, to the surviving spouse, or, if none, to the legal representative
of the decedent's estate. Such refund shall be in an amount equal to accumulated deductions
plus interest thereon at the rate of six percent per annum compounded annually less the sum
of any disability or survivor benefits, if any, that may have been paid by the fund; provided
that a survivor who has a right to benefits pursuant to section 353.31 may waive such benefits
in writing, except such benefits for a dependent child under the age of 18 years may only be
waived pursuant to an order of the district court.
    Subd. 1a. Surviving spouse optional annuity. (a) If a member or former member who
has credit for not less than three years of allowable service and dies before the annuity or
disability benefit begins to accrue under section 353.29, subdivision 7, or 353.33, subdivision
2 , notwithstanding any designation of beneficiary to the contrary, the surviving spouse may
elect to receive, instead of a refund with interest under subdivision 1, or surviving spouse
benefits otherwise payable under section 353.31, an annuity equal to the 100 percent joint and
survivor annuity that the member could have qualified for had the member terminated service
on the date of death.
(b) If the member was under age 55 and has credit for at least 30 years of allowable service
on the date of death, the surviving spouse may elect to receive a 100 percent joint and survivor
annuity based on the age of the member and surviving spouse on the date of death. The annuity is
payable using the full early retirement reduction under section 353.30, subdivisions 1b and 1c, to
age 55 and one-half of the early retirement reduction from age 55 to the age payment begins.
(c) If the member was under age 55 and has credit for at least three years of allowable
service on the date of death but did not qualify for retirement, the surviving spouse may elect to
receive the 100 percent joint and survivor annuity based on the age of the member and surviving
spouse at the time of death. The annuity is payable using the full early retirement reduction
under section 353.30, subdivision 1, 1b, 1c, or 5, to age 55 and one-half of the early retirement
reduction from age 55 to the age payment begins.
(d) Notwithstanding the definition of surviving spouse in section 353.01, subdivision 20,
a former spouse of the member, if any, is entitled to a portion of the monthly surviving spouse
optional annuity if stipulated under the terms of a marriage dissolution decree filed with the
association. If there is no surviving spouse or child or children, a former spouse may be entitled
to a lump-sum refund payment under subdivision 1, if provided for in a marriage dissolution
decree, but not a monthly surviving spouse optional annuity, despite the terms of a marriage
dissolution decree filed with the association.
(e) The surviving spouse eligible for surviving spouse benefits under paragraph (a) may
apply for the annuity at any time after the date on which the deceased employee would have
attained the required age for retirement based on the employee's allowable service. The surviving
spouse eligible for surviving spouse benefits under paragraph (b) or (c) may apply for an annuity
any time after the member's death. The annuity must be computed under sections 353.29,
subdivisions 2 and 3 ; and 353.30, subdivisions 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 5.
(f) Sections 353.34, subdivision 3, and 353.71, subdivision 2, apply to a deferred annuity
or surviving spouse benefit payable under this subdivision. No payment may accrue beyond
the end of the month in which entitlement to the annuity has terminated or upon expiration of
the term certain benefit payment under subdivision 1b. An amount equal to any excess of the
accumulated contributions that were credited to the account of the deceased employee over and
above the total of the annuities paid and payable to the surviving spouse must be paid to the
surviving spouse's estate.
(g) A member may specify in writing that this subdivision does not apply and that payment
may be made only to the designated beneficiary as otherwise provided by this chapter. The
waiver of a surviving spouse annuity under this section does not make a dependent child eligible
for benefits under subdivision 1c.
    Subd. 1b. Survivor coverage term certain. (a) In lieu of the 100 percent optional annuity
under subdivision 1a, or a refund under subdivision 1, the surviving spouse of a deceased member
may elect to receive survivor coverage for a term certain period of ten, 15, or 20 years, but
monthly payments must not exceed 75 percent of the average high-five monthly salary of the
deceased member. The monthly term certain annuity must be actuarially equivalent to the 100
percent optional annuity under subdivision 1a.
(b) If a surviving spouse elects a term certain annuity and dies before the expiration of the
specified term certain period, the commuted value of the remaining annuity payments must be
paid in a lump sum to the survivor's estate.
