5 C.F.R. Subpart A—Court Orders Generally
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
(a)(1) This part regulates the Office of Personnel Management's handling of court orders affecting the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), both of which are administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Generally, OPM must comply with court orders, decrees, or court-approved property settlement agreements in connection with divorces, annulments of marriage, or legal separations of employees, Members, or retirees that award a portion of the former employee's or Member's retirement benefits or a survivor annuity to a former spouse. (2) In executing court orders under this part, OPM must honor the clear instructions of the court. Instructions must be specific and unambiguous. OPM will not supply missing provisions, interpret ambiguous language, or clarify the court's intent by researching individual State laws. In carrying out the court's instructions, OPM performs purely ministerial actions in accordance with these regulations. Disagreement between the parties concerning the validity or the provisions of any court order must be resolved by the court. (b) This part prescribes— (1) The requirements that a court order must meet to be acceptable for processing under this part; (2) The procedures that a former spouse or child abuse creditor must follow when applying for benefits based on a court order under sections 8341(h), 8345(j), 8445 or 8467 of title 5, United States Code; (3) The procedures that OPM will follow in honoring court orders and in making payments to the former spouse or child abuse creditor; and (4) The effect of certain words and phrases commonly used in court orders affecting retirement benefits. (c)(1) Subparts A through I of this part apply only to court orders received by OPM on or after January 1, 1993. (2) Subpart J of this part applies only to court orders received by OPM before January 1, 1993. (3) Subpart K of this part applies only to court orders received by OPM on or after October 14, 1994. (d) This part has no application to the Thrift Savings Plan described in subchapter III of chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code. [57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66637, 66638, Dec. 28, 1994] (a) This part is organized as follows: (1) Subpart A contains information and rules of general application to all court orders directed at CSRS or FERS retirement benefits. (2) Subparts B and C of this part contain information about court orders directed at ongoing employee annuity payments. (3) Subparts D and E of this part contain information about court orders directed at refunds of employee contributions. (4) Subpart F of this part contains information about the effect of words and phrases commonly used in court orders affecting ongoing employee annuity payments and refunds of employee contributions. (5) Subparts G, H, and I of this part contain information about court orders awarding former spouse survivor annuities. (6) Subpart J of this part contains the rules applicable to court orders filed under procedures in effect prior to the implementation of this part. These rules continue to apply to court orders received by OPM before January 1, 1993. (7) Subpart K of this part contains rules applicable to court orders for the enforcement of judgments rendered against employees or annuitants for physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of a child. (b) Part 890 of this chapter contains information about coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. (c) Part 581 of this chapter contains information about garnishment of Government payments including salary and CSRS and FERS retirement benefits. (d) Parts 294 and 297 of this chapter and §§831.106 and 841.108 contain information about disclosure of information from OPM records. (e) Subpart V of part 831 of this chapter and subpart G of part 842 of this chapter contain information about how court orders affect eligibility to make an alternative form of annuity election. (f) Part 1600 of this title contains information about court orders affecting the Federal Employees Thrift Savings Plan. (g) Subpart F of part 831 of this chapter, subpart F of part 841 of this chapter, and part 843 of this chapter contain information about entitlement to survivor annuities. (h) Subpart T of part 831 of this chapter and subpart B of part 843 of this chapter contain information about refunds of employee contributions and lump-sum death benefits. (i) Parts 870, 871, 872, and 873 of this chapter contain information about the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. [57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66637, Dec. 28, 1994] In this part (except subpart J)— Child abuse creditor means an individual who applies for benefits under CSRS or FERS based on a child abuse judgment enforcement order. Child abuse judgment enforcement order means a court or administrative order requiring OPM to pay a portion of an employee annuity or a refund of employee contributions to a child abuse creditor as a means of collection of a “judgment rendered for physically, sexually, or emotionally abusing a child” as defined in sections 8345(j)(3)(B) and 8467(c)(2) of title 5, United States Code. Civil Service Retirement System or CSRS means the retirement system for Federal employees described in subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code. Court order means any judgment or property settlement issued by or approved by any court of any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, The Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands, or any Indian court in connection with, or incident to, the divorce, annulment of marriage, or legal separation of a Federal employee or retiree. Court order acceptable for processing means a court order as defined in this section that meets the requirements of subpart C of this part to affect an employee annuity, subpart E of this part to affect a refund of employee contributions, or subpart H of this part to award a former spouse survivor annuity. Employee means an employee or Member covered by CSRS or FERS. Employee annuity means the recurring payments under CSRS or FERS made to a retiree. Employee annuity does not include payments of accrued and unpaid annuity after the death of a retiree under section 8342(g) or section 8424(h) of title 5, United States Code. ERISA means the Employees Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. Federal Employees Retirement System or FERS means the