Upon a participant's death, those persons designated pursuant to §
38-48 shall receive a lump sum distribution of the participant's refundable contributions benefit, if the participant was entitled to the benefit. The only additional benefits payable under the plan in the event of the death of a participant shall be paid to those persons designated in accordance with this §
38-48 as follows:
A. Ordinary death benefit. In the event of the death of a participant prior to his or her benefit commencement date, while not in the line of duty, the participant's beneficiary shall be entitled to receive either the benefits described in Subsection
A(1) or those described in Subsection
A(2), as applicable:
(1) General benefit. The beneficiary shall be entitled
to receive:
(a)
The participant's employee contributions benefit, payable in one or more installments over a period which meets the requirements of §
38-40 and which is designated by the participant, or, if the participant has made no designation, by his or her beneficiary; plus
(b)
An amount, payable as a single lump sum, equal to the participant's annualized compensation determined as of the date of death; provided, however, that the benefit provided by this Subsection
A(1)(b) shall be payable only if the participant had died while a covered employee and after completing at least one year of eligibility service.
(2) Surviving spouse annuity benefit.
(a)
If all of the following conditions are met,
then the surviving spouse of a deceased participant shall be entitled
to receive a survivor annuity, in lieu of any other plan benefit:
[1]
The participant is married on the date of death;
[2]
The participant's death occurs before the participant's
benefit commencement date;
[3]
The participant has designated the participant's
surviving spouse as his or her only primary beneficiary;
[4]
Either the participant would have been eligible to receive early retirement benefits pursuant to §
38-29 had the participant retired the day before his or her death, or the participant has attained age 50 and received credit for at least 20 years of eligibility service;
[Amended 5-22-2018 by Ord. No. O-18-12]
[5]
The participant has not died in the line of duty as described in §
38-39B; and
[6]
The spouse does not elect to receive the benefit provided in Subsection
A(1) above.
(b)
For purposes of this subsection, a "survivor annuity" is a monthly income commencing in the month next following the participant's death, and continuing for the remainder of the spouse's life, in an amount equal to the actuarial equivalent of the benefit the spouse would have received under an immediate joint and survivor annuity pursuant to §
38-42 (with a 100% survivor benefit) had the participant retired on the day before his or her death.
B. Line of duty death benefit. In the event of the death of a participant, prior to the participant's benefit commencement date, while in the line of duty (as defined below), the participant's beneficiary shall be entitled to receive the benefits described in Subsection
B(1),
(2) or
(3), as applicable.
(1) General benefit. The beneficiary shall be entitled
to receive:
(a)
The participant's employee contributions benefit, payable in one or more installments over a period which meets the requirements of §
38-40 and which is designated by the participant, or, if the participant has made no designation, by his or her beneficiary; plus
(b)
An amount, payable as a single lump sum, equal to the participant's annualized compensation determined as of the date of death; provided, however, that the benefit provided by this Subsection
B(1)(b) shall be payable only if the participant has died while a covered employee.
(2) Surviving spouse benefit.
(a)
If all of the following conditions are met,
then the surviving spouse of a deceased participant shall be entitled
to receive a survivor benefit, in lieu of any other plan benefit:
[1]
The participant is married on the date of death;
[2]
The participant's death occurs before the benefit
commencement date;
[3]
The participant has designated the participant's
surviving spouse as his or her beneficiary;
[4]
The participant has died in the line of duty as described in this §
38-39B; and
[5]
Upon the death of the participant, the spouse does not elect to receive the benefits provided in §
38-39B(1).
(b)
Monthly benefit.
[1]
For purposes of this subsection, the line of
duty survivor benefit is a monthly income commencing in the month
next following the participant's death and continuing for the remainder
of the spouse's life or earlier remarriage in an amount equal to 662/3%
of the participant's compensation determined as of the day before
the participant's death.
[2]
In the event of the death or remarriage of the
spouse following the death of the participant, a monthly benefit equal
to 50% of such compensation shall be paid, in the aggregate, to the
participant's surviving children who are named as contingent beneficiaries.
[3]
The monthly benefits payable to any child of
the participant pursuant to this subsection shall continue until the
first day of the month preceding the earlier of:
[a]
The death of the child; or
[b]
The later of the child's:
[ii] Attainment of age 23, but only
so long as the child remains a full-time student.
(3) Surviving children's benefit.
(a)
If all of the following conditions are met,
then the surviving children of a deceased participant shall receive
a survivor benefit, in lieu of any other plan benefit:
[1]
The participant's death occurs before the benefit
commencement date;
[2]
The participant has designated one or more of
the participant's children as his or her only primary beneficiaries;
and
[3]
The participant has died in the line of duty as described in this §
38-39B.
