Additional Withdrawal Options

Published date04 September 2019
Citation84 FR 46419
Record Number2019-19029
SectionRules and Regulations
CourtFederal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2019)]
                [Rules and Regulations]
                [Pages 46419-46423]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-19029]
                ========================================================================
                Rules and Regulations
                 Federal Register
                ________________________________________________________________________
                This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
                having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
                to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
                under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
                The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
                ========================================================================
                Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 4, 2019 /
                Rules and Regulations
                [[Page 46419]]
                FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD
                5 CFR Parts 1650 and 1651
                Additional Withdrawal Options
                AGENCY: Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
                ACTION: Final rule.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (``FRTIB'') is
                amending its regulations to provide TSP participants with additional
                withdrawal options and flexibility.
                DATES: This rule is effective September 15, 2019.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Austen Townsend, (202) 864-8647.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FRTIB administers the Thrift Savings
                Plan (TSP), which was established by the Federal Employees' Retirement
                System Act of 1986 (FERSA), Public Law 99-335, 100 Stat. 514. The TSP
                provisions of FERSA are codified, as amended, largely at 5 U.S.C. 8351
                and 8401-79. The TSP is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan for
                federal civilian employees and members of the uniformed services. The
                TSP is similar to cash or deferred arrangements established for
                private-sector employees under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue
                Code (26 U.S.C. 401(k)).
                 The TSP Modernization Act of 2017 (the ``Act''), Public Law 115-84
                (131 Stat. 1272), signed into law on November 17, 2017, permits the TSP
                to offer participants additional withdrawal options and flexibility. In
                addition, the Act eliminates the requirement that a TSP participant who
                has reached age 70\1/2\ and is separated from federal service make a
                full withdrawal election with respect to his or her TSP account.
                 On June 10, 2019, the FRTIB published a proposed rule with request
                for comments in the Federal Register (84 FR 26769). The FRTIB received
                one or more comments from eighteen individuals. As described in more
                detail below, the comments received relate to changes that are
                prohibited by FERSA or other laws or unduly burdensome to implement
                from an administrative perspective; therefore, the FRTIB is publishing
                the proposed rule as final without change.
                 Six individuals requested the ability to convert a traditional
                balance to a Roth balance within the TSP. The FRTIB has, in the past,
                considered allowing in-plan Roth conversions and ultimately concluded
                that the tax complexities involved and, in particular, the potential
                irreversible financial pitfalls for participants, weighed against doing
                so. Revisiting this decision was outside the scope of implementing the
                changes permitted by the Act.
                 Two commentators expressed concern about the amount of paperwork
                required by the spousal consent rules applicable to married Federal
                Employees' Retirement System (FERS) and uniformed services
                participants, particularly with respect to changes to installment
                payments. Spousal consent is statutorily required by 5 U.S.C.
                8435(a)(1)(B) any time a married FERS or uniformed services participant
                (1) elects a TSP withdrawal in any form other than a joint life annuity
                with a 50 percent survivor benefit, level payments, and no cash refund;
                or (2) changes a withdrawal election, which includes a change to the
                amount or frequency of previously elected installment payments.
                Allowing a participant to make changes to the amount or frequency of
                his or her installment payments without spousal consent would undermine
                the protection the spousal consent rule is designed to provide by
                allowing a participant to effectively drain his or her account balance
                via a small number of large installment payments without his or her
                spouse's knowledge.
                 Two individuals requested that, in addition to allowing withdrawals
                from a traditional balance only or Roth balance only, a participant be
                allowed to elect to withdraw amounts from his or her tax-exempt balance
                only. A participant's tax-exempt balance does not constitute a separate
                contract under 26 U.S.C. 72(d) and, therefore, the FRTIB is prohibited
                by the Internal Revenue Code from offering this option.
                 Two commentators suggested that participants be allowed to make
                fund-specific withdrawals from their TSP accounts, an option that the
                FRTIB did consider. Because the volume of withdrawal transactions
                processed by the TSP is so large, its withdrawal election form
                processing is highly automated. As a result, the complexity involved in
                updating withdrawal election forms and the associated programming to
                permit fund-specific withdrawals renders this option impracticable at
                this time.
                 One commentator asked that post-separation withdrawals be exempt
                from the 10 percent additional early distribution tax regardless of the
                participant's age. The Internal Revenue Code governs when this penalty
                will apply. Under 26 U.S.C. 72(t)(1), the 10 percent additional early
                distribution generally applies to any post-separation withdrawal taken
                by a TSP participant before he or she reaches age 59\1/2\.
