Marvin Mandel, Governor                         765

CHAPTER 232
(Senate Bill 693)

AN ACT to add new Section 53 (2-1) (2) (C) to Article 88B of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume), title
"State Police," subtitle "State Police Retirement System," to fol-
low immediately after Section 53 (2) (b) thereof; to repeal Sec-
tion 53 (11) of said article, title and subtitle of the Code; and to
repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 56 (1) (a) of said
article, title and subtitle of the Code; to provide a widow's benefit
to be part of the service retirement allowance in the State Police
Retirement System; to eliminate optional allowances in said Re-
tirement System; to provide for an increase in the proportion
of earnable compensation to be paid by each member of said
Retirement System.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 53 (2-1) (2) (C) be and it is hereby added to
Article 88B of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement
Volume), title "State Police," subtitle "State Police Retirement Sys-
tem," to follow immediately after Section 53 (2) (b) thereof; that
Section 53 (11) of said article, title and subtitle of the Code be and
it is hereby repealed; and that Section 56 (1) (a) of said article, title
and subtitle of the Code be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments; and all to read as follows:

53.

(2-1) (2) (C) Upon the death of any member who has retired on
a retirement service allowance:

(a) (I) There shall be paid to his widow, if he leaves a widow, to
continue during her widowhood, one-half of his retirement allow-
ance; or

(b) (II) If there be no widow, or if the widow dies or remarries
before the younger child of such deceased member shall have
attained the age of eighteen, then one-half of the deceased member's
retirement allowance shall be paid to his child or children, under
said age if he leaves children, divided in such manner as the board
in its discretion shall determine to continue as a joint and survivor-
ship pension for the benefit of the child or children under said age
until every child dies or attains said age.

[(11) In lieu of the disability or service allowances payable under
the aforesaid provisions, any member may, prior to the first retire-
ment allowance payment normally due, elect a reduced retirement
allowance of equivalent actuarial value in one of the optional forms
set out below. The election of the option shall be made on a form
provided for that purpose and shall be filed with the board of trus-
tees. Should a member die prior to the expiration of thirty days
after the date of the filing- of such election or prior to thirty days
after retirement, such election shall be void and of no effect, and
the benefits payable on his account shall be the same as though his
election had not been filed and he had died in active service. A
member who has elected an optional benefit may change such elec-
tion by due notice to the board of trustees, but no change may be
made after the first payment of his allowance becomes normally due.