§ 2031. Computation of annuities

§ 2031. Computation of annuities

(a) Annuity of participant

(1) Computation of annuity The annuity of a participant is the product of—

(A) the participant’s high-3 average pay (as defined in paragraph (4)); and

(B) the number of years, not exceeding 35, of service credit (determined in accordance with sections 2081 and 2082 of this title) multiplied by 2 percent.

(2) Credit for unused sick leave The total service of a participant who retires on an immediate annuity (except under section 2051 of this title) or who dies leaving a survivor or survivors entitled to an annuity shall include (without regard to the 35-year limitation prescribed in paragraph (1)) the days of unused sick leave to the credit of the participant. Days of unused sick leave may not be counted in determining average basic pay or eligibility for an annuity under this subchapter. A deposit shall not be required for days of unused sick leave credited under this paragraph.

(3) Crediting of part-time service

(A) In general In the case of a participant whose service includes service on a part-time basis performed after April 6, 1986, the participant’s annuity shall be the sum of the amounts determined under subparagraphs (B) and (C).

(B) Computation of pre-April 7, 1986, annuity The portion of an annuity referred to in subparagraph (A) with respect to service before April 7, 1986, shall be the amount computed under paragraph (1) using the participant’s length of service before that date (increased by the unused sick leave to the credit of the participant at the time of retirement) and the participant’s high-3 average pay, as determined by using the annual rate of basic pay that would be payable for full-time service in that position.

(C) Computation of post-April 6, 1986, annuity The portion of an annuity referred to in subparagraph (A) with respect to service after April 6, 1986, shall be the product of—

(i) the amount computed under paragraph (1), using the participant’s length of service after that date and the participant’s high-3 average pay, as determined by using the annual rate of basic pay that would be payable for full-time service; and

(ii) the ratio which the participant’s actual service after April 6, 1986 (as determined by prorating the participant’s total service after that date to reflect the service that was performed on a part-time basis) bears to the total service after that date that would be creditable for the participant if all the service had been performed on a full-time basis.

(D) Treatment of employment on temporary or intermittent basis Employment on a temporary or intermittent basis shall not be considered to be service on a part-time basis for purposes of this paragraph.

(4) High-3 average pay defined For purposes of this subsection, a participant’s high-3 average pay is the amount of the participant’s average basic pay for the highest 3 consecutive years of the participant’s service for which full contributions have been made to the fund.

(5) Computation of service In determining the aggregate period of service upon which an annuity is to be based, any fractional part of a month shall not be counted.

(b) Spouse or former spouse survivor annuity

(1) Reduction in participant’s annuity to provide spouse or former spouse survivor annuity

(A) General rule Except to the extent provided otherwise under a written election under subparagraph (B) or (C), if at the time of retirement a participant or former participant is married (or has a former spouse who has not remarried before attaining age 55), the participant shall receive a reduced annuity and provide a survivor annuity for the participant’s spouse under this subsection or former spouse under section 2032(b) of this title, or a combination of such annuities, as the case may be.

(B) Joint election for waiver or reduction of spouse survivor annuity A married participant or former participant and the participant’s spouse may jointly elect in writing at the time of retirement to waive a survivor annuity for that spouse under this section or to reduce such survivor annuity under this section by designating a portion of the annuity of the participant as the base for the survivor annuity. If the marriage is dissolved following an election for such a reduced annuity and the spouse qualifies as a former spouse, the base used in calculating any annuity of the former spouse under section 2032(b) of this title may not exceed the portion of the participant’s annuity designated under this subparagraph.

(C) Joint election of participant and former spouse If a participant or former participant has a former spouse, such participant and the participant’s former spouse may jointly elect by spousal agreement under section 2094(b) of this title to waive, reduce, or increase a survivor annuity under section 2032(b) of this title for that former spouse. Any such election must be made (i) before the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which the divorce or annulment involving that former spouse becomes final, or (ii) at the time of retirement of the participant, whichever is later.

(D) Unilateral elections in absence of spouse or former spouse The Director may prescribe regulations under which a participant or former participant may make an election under subparagraph (B) or (C) without the participant’s spouse or former spouse if the participant establishes to the satisfaction of the Director that the participant does not know, and has taken all reasonable steps to determine, the whereabouts of the spouse or former spouse.

(2) Amount of reduction in participant’s annuity The annuity of a participant or former participant providing a survivor annuity under this section (or section 2032(b) of this title), excluding any portion of the annuity not designated or committed as a base for any survivor annuity, shall be reduced by 2½ percent of the first $3,600 plus 10 percent of any amount over $3,600. The reduction under this paragraph shall be calculated before any reduction under section 2032(a)(5) of this title.