                 Finally, one individual expressed frustration that the changes do
                not permit a participant to make a single withdrawal election from his
                or her traditional balance and Roth balance in a percentage other than
                pro rata. The FRTIB considered allowing this but determined that doing
                so was unfeasible from an administrative perspective. A participant
                will still be able to accomplish the end goal by making two separate
                withdrawal elections--one from his or her traditional balance only and
                one from his or her Roth balance only.
                Regulatory Flexibility Act
                 I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic
                impact on a substantial number of small entities. This regulation will
                affect Federal employees, members of the uniformed services who
                participate in the TSP, and beneficiary participants.
                Paperwork Reduction Act
                 I certify that these regulations do not require additional
                reporting under the criteria of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
                Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
                 Pursuant to the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 602,
                632, 653, and 1501-1571, the effects of this regulation on state,
                local, and tribal governments and the private sector have been
                assessed. This regulation will not compel the expenditure in any one
                year of $100 million or more by state, local, and tribal governments,
                in the aggregate,
                [[Page 46420]]
                or by the private sector. Therefore, a statement under 2 U.S.C. 1532 is
                not required.
                Submission to Congress and the General Accounting Office
                 Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 810(a)(1)(A), the Agency submitted a report
                containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate,
                the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the
                United States before publication of this rule in the Federal Register.
                This rule is not a major rule as defined at 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
                List of Subjects
                 Claims, Government employees, Pensions, Retirement.
                5 CFR Part 1650
                 Alimony, Claims, Government employees, Pensions, Retirement.
                5 CFR Part 1651
                 Claims, Government employees, Pensions, Retirement.
                Ravindra Deo,
                Executive Director, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
                 For the reasons stated in the preamble, the FRTIB amends 5 CFR
                Chapter VI as follows:
                PART 1650--METHODS OF WITHDRAWING FUNDS FROM THE THRIFT SAVINGS
                PLAN
                0
                1. The authority citation continues to read as follows:
                 Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8351, 8432d, 8433, 8434, 8435, 8474(b)(5)
                and 8474(c)(1).
                0
                2. Amend Sec. 1650.1 in paragraph (b) by adding in alphabetical order
                definitions for ``Required beginning date'' and ``Required minimum
                distribution'' to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.1 Definitions.
                * * * * *
                 (b) * * *
                 Required beginning date means April 1 of the year following the
                year in which the participant reaches 70 \1/2\ years of age or
                separates from Government service, whichever is later.
                 Required minimum distribution means the amount required to be
                distributed to a participant beginning on the required beginning date
                and every year thereafter pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section
                401(a)(9) and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as applicable.
                0
                3. Amend Sec. 1650.2 by revising paragraphs (a), (b), (f), (g), and
                (h) to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.2 Eligibility and general rules for a TSP withdrawal.
                 (a) A participant who is separated from Government service can
                elect to withdraw all or a portion of his or her account balance by one
                or a combination of the withdrawal methods described in subpart B of
                this part.
                 (b) A post-employment withdrawal will not be paid unless TSP
                records indicate that the participant is separated from Government
                service. The TSP will, when possible, cancel a pending post-employment
                withdrawal election upon receiving information from an employing agency
                that a participant is no longer separated.
                * * * * *
                 (f) A participant can elect to have any portion of a single or
                installment payment that is not transferred to an eligible employer
                plan, traditional IRA, or Roth IRA deposited directly, by electronic
                funds transfer (EFT), into a savings or checking account at a financial
                institution in the United States.
                 (g) If a participant has a civilian TSP account and a uniformed
                services TSP account, the rules in this part apply to each account
                separately. For example, the participant is eligible to make four age-
                based in-service withdrawals from the civilian account and four age-
                based in-service withdrawals from the uniformed services account per
                calendar year. A separate withdrawal request must be made for each
                account.
                 (h) A participant may elect to have his or her withdrawal
                distributed from the participant's traditional balance only, Roth
                balance only, or pro rata from the participant's traditional and Roth
                balances. Any distribution from the traditional balance will be
                prorated between the tax-deferred balance and any tax-exempt balance.
                Any distribution from the Roth balance will be prorated between
                contributions in the Roth balance and earnings in the Roth balance. In
                addition, all withdrawals will be distributed pro rata from all TSP
                Funds in which the participant's account is invested. All prorated
                amounts will be based on the balances in each TSP Fund or source of
                contributions on the day the withdrawal is processed.
