2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEMS (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-54.8-204) › Article 51 - Public Employees' Retirement Association (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-51-1748) › Part 8 - BENEFIT OPTIONS (§§ 24-51-801 — 24-51-803) › Section 24-51-801 - Benefit options

(1)
Any member applying for service retirement or disability retirement may elect to receive a monthly retirement benefit paid in accordance with any one of the following options:
(a)
Option 1.
A single life benefit payable for the life of the retiree and, upon the death of the retiree, the benefit ends. If, upon the death of the retiree, the total amount of benefits that have been paid to the retiree does not exceed the amount of moneys credited to the member contribution account, an amount equal to twice the amount of any remaining moneys shall be paid to the named beneficiary of the retiree or, if no named beneficiary exists, to the estate of the retiree.
(b)
Option 2.
A joint life benefit payable for the life of the retiree and, upon the death of the retiree, one-half of the benefit becomes payable to the cobeneficiary of said retiree for life. Upon the death of the cobeneficiary prior to the death of the retiree, an option 1 benefit shall become payable to the retiree. If, upon the death of both the retiree and the cobeneficiary, the total amount of benefits that have been paid to them does not exceed the amount of moneys credited to the member contribution account, an amount equal to twice the amount of any remaining moneys shall be paid to the named beneficiary of the retiree or, if no named beneficiary exists, to the estate of the person who survived the death of the other.
(c)
Option 3.
A joint life benefit payable for the life of the retiree and, upon the death of the retiree, the same benefit becomes payable to the cobeneficiary of the retiree for life. Upon the death of the cobeneficiary prior to the death of the retiree, an option 1 benefit shall become payable to the retiree. If, upon the death of both the retiree and the cobeneficiary, the total amount of benefits that have been paid to them does not exceed the amount of moneys credited to the member contribution account, an amount equal to twice the amount of any remaining moneys shall be paid to the named beneficiary of the retiree or, if no named beneficiary exists, to the estate of the person who survived the death of the other.
(d)
Repealed.
(2)
Options 2 and 3 shall be the actuarial equivalent of option 1.
(3)
If an option is not elected by a member prior to the effective date of retirement, the member shall be deemed to have elected option 1.
(4)
Benefits calculated pursuant to part 17 of this article shall be subject to the benefit payment options provided in sections
24-51-1716
to
24-51-1725
.
(5)
(a)
Upon the termination of a supplemental needs trust due to the death of the beneficiary of such trust prior to the death of the retiree, an option 1 benefit becomes payable to the retiree.
(b)
If a supplemental needs trust is determined to be invalid or is terminated during the life of the retiree, the beneficiary that was named in the trust is the cobeneficiary.
(c)
If a supplemental needs trust is not established before or within ninety days after the death of the retiree, is determined to be invalid, or is terminated on or after the death of the retiree, the beneficiary that was named in the trust is the cobeneficiary.
L. 87: Entire article R&RE, p. 1065, § 1, effective July 1. L. 88: (1)(b), (1)(c), and (2) amended and (1)(d) repealed, pp. 959, 963, §§ 7, 20 (2), effective July 1. L. 2003: (1) amended, p. 2609, § 7, effective June 5. L. 2009: (4) added, (SB 09 -282), ch. 288, p. 1346, § 35, effective 1/1/2010. L. 2015: (5) added, (SB 15-097), ch. 111, p. 326, § 3, effective April 16.
This section is similar to former §§ 24-51-112, 24-51-212, and 24-51-608 as they existed prior to 1987.
For the legislative declaration in SB 15-097, see section 1 of chapter 111, Session Laws of Colorado 2015.