| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §17805-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 604, §3, is | repealed and the following enacted in its place: |
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| | 1.__Election of benefit for different beneficiary.__The | recipient may elect to have the reduced retirement benefit paid | under the same option to a different beneficiary if the spouse or | former spouse who was originally named as retirement beneficiary | was the sole beneficiary of the reduced retirement benefit under | section 17804, subsection 3, 4 or 5. |
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| | Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §18405-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 604, §6, is | repealed and the following enacted in its place: |
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| | 1.__Election of benefit for different beneficiary.__The | recipient may elect to have the reduced retirement benefit paid | under the same option to a different beneficiary if the spouse or | former spouse who was originally named as retirement beneficiary | was the sole beneficiary of the reduced retirement benefit under | section 18404, subsection 3, 4 or 5. |
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| | Current law requires a recipient of reduced benefits under the | Maine State Retirement System who desires to change the | beneficiary of survivor benefits to obtain the agreement of the | member's spouse or former spouse in the event of divorce if that | person was originally named the beneficiary. |
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| | This bill repeals that requirement, allowing the recipient to | name a new beneficiary after a divorce without obtaining the | permission of the spouse originally named beneficiary. |
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