[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR831.603]

[Page 106-107]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
          CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)
 
PART 831_RETIREMENT--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart F_Survivor Annuities
 
Sec. 831.603  Definitions.

    As used in this subpart--
    CSRS means subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States 
Code.
    Current spouse means a living person who is married to the employee, 
Member, or retiree at the time of the employee's, Member's, or retiree's 
death.
    Current spouse annuity means a recurring benefit under CSRS that is 
payable (after the employee's, Member's, or retiree's death) to a 
current spouse who meets the requirements of Sec. 831.642.
    Deposit means a deposit required by the Civil Service Retirement 
Spouse Equity Act of 1984, Pub. L. 98-615, 98 Stat. 3195. Deposit, as 
used in this subpart does not include a service credit deposit or 
redeposit under sections 8334(c) or (d) of title 5, United States Code.
    First regular monthly payment means the first annuity check payable 
on a recurring basis (other than an estimated payment or an adjustment 
check) after OPM has initially adjudicated the regular rate of annuity 
payable under CSRS and has paid the annuity accrued since the time of 
retirement. The ``first regular monthly payment'' is generally preceded 
by estimated payments before the claim can be adjudicated and by an 
adjustment check (including the difference between the estimated rate 
and the initially adjudicated rate).
    Former spouse means a living person who was married for at least 9 
months to an employee, Member, or retiree who performed at least 18 
months of creditable service in a position covered by CSRS and whose 
marriage to the employee was terminated prior to the death of the 
employee, Member, or retiree. Except in Sec. Sec. 831.682 and 831.683, 
former spouse includes only persons who were married to an employee or 
Member on or after May 7, 1985, or who were the spouse of a retiree who 
retired on or after May 7, 1985, regardless of the date of termination 
of the marriage.
    Former spouse annuity means a recurring benefit under CSRS that is 
payable to a former spouse after the employee's, Member's, or retiree's 
death.
    Fully reduced annuity means the recurring payments under CSRS 
received by a retiree who has elected the maximum allowable reduction in 
annuity to provide a current spouse annuity and/or a former spouse 
annuity or annuities.
    Insurable interest annuity means the recurring payments under CSRS 
to a retiree who has elected a reduction in annuity to provide a 
survivor annuity to a person with an insurable interest in the retiree.
    Marriage means a marriage recognized in law or equity under the 
whole law of the jurisdiction with the most significant interest in the 
marital status of the employee, Member, or retiree unless the law of 
that jurisdiction is contrary to the public policy of the United States. 
If a jurisdiction would recognize more than one marriage in law or 
equity, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will recognize only one 
marriage, but will defer to the local courts to determine which marriage 
should be recognized.
    Member means a Member of Congress.
    Net annuity means the net annuity as defined in Sec. 838.103 of 
this chapter.
    Partially reduced annuity means the recurring payments under CSRS to 
a retiree who has elected less than the maximum allowable reduction in 
annuity to provide a current spouse annuity or a former spouse annuity.
    Present value factor means the amount of money (earning interest at 
an assumed rate) required at the time of retirement to fund an annuity 
that starts out at the rate of $1 a month and is payable in monthly 
installments for the annuitant's lifetime based on mortality rates for 
non-disability annuitants under the Civil Service Retirement System; and 
increases each year at an assumed rate of inflation. Interest, 
mortality, and inflation rates used in computing the present value are 
those used by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement 
System for valuation of the System, based on dynamic assumptions. The 
present value factors are unisex factors obtained by averaging six 
distinct present value factors, weighted by the

[[Page 107]]

total dollar value of annuities typically paid to new retirees at each 
age.
    Qualifying court order means a court order that awards a former 
spouse annuity and that satisfies the requirements of section 8341(h) of 
title 5, United States Code, for awarding a former spouse annuity.
    Retiree means a former employee or Member who is receiving recurring 
payments under CSRS based on service by the employee or Member. 
``Retiree,'' as used in this subpart, does not include a current spouse, 
former spouse, child, or person with an insurable interest receiving a 
survivor annuity.
    Self-only annuity means the recurring unreduced payments under CSRS 
to a retiree with no survivor annuity to anyone.
    Time of retirement means the effective commencing date for a retired 
employee's or Member's annuity.

[50 FR 20070, May 13, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 31931, Sept. 8, 1986; 57 
FR 33597-33598, July 29, 1992; 58 FR 52880, Oct. 13, 1993]

                   Elections at the Time of Retirement