(b)
Monthly benefit.
[1]
For purposes of this subsection, the line of
duty survivor children's benefit is a monthly income commencing in
the month next following the participant's death in an amount equal
to 50% of the participant's compensation determined as of the day
before the participant's death and paid, in the aggregate, to the
participant's surviving children who are named as primary beneficiaries.
[2]
The monthly benefits payable to any child of
the participant pursuant to this subsection shall continue until the
first day of the month preceding the earlier of:
[a]
The death of the child; or
[b]
The later of the child's:
[ii] Attainment of age 23, but only
so long as the child remains a full-time student.
(4) Line of duty definition. For purposes of this section,
the term "line of duty" means death from an injury or illness which
has been sustained as an active covered employee and which has been
ruled compensable under the Workers' Compensation Law of Maryland.
C. Benefits payable after benefit commencement date. If a participant dies after the participant's benefit commencement date, the benefits, if any, to which his or her beneficiary shall be entitled shall depend upon the form in which the participant's benefits were payable at the time of death, under the applicable form of benefit described in §§
38-41 through
38-44.
D. Military service death benefit. In the event of the death of a participant while performing qualified military service on or after January 1, 2007, that participant's beneficiary shall be entitled to any death benefits and other benefits that would have been provided under the plan had the participant resumed employment on the day preceding death and been deemed to have terminated employment on account of death on the actual date of death. The term "qualified reservist" means an individual who is a member of a reserve component, as defined in Section
101 of Title 37 of the United States Code, and who is ordered or called to active duty after September 11, 2001, either for a period in excess of 179 days or for an indefinite period; and the term "qualified military service" means military service as used in Section 414(u)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
[Added 11-24-2015 by Ord.
No. O-15-26]
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. O-13-09]
All death benefits payable pursuant to §
38-39 shall be distributed only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code. To the extent required thereby, such benefits shall be distributed in full not later than the last day of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the death of the participant, except as follows:
A. Distributed over lifetime of beneficiary. Unless the participant or the participant's beneficiary irrevocably elects pursuant to any elective provision which may be then present in the plan (which election must be prior to the earliest date on which distribution would be otherwise required pursuant to this section) to have the aforesaid five-year limit apply, benefits payable to or for the benefit of the participant's beneficiary, and which begin not later than the last day of the calendar year containing the first anniversary of the participant's death, may be distributed over the life of the beneficiary or a period certain not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary, under a method of distribution which meets the requirements of §
38-43 (but with life expectancy based upon the beneficiary's attained age as of the beneficiary's birthday in the calendar year in which falls the date on which non-annuity benefits are required to commence pursuant to this subsection, or if earlier, the date on which annuity benefits actually commence).
B. When annuity benefits commence before participant's death. If annuity benefits meeting the requirements of §
38-43 had commenced prior to the participant's death, then, in either case, the death benefits payable pursuant to §§
38-39 through
38-40 may be distributed without regard to the aforesaid five-year limit, but must be distributed at least as rapidly as they would have been under the predeath method of distribution.
A participant, subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, may elect to receive, in lieu of the normal monthly form of retirement income described in §
38-28, a benefit, which is its actuarial equivalent, payable in any of the following forms and in the form described in §
38-44:
A. Joint and survivor option.
(1) The joint and survivor option is a monthly income
payable during the participant's lifetime and continuing after the
participant's death at the rate of either 50% or 100% (as elected
by the participant) to his or her beneficiary for the remainder of
such beneficiary's life.
(2) If the participant's beneficiary dies before the date
on which the participant's benefits commenced (whether before or after
his or her termination date), the election shall thereupon become
void.
(3) If the participant's beneficiary dies after the date
on which the participant's benefits have commenced, or the participant
becomes divorced from the beneficiary, but before the death of the
participant, the election shall remain effective and the participant
shall continue to receive the reduced retirement income payable to
him or her in accordance with the option.
B. Pop-up option.
(1) The pop-up option is a monthly income payable during
the participant's lifetime and continuing after the participant's
death at the rate of either 50% or 100% (as elected by the participant)
to his or her beneficiary for the remainder of the beneficiary's life.
(2) If the participant's beneficiary dies before the date
on which the participant's benefits commenced (whether before or after
his or her termination date), the election shall thereupon become
void.