retirement system for Federal employees described in chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code. Former spouse means (1) in connection with a court order affecting an employee annuity or a refund of employee contributions, a living person whose marriage to an employee has been subject to a divorce, annulment of marriage, or legal separation resulting in a court order, or (2) in connection with a court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity, a living person who was married for at least 9 months to an employee or retiree who performed at least 18 months of civilian service covered by CSRS or who performed at least 18 months of civilian service creditable under FERS, and whose marriage to the employee of retiree was terminated prior to the death of the employee or retiree. Former spouse survivor annuity means a recurring benefit under CSRS or FERS, or the basic employee death benefit under FERS as described in part 843 of this chapter, that is payable to a former spouse after the employee's or retiree's death. Gross annuity means the amount of monthly annuity payable after reducing the self-only annuity to provide survivor annuity benefits, if any, but before any other deduction. Unless the court order expressly provides otherwise, gross annuity also includes any lump-sum payments made to the retiree under section 8343a or section 8420a of title 5, United States Code. Member means a Member of Congress covered by CSRS or FERS. Net annuity means the amount of monthly annuity payable after deducting from the gross annuity any amounts that are— (1) Owed by the retiree to the United States; (2) Deducted for health benefits premiums under section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, and §§891.401 and 891.402 of this chapter; (3) Deducted for life insurance premiums under section 8714a(d) of title 5, United States Code; (4) Deducted for Medicare premiums; (5) Properly withheld for Federal income tax purposes, if the amounts withheld are not greater than they would be if the retiree claimed all dependents to which he or she was entitled; (6) Properly withheld for State income tax purposes, if the amounts withheld are not greater than they would be if the retiree claimed all dependents to which he or she was entitled; or (7) Already payable to another person based on a court order acceptable for processing or a child abuse judgment enforcement order. Unless the court order expressly provides otherwise, net annuity also includes any lump-sum payments made to the retiree under section 8343a or section 8420a of title 5, United States Code. Reduction to provide survivor benefits means the reduction required by section 8339(j)(4) or section 8419(a) of title 5, United States Code. Refund of employee contributions means a payment of the lump-sum credit to a separated employee under section 8342(a) or section 8424(a) of title 5, United States Code. Refund of employee contributions does not include lump-sum payments made under section 8342(c) through (f) or section 8424(d) through (g) of title 5, United States Code. Retiree means a former employee or Member who is receiving recurring payments under CSRS or FERS based on his or her service as an employee. Retiree does not include a person receiving an annuity only as a current spouse, former spouse, child, or person with an insurable interest. Self-only annuity means the recurring payments to a retiree who has elected not to provide a survivor annuity to anyone. Unless the court order expressly provides otherwise, self-only annuity also includes any lump-sum payments made to the retiree under section 8343a or section 8420a of title 5, United States Code. Self-only annuity means the recurring unreduced payments under CSRS or FERS to a retiree with no survivor annuity payable to anyone. Separated employee means a former employee or Member who has separated from a position in the Federal Government covered by CSRS and FERS under subpart B of part 831 of this chapter or subpart A of part 842 of this chapter, respectively, and is not currently employed in such a position, and who is not a retiree. [57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 3202, Jan. 8, 1993; 59 FR 66637, Dec. 28, 1994]
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 838—COURT ORDERS AFFECTING RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Subpart A—Court Orders Generally
Organization and Structure of Regulations on Court Orders
§ 838.101 Purpose and scope.
§ 838.102 Regulatory structure.
§ 838.103 Definitions.
Statutory Limit on Court's Authority
§ 838.111 Exemption from legal process except as authorized by Federal law.
(a) Employees, retirees, and State courts may not assign CSRS and FERS benefits except as provided in this part.
(b) CSRS and FERS benefits are not subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment or other legal process except as expressly provided by Federal law.
Division of Responsibilities
§ 838.121 OPM's responsibilities.
OPM is responsible for authorizing payments in accordance with clear, specific and express provisions of court orders acceptable for processing.
§ 838.122 State courts' responsibilities.
State courts are responsible for—
(a) Providing due process to the employee or retiree;
(b) Issuing clear, specific, and express instructions consistent with the statutory provisions authorizing OPM to provide benefits to former spouses or child abuse creditors and the requirements of this part for awarding such benefits;
(c) Using the terminology defined in this part only when it intends to use the meaning given to that terminology by this part;
(d) Determining when court orders are invalid; and
(e) Settling all disputes between the employee or retiree and the former spouse or child abuse creditor.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66638, Dec. 28, 1994]
§ 838.123 Claimants' responsibilities.
Claimants are responsible for—
(a) Filing a certified copy of court orders and all other required supporting information with OPM;
(b) Keeping OPM advised of their current mailing addresses;
(c) Notifying OPM of any changes in circumstances that could affect their entitlement to benefits; and
(d) Submitting all disputes with employees or retirees to the appropriate State court for resolution.
§ 838.124 Employees' and retirees' responsibilities.
Employees and retirees are responsible for—
(a) Raising any objections to the validity of a court order in the appropriate State court; and
(b) Submitting all disputes with former spouses to the appropriate State court for resolution.
