Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter7/article8.1/
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 15:38:21+00:00

Document:
Article 8.1. Uniform Trust Decanting Act.
A. Except as otherwise provided in subsections B and C, this article applies to an express trust that is irrevocable or revocable by the settlor only with the consent of the trustee or a person holding an adverse interest.
B. This article does not apply to a trust held solely for charitable purposes.
C. Subject to § 64.2-779.12, a trust instrument may restrict or prohibit exercise of the decanting power.
D. This article does not limit the power of a trustee, powerholder, or other person to distribute or appoint property in further trust or to modify a trust under the trust instrument, a law of the Commonwealth other than this article, common law, a court order, or a nonjudicial settlement agreement.
E. This article does not affect the ability of a settlor to provide in a trust instrument for the distribution of the trust property or appointment in further trust of the trust property or for modification of the trust instrument.
A. In exercising the decanting power, an authorized fiduciary shall act in accordance with its fiduciary duties, including the duty to act in accordance with the purposes of the first trust.
B. This article does not create or imply a duty to exercise the decanting power or to inform beneficiaries about the applicability of this article.
C. Except as otherwise provided in a first-trust instrument, for purposes of this article and § 64.2-763 and subsection A of § 64.2-764, the terms of the first trust are deemed to include the decanting power.
§ 64.2-779.3. Application; governing law.
c. Determining the meaning or effect of terms of the trust.
A trustee or other person that reasonably relies on the validity of a distribution of part or all of the property of a trust to another trust, or a modification of a trust, under this article, a law of the Commonwealth other than this article, or the law of another jurisdiction is not liable to any person for any action or failure to act as a result of the reliance.
§ 64.2-779.5. Notice; exercise of decanting power.
A. In this section, a notice period begins on the day notice is given under subsection C and ends 59 days after the day notice is given.
B. Except as otherwise provided in this article, an authorized fiduciary may exercise the decanting power without the consent of any person and without court approval.
C. Except as otherwise provided in subsection F, an authorized fiduciary shall give notice in a record of the intended exercise of the decanting power not later than 60 days before the exercise to (i) each settlor of the first trust, if living or then in existence; (ii) each qualified beneficiary of the first trust; (iii) each holder of a presently exercisable power of appointment over any part or all of the first trust; (iv) each person that currently has the right to remove or replace the authorized fiduciary; (v) each other fiduciary of the first trust; (vi) each fiduciary of the second trust; (vii) each person acting as an advisor or protector of the first trust; (viii) each person holding an adverse interest who has the power to consent to the revocation of the first trust; and (ix) the Attorney General, if subsection B of § 64.2-779.11 applies.
D. An authorized fiduciary is not required to give notice under subsection C to a person that is not known to the fiduciary or is known to the fiduciary but cannot be located by the fiduciary after reasonable diligence.
E. A notice under subsection C shall (i) specify the manner in which the authorized fiduciary intends to exercise the decanting power, (ii) specify the proposed effective date for exercise of the power, (iii) include a copy of the first-trust instrument, and (iv) include a copy of all second-trust instruments.
F. The decanting power may be exercised before expiration of the notice period under subsection A if all persons entitled to receive notice waive the period in a signed record.
G. The receipt of notice, waiver of the notice period, or expiration of the notice period does not affect the right of a person to file an application under § 64.2-779.6 asserting that (i) an attempted exercise of the decanting power is ineffective because it did not comply with this article or was an abuse of discretion or breach of fiduciary duty or (ii) § 64.2-779.19 applies to the exercise of the decanting power.
H. An exercise of the decanting power is not ineffective because of the failure to give notice to one or more persons under subsection C if the authorized fiduciary acted with reasonable care to comply with subsection C.
I. The decanting power under this article may be exercised by a majority of the authorized fiduciaries. If no trustee is an authorized fiduciary or upon request of any of the trustees, the court may appoint a special fiduciary pursuant to § 64.2-779.6 with authority to exercise the decanting power under this article.
2017, c. 592; 2018, c. 476.
