§ 23-244. Benefits of surviving spouse.

(a)

If a member dies after having attained a vested interest in this system, but before having attained sufficient age and length of service to qualify for a regular retirement benefit, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-half (½) of what the member's retirement benefit would have been on the date when the member would have been eligible for a retirement benefit (including payments made by parochial employee's retirement system). The benefit payment shall commence on the earliest date on which the member would have been eligible for a benefit payment.

(b)

If a member dies after attaining the age and service necessary to receive a regular retirement under the provisions of this system and, if retired, having elected the maximum benefit in this system, or after a disability retirement and having elected the minimum benefit in this system, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-half (½) of the benefit that was payable to the member.

(c)

However, the benefit paid to the surviving spouse by this system shall not exceed an amount which when combined with the benefit paid by any other system with whom the member was jointly participating exceeds the sum of all reduced benefits payable to the member at his death by all systems with whom the member was jointly participating.

(d)

All benefit payments provided in (a), (b), and (c) above, shall commence only if the following conditions are met:

(1)

The Employees' Retirement System of Jefferson Parish has been effectively made, beneficiary of all cash residuals in the deceased system; and

(2)

The surviving spouse claimant furnishes within one (1) year of the date of the member's death documentary proof of surviving spouse status

(e)

These provisions apply to all members who retire on or after September 1, 1995.

(Ord. No. 11027, § 5(5), 1-18-73; Ord. No. 13324, § 1, 3-29-78; Ord. No. 19156, § 1, 8-24-94; Ord. No. 19544, § 1, 11-15-95)