(3) Amount of surviving spouse annuity

(A) In general If a retired participant receiving a reduced annuity under this subsection dies and is survived by a spouse, a survivor annuity shall be paid to the surviving spouse. The amount of the annuity shall be equal to 55 percent of (i) the full amount of the participant’s annuity computed under subsection (a), or (ii) any lesser amount elected as the base for the survivor annuity under paragraph (1)(B).

(B) Limitation Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the amount of the annuity calculated under subparagraph (A) for a surviving spouse in any case in which there is also a surviving former spouse of the retired participant who qualifies for an annuity under section 2032(b) of this title may not exceed 55 percent of the portion (if any) of the base for survivor annuities which remains available under section 2032(b)(4)(B) of this title.

(C) Effective date and termination of annuity An annuity payable from the fund to a surviving spouse under this paragraph shall commence on the day after the retired participant dies and shall terminate on the last day of the month before the surviving spouse’s death or remarriage before attaining age 55. If such survivor annuity is terminated because of remarriage, it shall be restored at the same rate commencing on the date such remarriage is dissolved by death, annulment, or divorce if any lump sum paid upon termination of the annuity is returned to the fund.

(c) 18-month open period after retirement to provide spouse coverage

(1) Survivor annuity elections

(A) Election when spouse coverage waived at time of retirement A participant or former participant who retires after March 31, 1992 and who—

may, during the 18-month period beginning on the date of the retirement of the participant, elect to have a reduction under subsection (b) made in the annuity of the participant (or in such portion thereof as the participant may designate) in order to provide a survivor annuity for the participant’s spouse.

(i) is married at the time of retirement; and

(ii) elects at that time (in accordance with subsection (b)) to waive a survivor annuity for the spouse,

(B) Election when reduced spouse annuity elected A participant or former participant who retires after March 31, 1992, and—

may, during the 18-month period beginning on the date of the retirement of such participant, elect to have a greater portion of the annuity of such participant so used.

(i) who, at the time of retirement, is married, and

(ii) who, at that time designates (in accordance with subsection (b)) that a portion of the annuity of such participant is to be used as the base for a survivor annuity,

(2) Deposit required

(A) Requirement An election under paragraph (1) shall not be effective unless the amount specified in subparagraph (B) is deposited into the fund before the end of that 18-month period.

(B) Amount of deposit The amount to be deposited with respect to an election under this subsection is the amount equal to the sum of the following:

(i) Additional cost to system The additional cost to the system that is associated with providing a survivor annuity under subsection (b) and that results from such election, taking into account—

(I) the difference (for the period between the date on which the annuity of the participant or former participant commences and the date of the election) between the amount paid to such participant or former participant under this subchapter and the amount which would have been paid if such election had been made at the time the participant or former participant applied for the annuity; and

(II) the costs associated with providing for the later election.

(ii) Interest Interest on the additional cost determined under clause (i), computed using the interest rate specified or determined under section 8334(e) of title 5 for the calendar year in which the amount to be deposited is determined.

(3) Voiding of previous elections An election by a participant or former participant under this subsection voids prospectively any election previously made in the case of such participant under subsection (b).

(4) Reductions in annuity An annuity that is reduced in connection with an election under this subsection shall be reduced by the same percentage reductions as were in effect at the time of the retirement of the participant or former participant whose annuity is so reduced.

(5) Rights and obligations resulting from reduced annuity election Rights and obligations resulting from the election of a reduced annuity under this subsection shall be the same as the rights and obligations that would have resulted had the participant involved elected such annuity at the time of retirement.

(d) Annuities for surviving children

(1) Participants dying before April 1, 1992 In the case of a retired participant who died before April 1, 1992, and who is survived by a child or children—

(A) if the retired participant was survived by a spouse, there shall be paid from the fund to or on behalf of each such surviving child an annuity determined under paragraph (3)(A); and

(B) if the retired participant was not survived by a spouse, there shall be paid from the fund to or on behalf of each such surviving child an annuity determined under paragraph (3)(B).

(2) Participants dying on or after April 1, 1992 In the case of a retired participant who dies on or after April 1, 1992, and who is survived by a child or children—

(A) if the retired participant is survived by a spouse or former spouse who is the natural or adoptive parent of a surviving child of the participant, there shall be paid from the fund to or on behalf of each such surviving child an annuity determined under paragraph (3)(A); and

(B) if the retired participant is not survived by a spouse or former spouse who is the natural or adoptive parent of a surviving child of the participant, there shall be paid to or on behalf of each such surviving child an annuity determined under paragraph (3)(B).

