nership) before becoming 55 years of age or 
dies; or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an annuity computed by 
reference to clause (iii) of such paragraph, no 
later than the last day of the month before the 
former spouse remarries or dies (or the former 
domestic partner enters into a subsequent do-
mestic partnership or dies). 
‘‘(4) For purposes of this subchapter, a modification 
in a decree, order, agreement, or election referred to in 
paragraph (1) shall not be effective— 
‘‘(A) if such modification is made after the re-
tirement or death of the employee or Member con-
cerned, and 
‘‘(B) to the extent that such modification in-
volves an annuity under this subsection. 
‘‘(5) For purposes of this subchapter, a decree, order, 
agreement, or election referred to in paragraph (1) shall 
not be effective, in the case of a former spouse (or former 
domestic partner), to the extent that it is inconsistent with 
any joint designation or waiver previously executed with 
respect to such former spouse (or former domestic part-
ner) under section 8339(j)(1) or a similar prior provision 
of law. 
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‘‘(6) Any payment under this subsection to a person 
bars recovery by any other person. 
‘‘(7) As used in this subsection, ‘court’ means any 
court of any State, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Is-
lands, or the Virgin Islands, and any Indian court.’’; 
(8) by striking subsection (i) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(i)(1) The requirement— 
‘‘(A) in subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) that the 
widow or widower of an employee or Member have 
been— 
‘‘(i) married to such employee or Member 
for at least 9 months, or 
‘‘(ii) married to such employee or Member 
after having been in a domestic partnership 
with such employee or Member for a combined 
total of at least 9 months, 
immediately before the employee’s or Member’s 
death in order to qualify as the widow or widower 
of such employee or Member, or 
‘‘(B) in subsection (a)(3) that the surviving 
partner of an employee or Member have been in a 
domestic partnership with such employee or Member 
immediately before the employee’s or Member’s 
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death in order to qualify as the surviving partner of 
such employee or Member, 
shall be deemed satisfied if the employee or Member dies 
within the applicable 9-month period, and either of the 
conditions described in paragraph (2) is met. 
‘‘(2) The alternative conditions described in this 
paragraph are the following: 
‘‘(A) The death of the employee or Member was 
accidental. 
‘‘(B) The surviving widow or widower (or sur-
viving domestic partner) of such individual was pre-
viously in a marriage (or a domestic partnership) 
with the individual that was subsequently dissolved 
(or terminated), and the aggregate time married (or 
in a domestic partnership) is at least 9 months.’’; 
and 
(9) by redesignating subsection (k) as sub-
section (j) and amending such subsection to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(j)(1) 
Subsections 
(b)(3)(B), 
(d)(ii), 
and 
(h)(3)(B)(i), to the extent that they provide for termi-
nation of a survivor annuity because of a remarriage (or 
entry into a subsequent domestic partnership) before age 
55, shall not apply if the widow, widower or former spouse 
was married to (or if the surviving partner or former do-
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mestic partner was in a domestic partnership with) the 
individual on whose service the survivor annuity is based 
for at least 30 years or a combined total of at least 30 
years. 
‘‘(2) A remarriage (or entry into a subsequent domes-
tic partnership) described in paragraph (1) shall not be 
taken into account for purposes of subparagraph (B) or 
(C) of section 8339(j)(5) or any other provision of this 
chapter which the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management may by regulation identify in order to carry 
out the purposes of this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 206. LUMP-SUM BENEFITS; DESIGNATION OF BENE-
FICIARY; ORDER OF PRECEDENCE. 
Section 8342 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘(or surviving 
partner)’’ after ‘‘widow or widower’’; and 
(2) in subsection (j)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘(or 
the domestic partner, if any, and any former 
domestic partner)’’ after ‘‘the spouse, if any, 
and any former spouse’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(or domestic partner or 
former domestic partner)’’ after ‘‘spouse or 
former spouse’’ each place it appears. 
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SEC. 207. ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ANNUITIES. 
Section 8343a is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ‘‘(or in a 
domestic partnership)’’ after ‘‘married’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘(or 
surviving 
domestic 
partner)’’ 
after 
‘‘surviving 
spouse’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘‘(or in a do-
mestic partnership)’’ after ‘‘married’’. 
SEC. 208. ADMINISTRATION; REGULATIONS. 
Section 8347(n)(1)(D) is amended by striking ‘‘their 
spouses, and their former spouses’’ and inserting ‘‘their 
spouses, domestic partners, former spouses, and former 
domestic partners’’. 
SEC. 209. PARTICIPATION IN THE THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN. 
Section 8351(b)(5) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), by in-
serting ‘‘(or domestic partner)’’ after ‘‘spouse’’ each 
place it appears; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘a married 
employee or Member’’ and inserting ‘‘an employee or 
Member who is married (or in a domestic partner-
ship)’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘(or do-
mestic partner or former domestic partner)’’ after 
‘‘spouse or former spouse’’. 
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TITLE 
III—FEDERAL 
EMPLOY-
EES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM 
SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) FORMER SPOUSE.—Subparagraph (B) of section 
8401(12) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) if the former spouse— 
‘‘(i) was married to such individual 
for at least 9 months; or 
‘‘(ii) was in a domestic partnership 
with the individual immediately before a 
marriage to such individual, and the com-
bined duration of the domestic partnership 
and marriage was at least 9 months;’’. 
(b) FORMER DOMESTIC PARTNER.—Section 8401 is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (36), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (37), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(38) ‘former domestic partner’ means a former 
domestic partner of an individual— 
‘‘(A) if such individual performed at least 
18 months of civilian service creditable under 
section 8411 as an employee or Member; and 
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‘‘(B) if the former domestic partner— 
‘‘(i) was in a domestic partnership 
with such individual for at least 9 months; 
or 
‘‘(ii) was married to such individual 
immediately after being in a domestic part-
nership with such individual, and the com-
bined duration of the marriage and domes-
tic partnership was at least 9 months.’’. 
SEC. 302. CREDITABLE SERVICE. 
Section 8411 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(4)(C)(ii), by inserting ‘‘(or 
former domestic partner)’’ after ‘‘former spouse’’; 
(2) in subsection (l)(4)(B)(i), by inserting ‘‘(or 
domestic partner)’’ after ‘‘spouse’’; and 
(3) in subsection (l)(5), by inserting ‘‘(or do-
mestic partner)’’ after ‘‘spouse’’ each place it ap-
pears. 
SEC. 303. SURVIVOR REDUCTION FOR A CURRENT SPOUSE 
OR A CURRENT DOMESTIC PARTNER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8416 is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘or a cur-
rent domestic partner’’ after ‘‘spouse’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
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mestic partner) of such employee or Member 
who was entitled to a survivor annuity under 
section 8445, or 
‘‘(ii) if there was more than 1, the death 
or remarriage of the last such surviving former 
spouse (or the death of or entry into a subse-
quent domestic partnership by the last such 
surviving former domestic partner), 
a reduction in the employee’s or Member’s annuity under 
section 8419(a) for the purpose of providing an annuity 
for such employee’s or Member’s spouse (or domestic part-
ner) in the event such spouse (or domestic partner) sur-
vives the employee or Member. 
‘‘(2) The election and reduction shall be effective the 
first day of the second month after the election is received 
by the Office, but not less than 9 months after the date 
of the remarriage (or entry into the subsequent domestic 
partnership). 
‘‘(3) An election to provide a survivor annuity to an 
individual under this subsection— 
‘‘(A) shall prospectively void any election made 
by the employee or Member under section 8420 with 
respect to such individual; or 
‘‘(B) shall, if an election was made by the em-
ployee or Member under section 8420 with respect 
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