[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR843.205]

[Page 334-335]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
          CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)
 
PART 843_FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM_DEATH BENEFITS AND EMPLOYEE 
 
                       Subpart B_One-time Payments
 
Sec.  843.205  Designation of beneficiary--form and execution.

    (a) A designation of beneficiary must be in writing, signed and 
witnessed, and received in the employing office (or in OPM, in the case 
of a retiree, or a compensationer, or a separated employee) before the 
death of the designator.

[[Page 335]]

    (b) A change or cancellation of beneficiary in a last will or 
testament, or in any other document not witnessed and filed as required 
by this section, will not have any force or effect.
    (c) A witness to a designation of beneficiary is ineligible to 
receive payment as a beneficiary.
    (d) Any person, firm, corporation, or legal entity may be named as 
beneficiary.
    (e) A change of beneficiary may be made at any time and without the 
knowledge or consent of the previous beneficiary. This right cannot be 
waived or restricted.
    (f) A designation of beneficiary is automatically cancelled whenever 
a separated employee is paid the unexpended balance.
    (g)(1) If the shares designated equal less than 100 percent, the 
undesignated portion will be paid according to the order of precedence 
provided in section 8424 of title 5, United States Code.
    (2) If the shares designated exceed 100 percent, each designee's 
share will be in proportion to the share originally designated. Each 
share is computed by multiplying the percentage designated for that 
designee by a fraction whose numerator is 100 and whose denominator is 
the total number of percent designated.