Procedures Applicable to all Court Orders
§ 838.131 Computation of time.
(a) The rules applicable for computation of time under §§831.107 and 841.109 of this chapter apply to this part.
(b)(1) Appendix A of this subpart lists the proper addresses for submitting court orders affecting CSRS and FERS benefits.
(2) A former spouse or child abuse creditor should submit the documentation required by this part to the address provided in appendix A of this subpart. The component of OPM responsible for processing court orders will note the date of receipt on court orders that it receives.
(3) If a court order is delivered to OPM at an address other than the address in appendix A of this subpart, the recipient will forward the court order to the component of OPM responsible for processing court orders. However, OPM is not considered to have received the court order until the court order is received in the component of OPM responsible for processing orders.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66638, Dec. 28, 1994]
§ 838.132 Payment schedules.
(a) Under CSRS and FERS, employee annuities and survivor annuities are payable on the first business day of the month following the month in which the benefit accrues.
(b) In honoring and complying with a court order, OPM will not disrupt the payment schedule described in paragraph (a) of this section, despite any provision in the court order directing a different schedule of accrual or payment of amounts due the former spouse or child abuse creditor.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66638, Dec. 28, 1994]
§ 838.133 Minimum awards.
Payments under this part will not be less than one dollar per month. Any court order that awards a former spouse a portion of an employee annuity or a former spouse survivor annuity in an amount of less than one dollar per month will be treated as an award of an annuity equal to one dollar per month.
§ 838.134 Receipt of multiple court orders.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, for court orders affecting employee annuities or awarding former spouse survivor annuities, in the event that OPM receives two or more court orders acceptable for processing—
(1) When the court orders relate to two or more individuals (former spouses or child abuse creditors), the court orders will be honored in the order in which they were received by OPM to the maximum extent possible under §838.211 or §838.711.
(2) When two or more court orders relate to the same former spouse, separated spouse, or child abuse creditor the one issued last will be honored.
(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, for court orders affecting refunds of employee contributions, in the event that OPM receives two or more court orders acceptable for processing—
(i) When the court orders affect two or more former spouses—
(A) The refund will not be paid if either court order prohibits payment of the refund of contributions; otherwise,
(B) The court orders will be honored in the order in which they were issued until the contributions have been exhausted.
(ii) When two or more court orders relate to the same former spouse, the one issued last will be honored first.
(2) In no event will the amount paid out exceed the amount of the refund of employee contributions.
(c) With respect to issues relating to the validity of a court order or to the amount of payment—
(1) If the employee, separated employee, retiree, or other person adversely affected by the court order and former spouse submit conflicting court orders from the same jurisdiction, OPM will consider only the latest court order; or
(2) If the employee, separated employee, retiree, or other person adversely affected by the court order and former spouse submit conflicting court orders from different jurisdictions—
(i) If one of the court orders is from the jurisdiction shown as the employee's, separated employee's, or retiree's address in OPM's records, OPM will consider only the court order issued by that jurisdiction; or
(ii) If none of the court orders is from the jurisdiction shown as the employee's, separated employee's, or retiree's address in OPM's records, OPM will consider only the latest court order.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 66638, Dec. 28, 1994]
§ 838.135 Settlements.
(a) OPM must comply with the terms of a properly filed court order acceptable for processing even if the retiree and the former spouse agree that they want OPM to pay an amount different from the amount specified in the court order. Information about OPM's processing of amended court orders is contained in §§838.225 and 838.806.
(b)(1) OPM will not honor a request from the former spouse that an amount less than the amount provided in the court order be withheld from an employee annuity or a refund of employee contributions.
(2) OPM will not honor a request from the retiree that an amount greater than the amount provided in the court order be withheld from an employee annuity or a refund of employee contributions.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 3202, Jan. 8, 1993]
§ 838.136 Administrative appeal rights.
(a) Issues concerning application of these regulations are not appealable to the Merit Systems Protection Board. OPM's actions to apply these regulations are not subject to further administrative review.
(b)(1) Issues concerning the validity of these regulations are appealable to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Such an appeal must be filed in accordance with the procedures established by the Board and may not be filed before OPM has issued its final decision, including a notice of the right to appeal, on the validity of the regulation. Such an appeal is limited to the issue of the validity of the regulation.
(2) Any claim that a provision of these regulations is invalid, must be presented to the Merit Systems Protection Board before the validity of the regulation may be reviewed in the Federal courts.
Address for Filing Court Orders With OPM
Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 838—Addresses for Serving Court Orders Affecting CSRS or FERS Benefits
(a) The mailing address for delivery of court orders affecting CSRS or FERS benefits by the United States Postal Service is—
Office of Personnel Management, Retirement and Insurance Group, P.O. Box 17, Washington, DC 20044–0017
(b) The address for delivery of court orders affecting CSRS or FERS benefits by process servers, express carriers, or other forms of handcarried delivery is—
Court-ordered Benefits Section, Allotments Branch, Retirement and Insurance Group, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 3202, Jan. 8, 1993]
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