(3) Amount of annuity

(A) The annual amount of an annuity for the surviving child of a participant covered by paragraph (1)(A) or (2)(A) of this subsection (or covered by paragraph (1)(A) or (2)(A) of section 2052(c) of this title) is the smallest of the following:

(i) 60 percent of the participant’s high-3 average pay, as determined under subsection (a)(4), divided by the number of children.

(ii) $900, as adjusted under section 2131 of this title.

(iii) $2,700, as adjusted under section 2131 of this title, divided by the number of children.

(B) The amount of an annuity for the surviving child of a participant covered by paragraph (1)(B) or (2)(B) of this subsection (or covered by paragraph (1)(B) or (2)(B) of section 2052(c) of this title) is the smallest of the following:

(i) 75 percent of the participant’s high-3 average pay, as determined under subsection (a)(4), divided by the number of children.

(ii) $1,080, as adjusted under section 2131 of this title.

(iii) $3,240, as adjusted under section 2131 of this title, divided by the number of children.

(4) Recomputation of child annuities

(A) In the case of a child annuity payable under paragraph (1), upon the death of a surviving spouse or the termination of the annuity of a child, the annuities of any remaining children shall be recomputed and paid as though the spouse or child had not survived the retired participant.

(B) In the case of a child annuity payable under paragraph (2), upon the death of a surviving spouse or former spouse or termination of the annuity of a child, the annuities of any remaining children shall be recomputed and paid as though the spouse, former spouse, or child had not survived the retired participant. If the annuity of a surviving child who has not been receiving an annuity is initiated or resumed, the annuities of any other children shall be recomputed and paid from that date as though the annuities of all currently eligible children were then being initiated.

(5) “Former spouse” defined For purposes of this subsection, the term “former spouse” includes any former wife or husband of the retired participant, regardless of the length of marriage or the amount of creditable service completed by the participant.

(e) Commencement and termination of child annuities

(1) Commencement An annuity payable to a child under subsection (d), or under section 2052(c) of this title, shall begin on the day after the date on which the participant or retired participant dies or, in the case of an individual over the age of 18 who is not a child within the meaning of section 2002(b) of this title, shall begin or resume on the first day of the month in which the individual later becomes or again becomes a student as described in section 2002(b) of this title. Such annuity may not commence until any lump-sum that has been paid is returned to the fund.

(2) Termination Such an annuity shall terminate on the last day of the month before the month in which the recipient of the annuity dies or no longer qualifies as a child (as defined in section 2002(b) of this title).

(f) Participants not married at time of retirement

(1) Designation of persons with insurable interest

(A) Authority to make designation Subject to the rights of former spouses under subsection (b) of this section and section 2032 of this title, at the time of retirement an unmarried participant found by the Director to be in good health may elect to receive an annuity reduced in accordance with subparagraph (B) and designate in writing an individual having an insurable interest in the participant to receive an annuity under the system after the participant’s death. The amount of such an annuity shall be equal to 55 percent of the participant’s reduced annuity.

(B) Reduction in participant’s annuity The annuity payable to the participant making such election shall be reduced by 10 percent of an annuity computed under subsection (a) and by an additional 5 percent for each full 5 years the designated individual is younger than the participant. The total reduction under this subparagraph may not exceed 40 percent.

(C) Commencement of survivor annuity The annuity payable to the designated individual shall begin on the day after the retired participant dies and terminate on the last day of the month before the designated individual dies.

(D) Recomputation of participant’s annuity on death of designated individual An annuity which is reduced under this paragraph shall, effective the first day of the month following the death of the designated individual, be recomputed and paid as if the annuity had not been so reduced.

(2) Election of survivor annuity upon subsequent marriage A participant who is unmarried at the time of retirement and who later marries may irrevocably elect, in a signed writing received by the Director within two years after the marriage, to receive a reduced annuity as provided in subsection (b). Such election and reduction shall be effective on the first day of the month beginning 9 months after the date of marriage. The election voids prospectively any election previously made under paragraph (1).

(g) Effect of divorce after retirement

(1) Recomputation of retired participant’s annuity upon divorce An annuity which is reduced under this section (or any similar prior provision of law) to provide a survivor annuity for a spouse shall, if the marriage of the retired participant to such spouse is dissolved, be recomputed and paid for each full month during which a retired participant is not married (or is remarried, if there is no election in effect under paragraph (2)) as if the annuity had not been so reduced, subject to any reduction required to provide a survivor annuity under subsection (b) or (c) of section 2032 of this title or under section 2036 of this title.

(2) Election of survivor annuity upon subsequent remarriage