<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 22.01.03.03" title_num="22" subtitle_num="01" chapter_num="03" heading="Eligible Domestic Relations Orders.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Domestic relations orders shall be submitted to the Agency and shall be directed to the attention of Eligible Domestic Relations Orders.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>A domestic relations order shall constitute an eligible domestic relations order only if it satisfies all of the following requirements:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Contains the:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Name of the State system or State systems to which the order applies;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Name and last known mailing address of the participant;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Name and last known mailing address of the alternate payee; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Date of the parties' marriage, and the date of the parties' divorce;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Creates or recognizes the right of the alternate payee to receive all or a portion of the participant's plan benefit if, when, and as paid by the Board of Trustees;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Constitutes a method of division of a participant's plan benefit which conforms to the provisions of State Personnel and Pensions Article, Division II, Annotated Code of Maryland, including State Personnel and Pensions Article, Title 21, Subtitle 4, Annotated Code of Maryland;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Does not require the payment of any type or form of benefit, or any option, not otherwise provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Division II, Annotated Code of Maryland;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Does not affect the rights of a different alternate payee who was named by the participant in an eligible domestic relations order on file at the Agency;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Provides for payment of an amount that does not exceed the participant's plan benefit;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Directs the Board of Trustees to pay all or a portion of the participant's plan benefit to the alternate payee directly at a time and in a form that is available to the participant;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Describes each type of plan benefit set forth in Regulation .02B(10) that is assigned to the alternate payee, using terms that are sufficient to precisely identify each type of plan benefit;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Provides for payment of the alternate payee's share of the plan benefit in one of the following ways:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A fixed dollar amount;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A fixed percentage of the participant's plan benefit; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A fixed formula that satisfies the criteria specified in Regulation .07 of this chapter;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>If the alternate payee has been assigned a portion of an allowance and will receive payment of:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A fixed dollar amount, states that the alternate payee shall receive a pro rata share of any cost-of-living adjustments payable after the date of administration of the order by the Agency; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A fixed percentage or fixed formula, states the alternate payee shall receive a pro rata share of all cost-of-living adjustments;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(11)">
      <text>Subject to §D of this regulation, if a participant is eligible to elect an optional form of allowance that provides a postretirement survivor benefit:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>States whether the participant is permitted or required to elect the basic allowance or an optional form of allowance;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>If the participant is permitted or required to elect an optional form of allowance, states whether the participant is required to select a specific optional form of allowance under State Personnel and Pensions Article, §21-403, Annotated Code of Maryland;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>States whether the participant is required to designate the alternate payee as the beneficiary of a postretirement survivor benefit; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>If the participant is permitted to designate a beneficiary other than the alternate payee, states whether and what share, if any, of the beneficiary's postretirement survivor benefit is payable to the alternate payee;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(12)">
      <text>Is titled “Eligible Domestic Relations Order”;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(13)">
      <text>Does not reference Qualified Domestic Relations Orders or the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(14)">
      <text>States that it is the obligation of the alternate payee to promptly:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Provide the Agency a certified or true-test copy of the domestic relations order and any modifications or amendments to the order;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Provide the following information to the Agency in writing contemporaneously with the submission of a domestic relations order:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The Social Security numbers and dates of birth of the participant and alternate payee; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The current address and current telephone number of the alternate payee;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Submit documentation to verify the alternate payee’s date of birth;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>When an alternate payee becomes eligible to receive a monthly allowance, submit the required forms to commence receipt of the allowance by electronic fund transfer;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Notify the Agency in writing of:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The death of the participant; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Any change of the alternate payee’s name, address, or telephone number; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Comply with all reasonable requests from the Agency for information and documentation necessary for administering the domestic relations order;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(15)">
      <text>States that it is the obligation of the participant to promptly:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Submit any applications or forms required by the Agency to effectuate any provision of the domestic relations order;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Notify the Agency in writing of:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The death of the alternate payee; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Any change of the participant’s name, address, or telephone number; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Comply with all reasonable requests from the Agency for information and documentation necessary for administering the domestic relations order;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(16)">
      <text>States that if the participant fails to act as required by the domestic relations order, or takes any action in contravention of the domestic relations order, the participant, and not the Agency, shall bear the sole and exclusive liability for the action;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(17)">
      <text>States that the Agency is not liable to make further payments to the alternate payee if the participant transfers to another retirement or pension system that is not administered by the Agency;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(18)">
      <text>States that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>All payments to the alternate payee shall be includable in the taxable income of and taxable to the alternate payee in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations, and other guidance; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>After-tax contributions shall be allocated to the parties in the same proportion as the total amount of the alternate payee’s share bears to the participant’s total plan benefit; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(19)">
      <text>Is:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Signed and dated by a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A certified or true-test copy by the clerk of the court; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>In the case of an out-of-State domestic relations order, filed in a Circuit Court in the State in accordance with the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, Title 11, Subtitle 8, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>The Social Security numbers and dates of birth of the participant and alternate payee shall be provided to the Agency in written correspondence accompanying a domestic relations order.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>If the participant is required to designate the alternate payee as the beneficiary of a postretirement survivor benefit that provides for payments for life, an eligible domestic relations order may not permit the designation of more than one individual as the beneficiary.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>If the Agency determines that the domestic relations order satisfies the requirements set forth in §§B through D of this regulation, the domestic relations order shall be administered as an eligible domestic relations order in accordance with Regulation .04 of this chapter.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>If the Agency determines that the domestic relations order or written correspondence accompanying the domestic relations order does not satisfy the requirements set forth in §B, C, or D of this regulation, the domestic relations order shall be rejected according to the procedure in Regulation .05 of this chapter.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>