    Subd. 1c. Dependent child survivor coverage. If there is no surviving spouse eligible
for benefits under subdivision 1a, a dependent child or children as defined in section 353.01,
subdivision 15a , is eligible for monthly payments. Payments to a dependent child must be paid
from the date of the member's death to the date the dependent child attains age 20 if the child is
under age 15. If the child is 15 years or older on the date of death, payment must be made for five
years. The payment to a dependent child is an amount actuarially equivalent to the value of a
100 percent optional annuity under subdivision 1a using the age of the member and age of the
dependent child at the date of death in lieu of the age of the surviving spouse. If there is more than
one dependent child, each dependent child shall receive a proportionate share of the actuarial
value of the employee's account.
    Subd. 2. After retirement. If a former member dies after retirement and no payment of any
kind is or may become payable to any person, including any deferred benefit or annuity, there
shall be paid to the same succession of payees set forth in subdivision 1, a refund of accumulated
deductions, less the total payments of all kinds made by the fund to the former member during the
former member's lifetime or to any authorized person after death, without interest.
    Subd. 3. Optional survivor annuities; designated beneficiary. If a former member selected
an optional annuity by the terms of which an optional survivor's annuity was paid to a survivor
after the former member's death, upon the death of the survivor there shall be paid to the former
member's designated beneficiary a refund of accumulated deductions less the total payments of
all kinds made by the fund to the former member during the former member's lifetime or to any
authorized person after death. If said beneficiary should die before making application for such
refund, the same shall be paid to the legal representative of the estate of the former member.
    Subd. 4. Lack, or death, of beneficiary. If a member or former member dies without having
designated a beneficiary or if the beneficiary should die before making application for refund, and
if there is no surviving spouse, and if the legal representative of such member or former member
does not apply for refund within five years from the date of death of the member or former
member, the accumulated deductions to the member or former member's credit at the time of
death shall be disposed of in the manner provided in section 353.34, subdivision 6.
    Subd. 5. $1,500 or less, limited. If a member or former member dies without having
designated a beneficiary, or if the beneficiary should die before making application for refund of
the sum to the credit of such decedent, and the amount of the refund is $1,500 or less, the board of
trustees may 90 days after the date of death, in the absence of probate proceedings, make payment
to the surviving spouse of the decedent or, if none, to the decedent's personal representative or, if
none, to the estate. A payment under this subdivision is a bar to recovery by any other person or
persons. A retirement annuity or disability or survivor benefit that has accrued at the time of death
of an annuitant, disabilitant, or survivor may be paid in the same manner.
    Subd. 6.[Repealed, 1963 c 641 s 38]
    Subd. 7.[Repealed, 1978 c 796 s 46]
    Subd. 8.[Repealed, 1971 c 106 s 40]
    Subd. 9. Payment to a minor. If a member or former member dies having named as
beneficiary a person who is a minor at the time of the application for refund, the board may
make the payment (1) directly to the minor, (2) to a person who has legally qualified and is
acting as guardian of the minor's person or property in any jurisdiction, or (3) to either parent
of the minor or to an adult person with whom the minor may at the time be living. The parent
or other person to whom any amount is to be paid must advise the board in writing that the
amount will be held or used in trust for the benefit of such minor. Any annuity or disability
benefit payable at the time of death of an annuitant or recipient of a disability benefit, which is
payable to a beneficiary who is a minor, may be paid in the same manner. The payment is a bar
to recovery by any other person or persons.
History: 1957 c 935 s 12; 1959 c 646 s 2; 1959 c 650 s 42,48,58; 1963 c 641 s 22-24; 1969
c 940 s 7-9; 1971 c 106 s 26-28; 1973 c 35 s 56; 1973 c 753 s 48-52; 1974 c 229 s 16,17; 1975 c
102 s 14; 1977 c 429 s 28; 1978 c 471 s 5; 1978 c 796 s 33,34; 1979 c 216 s 11-13; 1981 c 180 s
10; 1981 c 224 s 87; 1983 c 73 s 6; 1984 c 564 s 24,25; 1986 c 444; 1986 c 458 s 12; 1987 c 372
art 9 s 13; 1988 c 709 art 5 s 17,18; 1989 c 319 art 13 s 35,36; 1991 c 341 s 18; 1992 c 432 art 2 s
11; 1993 c 307 art 6 s 2; 1993 c 336 art 6 s 7-9; 1Sp2005 c 8 art 10 s 50; 2006 c 271 art 3 s 23,24