(3) If the participant's beneficiary dies, or if the participant becomes divorced from the beneficiary, after the date on which the participant's benefits have commenced, but before the death of the participant, the election shall likewise become void, and the participant shall receive, commencing on the first day of the month following the beneficiary's death (or divorce), the monthly benefit which the participant would have received had his or her benefits originally been payable as a life only option, as described in §
38-42C; and such benefit shall thereafter be payable as a life only option.
C. Life only option. The life only option, which is the
normal form of benefit under the plan, is a monthly income payable
during the participant's lifetime, with no payments to be made after
the last payment prior to the participant's death.
D. Lump sum option. The lump sum option is a cash-out of the participant's employee contributions benefit in lieu of all other benefits under the plan, as described in §§
38-26 and
38-27.
E. Single life annuity with refund. The single life annuity
with refund option is a monthly income payable during the participant's
lifetime, and, upon the participant's death, the participant's beneficiary
will receive a lump sum payment of an amount which is the unpaid balance
of the present value of the participant's employee contributions benefit
or accrued benefit (as elected by the participant).
F. Social security leveling option. The social security
leveling option is a monthly income payable for the participant's
lifetime which is greater prior to the commencement of payment to
the participant of social security retirement benefits and is less
after the commencement of such benefits so that the participant receives
substantially equal monthly payments.
Notwithstanding any provision of the plan to
the contrary that would otherwise limit a distributee's election under
this section, a distributee may elect, at the time and in the manner
prescribed by the Administrator, to have any portion of an eligible
rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan
specified by the distributee in a direct rollover.
A. Definitions. As used in this section, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DIRECT ROLLOVER
A payment by the plan to the eligible retirement plan specified
by the distributee.
DISTRIBUTEE
Includes a participant or former participant. In addition, the participant's or former participant's surviving spouse and the participant's or former participant's spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code, are distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the plan, in any case where the participant or former participant is married to a person of the same sex, that participant's spouse shall not be treated as a distributee under this definition but shall be treated as a nonspouse beneficiary under §
38-45. However, the preceding sentence shall not apply and a same-sex spouse shall be treated as a distributee under this section to the extent permitted under Section 402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code and administrative guidance thereunder.
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. O-13-09]
ELIGIBLE RETIREMENT PLAN
[Amended 8-27-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-22; 1-27-2009 by Ord. No. O-08-29]
(1)
An "eligible retirement plan" is:
(a)
An individual retirement account described in Section 408(a)
of the Internal Revenue Code;
(b)
An individual retirement annuity described in Section 408(b)
of the Internal Revenue Code; or
(c)
A qualified trust described in Section 401(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code or an annuity plan described in Section 403(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code, that accepts the distributee's eligible rollover
distribution.
(2)
With respect to distributions made after December 31, 2001,
an "eligible retirement plan" shall also mean an annuity contract
described in Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and an eligible
plan under Section 457(b) of the Code which is maintained by a state,
political subdivision of a state, or any agency or instrumentality
of a state or political subdivision of a state and which agrees to
separately account for amounts transferred into such plan from this
plan.
(3)
With respect to distributions made after December 31, 2007,
an "eligible retirement plan" shall also mean a Roth IRA described
in Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code.
(4)
With respect to distributions made after December 31, 2001,
the definition of "eligible retirement plan" shall also apply in the
case of a distribution to a surviving spouse, or to a spouse or former
spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations
order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ELIGIBLE ROLLOVER DISTRIBUTIONS
Any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to
the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover distribution
does not include:
(1)
Any distribution that is one of a series of
substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually)
made for the life (or life expectancy) of the distributee or the joint
lives (or joint life expectancies) of the distributee and the distributee's
designated beneficiary, or for a specified period of 10 years or more;
(2)
Any distribution to the extent such distribution
is required under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code;
and the portion of any distribution that is not includable in gross
income (determined without regard to the exclusion for net unrealized
appreciation with respect to employer securities).
[Added 1-27-2009 by Ord. No. O-08-29; 6-18-2013 by Ord. No.
O-13-09]
This section applies to distributions made on or after February 26, 2009. Notwithstanding any provision of the plan to the contrary that would otherwise limit the options of the beneficiary of a deceased participant who is not a distributee [within the meaning of §
38-44A(3)], the Administrator shall, upon the request of such a beneficiary, transfer a lump sum distribution to the trustee of an individual retirement account established under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code in accordance with the provisions of Section 402(c)(11). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the plan, in any case where the participant or former participant is married to a person of the same sex, that participant's spouse shall be treated as a nonspouse beneficiary under this section. However, the preceding sentence shall not apply and a same-sex spouse shall be treated as a distributee under this section to the extent permitted under Section 402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code and administrative guidance thereunder.