Title 5
SECTION 838.305
838.305 OPM computation of formulas.
§ 838.305 OPM computation of formulas.(a) A court order directed at employee annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the court order provides sufficient instructions and information that OPM can compute the amount of the former spouse's monthly benefit using only the express language of the court order, subparts A, B, and F of this part, and information from normal OPM files.
(b)(1) To provide sufficient instructions and information for OPM to compute the amount of the former spouse's share of the employee annuity as required by paragraph (a) of this section the court order must state the former spouse's share as -
(i) A fixed amount;
(ii) A percentage or a fraction of the employee annuity; or
(iii) A formula that does not contain any variables whose values are not readily ascertainable from the face of the court order directed at employee annuity or normal OPM files.
(2) Normal OPM files include information about -
(i) The dates of employment for all periods of creditable civilian and military service;
(ii) The rate of basic pay for all periods of creditable civilian service;
(iii) The annual rates of basic pay for each grade and step under the General Schedule since 1920;
(iv) The amount of premiums for basic and optional life insurance under the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program;
(v) The amount of the Government and the employee shares of premiums for any health insurance plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program;
(vi) The standard Federal income tax withholding tables;
(vii) The amount of cost-of-living adjustments under section 8340 or section 8462 of title 5, United States Code, and the amount of the percentage change in the national index on which the adjustment is based;
(viii) The amount of pay adjustments to the General Schedule under section 5303 (or section 5305 prior to November 5, 1990) of title 5, United States Code, and the amount of the percentage change in the national index on which the adjustment is based;
(ix) The provision of law under which a retiree has retired; and
(x) Whether a retiree has elected to provide survivor benefits for a current spouse, former spouse, or a person with an insurable interest.
(c)(1) A court order directed at employee annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if OPM would have to examine a State statute or court decision (on a different case) to understand, establish, or evaluate the formula for computing the former spouse's share of the employee annuity.
(2) A court order directed at employee annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if it awards the former spouse a “community property” fraction, share, or percentage of the employee annuity and does not provide a formula by which OPM can compute the amount of the former spouse's share of the employee annuity from the face of the court order or from normal OPM files.
(d) A court order directed at employee annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if the court order awards a portion of the “present value” of an annuity unless the amount of the “present value” is stated in the court order.
(e) A court order directed at employee annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if the court order directs OPM to determine a rate of employee annuity that would require OPM to determine a salary or average salary, other than a salary or average salary actually used in computing the employee annuity, as of a date prior to the date of the employee's entry into phased retirement or separation and to adjust that salary for use in computing the former spouse share unless the adjustment is by -
(1) A fixed amount or fixed annual amounts that are stated in the order;
(2) The rate of cost-of-living or salary adjustments as those terms are described in § 838.622;
(3) The percentage change in pay that the employee actually received excluding changes in grade and/or step; or
(4) The percentage change in either of the national indices used to compute cost-of-living or salary adjustments as those terms are described in § 838.622.
[57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 79 FR 46627, Aug. 8, 2014]