[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 22, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 22CFR19.11-4]

[Page 117]
 
                       TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS
 
                     CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
 
PART 19--BENEFITS FOR SPOUSES AND FORMER SPOUSES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY SYSTEM--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 19.11-4  Procedure in event a spouse or former spouse is missing.

    If a participant or former participant has a spouse or former spouse 
whose whereabouts are unknown, such participant may elect to reduce or 
eliminate the share of a regular survivor annuity provided for that 
person under Sec. 19.11-2 or Sec. 19.11-3 by filing an affidavit with 
PER/ER/RET stating that his/her spouse or former spouse is missing and 
giving full name, last known address, date last heard from, 
circumstances of the disappearance and a description of the effort that 
has been made to locate the individual. Thereafter, the participant 
shall take such additional steps to locate the missing person as may be 
directed by PER/ER/RET. That Office shall also attempt to locate the 
missing person by sending a letter to the individual's last known 
address given in the Department's files, to the address given on the 
affidavit, and, if a Social Security number is known, to the Social 
Security Administration for forwarding. The election and affidavit may 
be filed at any time before commencement of annuity. It must remain on 
file with PER/ER/RET for at least one year before being given 
irrevocable effect by the Department. If the annuity to the former 
participant becomes effective prior to the expiration of this one year 
period, the annuity shall be computed and paid without reference to the 
election filed under this section. Following this one-year period, or at 
the commencement of annuity, if later, if the missing person has not 
been located, the affidavit may be reaffirmed by the participant, after 
which an election by the participant to reduce or eliminate the share of 
regular survivor annuity for the missing person shall be given 
irrevocable effect by the Department. If the annuity to the former 
participant has commenced, it shall be recomputed and paid retroactively 
to give effect to any election made under this section.

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