2002 House Bill 6220

Introduced in the House

June 18, 2002

Introduced by Rep. Ray Basham (D-22)

To establish that the spouse of a government employee who is divorced after retirement may still be eligible for the former spouse’s government pension survivor benefits. The bill would reverse the effect of a recent state Court of Appeals ruling (the Walsh Decision), which found that current statute requires the divorce order allocating marital property rights, including the pension survivor benefits, to have been entered before the employee retires in order for it to have effect. The bill would allow the order to be effective after divorce if it is filed within 120 days of the final judgment of divorce.

Referred to the Committee on Civil Law and the Judiciary