A. On application of an authorized fiduciary, a person entitled to notice under subsection C of § 64.2-779.5, a beneficiary, or with respect to a charitable interest the Attorney General or other person that has standing to enforce the charitable interest, the court may (i) provide instructions to the authorized fiduciary regarding whether a proposed exercise of the decanting power is permitted under this article and consistent with the fiduciary duties of the authorized fiduciary; (ii) appoint a special fiduciary and authorize the special fiduciary to determine whether the decanting power should be exercised under this article and to exercise the decanting power; (iii) approve an exercise of the decanting power; (iv) determine that a proposed or attempted exercise of the decanting power is ineffective because (a) after applying § 64.2-779.19, the proposed or attempted exercise does not or did not comply with this article or (b) the proposed or attempted exercise would be or was an abuse of the fiduciary's discretion or a breach of fiduciary duty; (v) determine the extent to which § 64.2-779.19 applies to a prior exercise of the decanting power; (vi) provide instructions to the trustee regarding the application of § 64.2-779.19 to a prior exercise of the decanting power; or (vii) order other relief to carry out the purposes of this article.
B. On application of an authorized fiduciary, the court may approve (i) an increase in the fiduciary's compensation under § 64.2-779.13 or (ii) a modification under § 64.2-779.15 of a provision granting a person the right to remove or replace the fiduciary.
An exercise of the decanting power shall be made in a record signed by an authorized fiduciary. The signed record shall, directly or by reference to the notice required by § 64.2-779.5, identify the first trust and the second trust or trusts and state the property of the first trust being distributed to or held subject to the terms of each second trust and the property, if any, that remains in the first trust.
§ 64.2-779.8. Decanting power under expanded distributive discretion.
"Noncontingent right" means a right that is not subject to the exercise of discretion or the occurrence of a specified event that is not certain to occur. "Noncontingent right" does not include a right held by a beneficiary if any person has discretion to distribute property subject to the right to any person other than the beneficiary or the beneficiary's estate.
"Presumptive remainder beneficiary" means a qualified beneficiary other than a current beneficiary.
"Successor beneficiary" means a beneficiary that is not a qualified beneficiary on the date the beneficiary's qualification is determined. "Successor beneficiary" does not include a person that is a beneficiary only because the person holds a nongeneral power of appointment.
5. A right to receive an ascertainable part of the trust property on the trust's termination that is not subject to the exercise of discretion or to the occurrence of a specified event that is not certain to occur.
B. Subject to subsection C and § 64.2-779.11, an authorized fiduciary that has expanded distributive discretion over the income or principal of a first trust for the benefit of one or more current beneficiaries may exercise the decanting power over the income or principal of the first trust.
3. Reduce or eliminate a vested interest.
4. Create or modify a power of appointment if the powerholder is a presumptive remainder beneficiary or successor beneficiary of the first trust, but the exercise of the power may take effect only after the powerholder becomes, or would have become if then living, a current beneficiary.
E. A power of appointment described in subdivisions D 1 through 4 may be general or nongeneral. The class of permissible appointees in favor of which the power may be exercised may be broader than or different from the beneficiaries of the first trust.
F. If an authorized fiduciary has expanded distributive discretion over part but not all of the income or principal of a first trust, the fiduciary may exercise the decanting power under this section over that part of the income or principal over which the authorized fiduciary has expanded distributive discretion.
§ 64.2-779.9. Decanting power under limited distributive discretion.
A. As used in this section, "limited distributive discretion" means a discretionary power of distribution that is limited to an ascertainable standard or a reasonably definite standard.
B. An authorized fiduciary that has limited distributive discretion over the income or principal of the first trust for benefit of one or more current beneficiaries may exercise the decanting power over the income or principal of the first trust.
