republic-os/legal/us/code/title-22/chapter-52/section-4069b-1.md

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LegalText	22 U.S.C. § 4069b–1	Survivor benefits for certain former spouses	us	united_states_code	code_section	22	FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE	52	FOREIGN SERVICE	4069b–1	22 U.S.C. § 4069b–1	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc22@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t22/s4069b–1	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-22/usc22.xml	7f3d1fe9f5693c17891b82fe3774a16f0186ac3470e4cccc14c83abf77c0dcf3	b9c63ede722f5e0bf8eabfe9029e06e312ab9bcfd95c4d1424ed515baff1df83	bf935984220ec92198933a6b426250aa33a1e0ad06beb1029fbe4a98f4521dbf	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

22 U.S.C. § 4069b–1 - Survivor benefits for certain former spouses

Text

(a) Eligibility; amount of annuity Any individual who was a former spouse of a participant or former participant on February 14, 1981, shall be entitled, to the extent of available appropriations, and except to the extent such former spouse is disqualified under subsection (b), to a survivor annuity equal to 55 percent of the greater of—

(1) the full amount of the participant’s or former participant’s annuity, as computed under this subchapter; or

(2) the full amount of what such annuity as so computed would be if the participant or former participant had not withdrawn a lump-sum portion of contributions made with respect to such annuity.

(b) Election by former spouse If an election has been made with respect to such former spouse under section 4159 or 4046(f) of this title, then the survivor annuity under subsection (a) of such former spouse shall be equal to the full amount of the participant’s or former participant’s annuity referred to in subsection (a) less the amount of such election.

(c) Disqualification A former spouse shall not be entitled to a survivor annuity under this section if—

(1) the former spouse remarries before age 55; or

(2) the former spouse was not married to the participant at least 10 years during service of the participant which is creditable under this subchapter with at least 5 years occurring while the participant was a member of the Foreign Service.

(d) Period of entitlement; application approval and payment (1) The entitlement of a former spouse to a survivor annuity under this section—

(A) shall commence—

(i) in the case of a former spouse of a participant or former participant who is deceased as of the effective date of this section, beginning on such date; and

(ii) in the case of any other former spouse, beginning on the later of—

(I) the date that the participant or former participant to whom the former spouse was married dies; or

(II) the effective date of this section; and

(B) shall terminate on the last day of the month before the former spouse’s death or remarriage before attaining the age 55.

(2) (A) A survivor annuity under this section shall not be payable unless appropriate written application is provided to the Secretary, complete with any supporting documentation which the Secretary may by regulation require, within 30 months after the effective date of this section. The Secretary may waive the 30-month application requirement under this subparagraph in any case in which the Secretary determines that the circumstances so warrant.

(B) Upon approval of an application provided under subparagraph (A), the appropriate survivor annuity shall be payable to the former spouse with respect to all periods before such approval during which the former spouse was entitled to such annuity under this section, but in no event shall a survivor annuity be payable under this section with respect to any period before the effective date of this section.

(e) Promulgation of regulations; notification of rights The Secretary shall—

(1) as soon as possible, but not later than 60 days after the effective date of this section, issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section; and

(2) to the extent practicable, and as soon as possible, inform each individual who was a former spouse of a participant or former participant on February 14, 1981, of any rights which such individual may have under this section.

(f) Effect of section on annuity Nothing in this section shall be construed to impair, reduce, or otherwise affect the annuity or the entitlement to an annuity of a participant or former participant under this subchapter.

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 832, as added Pub. L. 100–238, title II, § 204(a), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1771.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextFor the effective date of this section, referred to in subsecs. (d)(1)(A)(i), (ii)(II), (2) and (e)(1), see Effective Date note set out below.

Codification Another section 832 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 was enacted by Pub. L. 100–204 and is classified to section 4069c of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective 90 days after Jan. 8, 1988, see section 261(a) of Pub. L. 100–238, set out as an Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note under section 4054 of this title.