Retirement systems: surviving spouse.

The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties and districts to establish retirement systems in order to provide pension benefits to their employees and beneficiaries. Existing law requires, after a member's death, any retirement allowance earned but not yet paid to the member to be paid to the member's designated beneficiary. Existing law authorizes the surviving spouse of a member who did not designate a beneficiary prior to death to file with the board, as specified, to be deemed the beneficiary. This bill would define surviving spouse, for purposes of CERL, as a person legally married to the member, who is neither divorced nor legally separated at the time of the member's death, and who meets other relevant requirements, as specified.