C. Under this section and subject to § 64.2-779.11, a second trust may be created or administered under the law of any jurisdiction. Under this section, the second trusts, in the aggregate, must grant each beneficiary of the first trust beneficial interests that are substantially similar to the beneficial interests of the beneficiary in the first trust. A second trust that defers or postpones a contingent right of a beneficiary to receive an outright distribution of assets upon the attainment of a certain age or upon the occurrence of a specific event (a "deferred distribution") shall be substantially similar to the first trust if the second trust provides that (i) during the lifetime of the beneficiary, no portion of the income or principal attributable to the deferred distribution may be distributed to, or for the benefit of, any person other than the beneficiary and (ii) the beneficiary shall have a testamentary general power of appointment exercisable in favor of the beneficiary's estate over the deferred distribution or the deferred distribution shall be payable to the beneficiary's estate if the second trust does not terminate during the beneficiary's lifetime.
3. The distribution is made as permitted under the terms of the first-trust instrument and the second-trust instrument for the benefit of the beneficiary.
E. If an authorized fiduciary has limited distributive discretion over part but not all of the income or principal of a first trust, the fiduciary may exercise the decanting power under this section over that part of the income or principal over which the authorized fiduciary has limited distributive discretion.
§ 64.2-779.10. Trust for beneficiary with disability.
"Beneficiary with a disability" means a beneficiary of a first trust who the special-needs fiduciary believes may qualify for governmental benefits based on disability, whether or not the beneficiary currently receives those benefits or is an individual who has been determined to be an incapacitated person.
"Governmental benefits" means financial aid or services from a state, federal, or other public agency.
3. If no trustee or fiduciary has discretion under subdivisions 1 and 2, a trustee or other fiduciary, other than a settlor, that is required to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the first trust to one or more current beneficiaries.
"Special-needs trust" means a trust the trustee believes would not be considered a resource for purposes of determining whether a beneficiary with a disability is eligible for governmental benefits.
2. The special-needs fiduciary determines that exercise of the decanting power will further the purposes of the first trust.
2. Subdivision C 3 of § 64.2-779.8 does not apply to the interests of the beneficiary with a disability.
3. Except as affected by any change to the interests of the beneficiary with a disability, the second trust, or if there are two or more second trusts, the second trusts in the aggregate, must grant each other beneficiary of the first trust beneficial interests in the second trusts that are substantially similar to the beneficiary's beneficial interests in the first trust.
§ 64.2-779.11. Protection of charitable interest.
"Determinable charitable interest" means a charitable interest that is a right to a mandatory distribution currently, periodically, on the occurrence of a specified event, or after the passage of a specified time and that is unconditional or will be held solely for charitable purposes.
"Unconditional" means not subject to the occurrence of a specified event that is not certain to occur, other than a requirement in a trust instrument that a charitable organization be in existence or qualify under a particular provision of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 on the date of the distribution, if the charitable organization meets the requirement on the date of determination.
B. If a first trust contains a determinable charitable interest, the Attorney General has the rights of a qualified beneficiary and may represent and bind the charitable interest.
4. Alter any condition or restriction related to the charitable interest.
D. If there are two or more second trusts, the second trusts shall be treated as one trust for purposes of determining whether the exercise of the decanting power diminishes the charitable interest or diminishes the interest of an identified charitable organization for purposes of subsection C.
3. The court approves the exercise of the decanting power.
F. This article does not limit the powers and duties of the Attorney General under law of the Commonwealth other than this article.
§ 64.2-779.12. Trust limitation on decanting.
2. A power granted by state law to the fiduciary to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the trust to another trust or to modify the trust.
2. A power granted by state law to a fiduciary to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the trust to another trust or to modify the trust.
C. A general prohibition of the amendment or revocation of a first trust, a spendthrift clause, or a clause restraining the voluntary or involuntary transfer of a beneficiary's interest does not preclude exercise of the decanting power.
D. Subject to subsections A and B, an authorized fiduciary may exercise the decanting power under this article even if the first-trust instrument permits the authorized fiduciary or another person to modify the first-trust instrument or to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the first trust to another trust.
E. If a first-trust instrument contains an express prohibition described in subsection A or an express restriction described in subsection B, the provision must be included in the second-trust instrument.
