§ 11-49-126. Pensions and allowances exempt from claims - Assignments or transfers void - Exceptions.

A.  Except as otherwise provided by this section, no portion of said pension shall, either before or after its order of distribution by the State Board to such disabled members of said fire department, or the surviving spouse, alternate payee as defined in subsection B of this section, or guardian of such minor child or children, to the deceased or retired member of such department, be held, seized, taken, subjected to or detained or levied on by virtue of any attachment, execution, injunction, writ interlocutory or other order or decree, or any process or proceeding whatever, issued out of or by any court of this state for the payment or satisfaction, in whole or in part, of any debt, damages, claim, demand or judgment against such member, or his or her surviving spouse, alternate payee, or the guardian of said minor child or children of any deceased member, nor shall said fund or any claim thereto be directly or indirectly assigned and any attempt to assign or transfer the same shall be void; but the funds shall be held, kept, secured and distributed for the purpose of pensioning the persons named in this article, and for no other purpose whatever.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, effective August 5, 1997, the State Board may approve any offset of a member’s benefit to pay a judgment or settlement against a member for a crime involving the System, for a breach of the member’s fiduciary duty to the System, or for funds or monies incorrectly paid to a member or beneficiary by mistake, provided such offset is in accordance with the requirements of Section 401(a)(13) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

B.  1.  The provisions of subsection A of this section shall not apply to a qualified domestic order as provided pursuant to this subsection.

2.  The term “qualified domestic order” means an order issued by a district court of this state pursuant to the domestic relation laws of this state which relates to the provision of marital property rights to an alternate payee and which creates or recognizes the existence of the right of an alternate payee and assigns to an alternate payee the right to receive a portion of the benefits payable with respect to a member of the System.

3.  The term “alternate payee” means any spouse, former spouse, minor or disabled child or children, or other dependent of the member who is recognized by a domestic relations order as having a right to receive benefits payable with respect to a member of the System.

4.  For purposes of the payment of marital property, to qualify as an alternate payee, a spouse or former spouse must have been married to the related member for a period of not less than thirty (30) continuous months immediately preceding the commencement of the proceedings from which the qualified domestic order issues.

5.  A qualified domestic order is valid and binding on the State Board and the related member only if it meets the requirements of this subsection.

6.  A qualified domestic order shall clearly specify:

a.the name and last-known mailing address (if any) of the member and the name and mailing address of the alternate payee covered by the order,

b.the amount or percentage of the member’s benefits to be paid by the System to the alternate payee,

c.the number of payments or period to which such order applies,

d.the characterization of the benefit as to marital property rights or child support, and

e.each plan to which such order applies.

7.  A qualified domestic order meets the requirements of this subsection only if such order:

a.does not require the System to provide any type or form of benefit, or any option not otherwise provided under state law as relates to the System,

b.does not require the System to provide increased benefits, and

c.does not require the payment of benefits to an alternate payee which are required to be paid to another alternate payee pursuant to another order previously determined to be a qualified domestic order or an order recognized by the System as a valid order prior to June 7, 1993.

8.  A qualified domestic order shall not require payment of benefits to an alternate payee prior to the actual retirement date of the related member.

9.  The alternate payee shall have a right to receive benefits payable to a member of the System under the Oklahoma Firefighters Deferred Option plan provided for pursuant to Section 49-106.1 of this title, but only to the extent such benefits have been credited or paid into the member’s Oklahoma Firefighters Deferred Option Plan account during the term of the marriage.

10.  The obligation of the System to pay an alternate payee pursuant to a qualified domestic order shall cease upon the earlier of the death of the related member or the death of the alternate payee.  Upon the death of the alternate payee, the assignment to the alternate payee of the right to receive a portion of the benefits payable with respect to the member shall cease and the payments of benefits to the member shall be reinstated.

11.  This subsection shall not be subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C.A. Section 1001, et seq., as amended from time to time, or rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and court cases interpreting said act.

12.  The Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement Board shall promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.

13.  An alternate payee who has acquired beneficiary rights pursuant to a valid qualified domestic order must fully comply with all provisions of the rules promulgated by the State Board pursuant to this subsection in order to continue receiving his or her benefit.

C.  The provisions of subsection A of this section shall not apply to a Child Support Enforcement Division order for a support arrearage pursuant to Section 240.23 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes and current child support payments made pursuant to a valid court order.

D.  The provisions of subsection A of this section shall not apply to a federal tax levy made pursuant to Section 6331 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the collection by the United States on a judgment resulting from an unpaid tax assessment.

E.  The provisions of subsection A of this section shall not apply in the case of an overpayment to a member or other payee.  Such overpayment may be corrected through a return of the overpayment, or an adjustment of future payments, or a combination of these two methods, as approved by the State Board.  The term “other payee” shall include, but not be limited to, alternate payees as defined in subsection B of this section, beneficiaries, designated recipients, and other individuals eligible to receive benefits pursuant to Section 49-113 of this title.

Added by Laws 1977, c. 256, § 49-126, eff. July 1, 1978.  Amended by Laws 1980, c. 352, § 40, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Laws 1993, c. 322, § 3, emerg. eff. June 7, 1993; Laws 1998, c. 198, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 193, § 5, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 327, § 13, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2003, c. 334, § 4, emerg. eff. May 29, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 546, § 7, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2007, c. 356, § 5, emerg. eff. June 4, 2007; Laws 2010, c. 438, § 8, emerg. eff. June 9, 2010.