Code of Alabama
Article 7 - Judges' and Clerks' Plan for Retirement.
Section 12-18-156 - Payments From Plan; Optional Allowances; Replacement Beneficiaries.

THIS SECTION WAS AMENDED BY ACT 2022-184 IN THE 2022 REGULAR SESSION, EFFECTIVE RETROACTIVE TO JANUARY 1, 2021. THIS IS NOT IN THE CURRENT CODE SUPPLEMENT.
(a) Should a member cease to be a judge or clerk except by death or by retirement under the provisions of this article, the contributions standing to the credit of his or her individual account in the fund shall be paid to him or her upon demand and, in addition to that payment, there shall be paid five-tenths of the interest accumulations standing to the credit of his or her individual account if he or she shall have not less than three but less than 16 years of membership service, six-tenths of the interest accumulations if he or she shall have not less than 16 but less than 21 years of membership service, seven-tenths of the interest accumulations if he or she shall have not less than 21 but less than 26 years of membership service and eight-tenths of the interest accumulations if he or she shall have not less than 26 years of membership service.
(b) In case of the death of a member eligible for service retirement pursuant to Section 12-18-154, an allowance shall be paid to the surviving spouse, if designated as the sole beneficiary, in an amount that would have been payable if the member had retired immediately prior to his or her death and had elected Option 2, as set forth in subsection (d), or to such other person who the member shall have designated, in an amount that would have been payable if the member had retired immediately prior to his or her death and had elected Option 3, as set forth in subsection (d). Alternatively, if the surviving spouse or other designee desires, he or she may choose to receive, in lieu of the allowance provided under Option 2 or Option 3, the accumulated contributions of the member plus an amount equal to the accumulated contributions of the member not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or the accumulated contributions of the member plus the benefit provided by Section 36-27B-3 if a benefit is payable under that section.
(c) Upon the death of a member on account of whom no survivor allowance is payable under subsection (b), the accumulated contributions of the member plus an amount equal to the accumulated contributions not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or the accumulated contributions of the member plus the benefit provided by Section 36-27B-3 if a benefit is payable under that section shall be paid to his or her estate or to such person as he or she shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the Board of Control.
(d) Optional allowances. With the provision that the election of an option shall be effective on the effective date of retirement, any member may elect prior to retirement to receive, in lieu of his or her retirement allowance payable throughout life, the actuarial equivalent, at that time, of his or her retirement allowance in a reduced retirement allowance payable throughout life with the provisions that:
(1) OPTION 1. If he or she dies before he or she has received in annuity payments the present value of his or her annuity as it was at the time of his or her retirement, the balance shall be paid to his or her legal representatives or to the person as he or she shall nominate by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the Board of Control;
(2) OPTION 2. Upon his or her death, his or her reduced retirement allowance shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to the person as he or she shall nominate by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the Board of Control at the time of his or her retirement;
(3) OPTION 3. Upon his or her death, one half of his or her reduced allowance shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to the person as he or she shall nominate by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the Board of Control at the time of his or her retirement; or
(4) OPTION 4. Some other benefit or benefits shall be paid either to the member or to the person or persons as he or she shall nominate; provided, that those other benefits, together with the reduced retirement allowance, shall be certified by the actuary to be of equivalent actuarial value to his or her retirement allowance and shall be approved by the Board of Control.
(5) Where the person designated by the member under this subsection to receive a continued retirement allowance is a beneficiary of a special needs trust established under Title 42, United States Code, Section 1396p(d)(4)(A) or (C), as amended, the retirement allowance payable to the person may be paid by the retirement system to the special needs trust upon written direction to the retirement system by the member or, after the member is deceased, by the designated person or by his or her legal representative if the designated person is a minor or is incapacitated.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the contrary, when a designated beneficiary for a member predeceases the member who is receiving a monthly benefit allowance provided under Option 2, 3, or 4, the member may designate a replacement beneficiary for the deceased beneficiary to become effective two years after the date of designation of the replacement beneficiary and an actuarial adjustment in the monthly benefit allowance of the member to cover any cost associated with designating a replacement beneficiary shall be reflected thereafter in the monthly benefit allowance received by the member, commencing with the first benefit allowance check received by the member following the date of designation of the replacement beneficiary.
(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, if a retired member who is receiving a monthly benefit allowance provided under Option 2, 3, or 4 divorces his or her designated beneficiary, the member may designate a replacement beneficiary for the beneficiary to become effective two years after the date of designation of the replacement beneficiary and an actuarial adjustment in the monthly benefit allowance of the member to cover any cost associated with designating a replacement beneficiary shall be reflected thereafter in the monthly benefit allowance received by the member, commencing with the first benefit allowance check received by the member following the date of designation of the replacement beneficiary.

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