§ 64.2-779.13. Change in compensation.
2. The increase is approved by the court.
C. A change in an authorized fiduciary's compensation that is incidental to other changes made by the exercise of the decanting power is not an increase in the fiduciary's compensation for purposes of subsections A and B.
§ 64.2-779.14. Relief from liability and indemnification.
A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a second-trust instrument may not relieve an authorized fiduciary from liability for breach of trust to a greater extent than the first-trust instrument.
B. A second-trust instrument may provide for indemnification of an authorized fiduciary of the first trust or another person acting in a fiduciary capacity under the first trust for any liability or claim that would have been payable from the first trust if the decanting power had not been exercised.
C. A second-trust instrument may not reduce fiduciary liability in the aggregate.
D. Subject to subsection C, a second-trust instrument may divide and reallocate fiduciary powers among fiduciaries, including one or more trustees, distribution advisors, investment advisors, trust protectors, or other persons, and relieve a fiduciary from liability for an act or failure to act of another fiduciary as permitted by law of the Commonwealth other than this article.
§ 64.2-779.15. Removal or replacement of authorized fiduciary.
3. The court approves the modification and the modification grants a substantially similar power to another person.
"Grantor trust" means a trust as to which a settlor of a first trust is considered the owner under §§ 671 through 677 of the Internal Revenue Code or § 679 of the Internal Revenue Code.
"Internal Revenue Code" means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
"Nongrantor trust" means a trust that is not a grantor trust.
"Qualified benefits property" means property subject to the minimum distribution requirements of § 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and any applicable regulations, or to any similar requirements that refer to § 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations.
1. If a first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, for a marital deduction for purposes of the gift or estate tax under the Internal Revenue Code or a state gift, estate, or inheritance tax, the second-trust instrument must not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying for the deduction, or would have reduced the amount of the deduction, under the same provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or state law under which the transfer qualified.
2. If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, for a charitable deduction for purposes of the income, gift, or estate tax under the Internal Revenue Code or a state income, gift, estate, or inheritance tax, the second-trust instrument must not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying for the deduction, or would have reduced the amount of the deduction, under the same provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or state law under which the transfer qualified.
3. If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, for the exclusion from the gift tax described in § 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, the second-trust instrument must not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying under § 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, for the exclusion from the gift tax described in § 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code by application of § 2503(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, the second-trust instrument must not include or omit a term that, if included or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying under § 2503(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
4. If the property of the first trust includes shares of stock in an S corporation, as defined in § 1361 of the Internal Revenue Code, and the first trust is, or but for provisions of this article other than this section would be, a permitted shareholder under any provision of § 1361 of the Internal Revenue Code, an authorized fiduciary may exercise the power with respect to part or all of the S-corporation stock only if any second trust receiving the stock is a permitted shareholder under § 1361(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the property of the first trust includes shares of stock in an S corporation and the first trust is, or but for provisions of this article other than this section would be, a qualified subchapter-S trust within the meaning of § 1361(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, the second-trust instrument must not include or omit a term that prevents the second trust from qualifying as a qualified subchapter-S trust.
5. If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, for a zero inclusion ratio for purposes of the generation-skipping transfer tax under § 2642(c) of the Internal Revenue Code the second-trust instrument must not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the first-trust instrument, would have prevented the transfer to the first trust from qualifying for a zero inclusion ratio under § 2642(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
6. If the first trust is directly or indirectly the beneficiary of qualified benefits property, the second-trust instrument may not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the first-trust instrument, would have increased the minimum distributions required with respect to the qualified benefits property under § 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and any applicable regulations, or any similar requirements that refer to § 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations. If an attempted exercise of the decanting power violates the preceding sentence, the trustee is deemed to have held the qualified benefits property and any reinvested distributions of the property as a separate share from the date of the exercise of the power, and § 64.2-779.19 applies to the separate share.
7. If the first trust qualifies as a grantor trust because of the application of § 672(f)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, the second trust may not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the first-trust instrument, would have prevented the first trust from qualifying under § 672(f)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code.
b. The transfer of property held by the first trust or the first trust qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this article other than this section, would have qualified for the tax benefit.
b. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 10, the second trust may be a grantor trust, even if the first trust is a nongrantor trust.
(2) The first-trust instrument contains a provision granting the settlor or another person a power that would cause the first trust to cease to be a grantor trust and the second-trust instrument contains the same provision.
1. In the case of the grant of a general power of appointment, the class of permissible appointees contained in the second trust shall be limited to the creditors of the powerholder or the creditors of the powerholder's estate.
2. In the case of the elimination of a general power of appointment, the class of permissible appointees in the second trust shall exclude the powerholder, the powerholder's creditors, the powerholder's estate, and the creditors of the powerholder's estate, but shall otherwise be identical to the class of appointees permitted in the first trust.
§ 64.2-779.17. Duration of second trust.
A. Subject to subsection B, a second trust may have a duration that is the same as or different from the duration of the first trust.
B. To the extent that property of a second trust is attributable to property of the first trust, the property of the second trust is subject to any rules governing maximum perpetuity, accumulation, or suspension of the power of alienation that apply to property of the first trust.
§ 64.2-779.18. Need to distribute not required.
An authorized fiduciary may exercise the decanting power whether or not under the first trust's discretionary distribution standard the fiduciary would have made or could have been compelled to make a discretionary distribution of income or principal at the time of the exercise.
1. A provision in the second-trust instrument which is not permitted under this article is void to the extent necessary to comply with this article.
2. A provision required by this article to be in the second-trust instrument which is not contained in the instrument is deemed to be included in the instrument to the extent necessary to comply with this article.
B. If a trustee or other fiduciary of a second trust determines that subsection A applies to a prior exercise of the decanting power, the fiduciary shall take corrective action consistent with the fiduciary's duties.
§ 64.2-779.20. Trust for care of animal.
"Animal trust" means a trust or an interest in a trust created to provide for the care of one or more animals.
"Protector" means a person appointed in an animal trust to enforce the trust on behalf of the animal or, if no such person is appointed in the trust, a person appointed by the court for that purpose.
B. The decanting power may be exercised over an animal trust that has a protector to the extent that the trust could be decanted under this article if each animal that benefits from the trust were an individual, if the protector consents in a signed record to the exercise of the power.
C. A protector for an animal has the rights under this article of a qualified beneficiary.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if a first trust is an animal trust, in an exercise of the decanting power, the second trust must provide that trust property may be applied only to its intended purpose for the period the first trust benefited the animal.
§ 64.2-779.21. Terms of second trust.
A reference in this chapter to a trust instrument or terms of the trust includes a second-trust instrument and the terms of the second trust.
A. For purposes of law of the Commonwealth other than this article and subject to subsection B, a settlor of a first trust is deemed to be the settlor of the second trust with respect to the portion of the income or principal of the first trust subject to the exercise of the decanting power.
B. In determining settlor intent with respect to a second trust, the intent of a settlor of the first trust, a settlor of the second trust, and the authorized fiduciary may be considered.
A. Except as otherwise provided in subsection C, if exercise of the decanting power was intended to distribute all the income or principal of the first trust to one or more second trusts, later-discovered property belonging to the first trust and property paid to or acquired by the first trust after the exercise of the power is part of the trust estate of the second trust or trusts.
B. Except as otherwise provided in subsection C, if exercise of the decanting power was intended to distribute less than all the income or principal of the first trust to one or more second trusts, later-discovered property belonging to the first trust or property paid to or acquired by the first trust after exercise of the power remains part of the trust estate of the first trust.
C. An authorized fiduciary may provide in an exercise of the decanting power or by the terms of a second trust for disposition of later-discovered property belonging to the first trust or property paid to or acquired by the first trust after exercise of the power.
If accounts for the first trust are filed with the commissioner of accounts, the accounts for the second trust shall be filed with the commissioner of accounts unless the court orders otherwise.

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