                0
                4. Amend Sec. 1650.11 by revising paragraphs (a) and (c) and adding
                paragraph (d) to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.11 Withdrawal elections.
                 (a) Subject to the restrictions in this subpart, participants may
                elect to withdraw all or a portion of their TSP accounts in a single
                payment, a series of installment payments, a life annuity, or any
                combination of these options.
                * * * * *
                 (c) Provided that the participant has not submitted a post-
                employment withdrawal election prior to the date the automatic payment
                is processed, if a participant's vested account balance is less than
                $200 when he or she separates from Government service, the TSP will
                automatically pay the balance in a single payment to the participant at
                his or her TSP address of record. The participant will not be eligible
                for any other payment option or be allowed to remain in the TSP.
                 (d) Only one post-employment withdrawal election per account will
                be processed in any 30-calendar-day period.
                0
                5. Revise Sec. 1650.12 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.12 Single payment.
                 Provided that, in the case of a partial withdrawal, the amount
                elected is not less than $1,000, a participant can elect to withdraw
                all or a portion of his or her account balance in a single payment.
                0
                6. Revise Sec. 1650.13 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.13 Installment payments.
                 (a) A participant can elect to withdraw all or a portion of the
                account balance in a series of substantially equal installment
                payments, to be paid on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis in one of
                the following manners:
                 (1) A specific dollar amount. The amount elected must be at least
                $25 per installment; if the amount elected is less than $25 per
                installment, the request will be rejected. Payments will be made in the
                amount requested each installment period.
                 (2) An installment payment amount calculated based on life
                expectancy. Payments based on life expectancy are determined using the
                factors set forth in the Internal Revenue Service life expectancy
                tables codified at 26 CFR 1.401(a)(9)-9, Q&A 1 and 2. The installment
                payment amount is calculated by dividing the account balance by the
                factor from the IRS life expectancy tables based upon the participant's
                age as of his or her birthday in the year payments are to begin. This
                amount is then divided by the number of installment payments to be made
                per calendar year to yield the installment payment amount. In
                subsequent years, the installment payment amount is recalculated each
                January by dividing the prior December 31 account balance by the factor
                in the IRS life expectancy tables based upon the participant's age as
                of his or her birthday in the year payments will be
                [[Page 46421]]
                made. There is no minimum amount for an installment payment calculated
                based on this method.
                 (b) A participant receiving installment payments calculated based
                upon life expectancy can make one election, at any time, to change to a
                fixed dollar installment payment. A participant can change the amount
                of his or her fixed payments at any time as described in Sec.
                1650.17(c). A participant who is receiving installment payments based
                on a fixed dollar amount, however, cannot elect to change to an amount
                calculated based on life expectancy.
                 (c) If a participant elects to receive installments pro rata from
                his or her traditional and Roth balances, installment payments will be
                made until the participant's entire account balance is expended, unless
                the participant elects to change or stop installment payments as
                described in in Sec. 1650.17(c). If a participant elects to receive
                installment payments from his or her traditional balance only or Roth
                balance only, installment payments will automatically continue from the
                non-elected balance once the elected balance has been expended, unless
                the participant elects to change or stop installment payments as
                described in Sec. 1650.17(c).
                 (d) A participant receiving installment payments, regardless of the
                calculation method, can elect at any time to receive the remainder or
                part of his or her account balance in a single payment.
                 (e) A participant may only have one installment payment series in
                place at a time.
                 (f) A participant receiving installment payments may change the
                investment of his or her account balance among the TSP investment funds
                as provided in 5 CFR part 1601.
                 (g) Upon receiving information from an employing agency that a
                participant receiving installment payments is no longer separated, the
                TSP will cancel all pending and future installment payments.
                0
                7. Amend Sec. 1650.14 by:
                0
                a. Revising paragraphs (a) and (b);
                0
                b. Removing paragraph (c);
                0
                c. Redesignating paragraphs (d) through (l) as paragraphs (c) through
                (k); and
                0
                d. Revising newly redesignated paragraphs (c), (d), and (h).
                 The revisions read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.14 Annuities.
                 (a) A participant electing a post-employment withdrawal can use all
                or a portion of his or her total account balance, traditional balance
                only, or Roth balance only to purchase a life annuity.
                 (b) If a participant has a traditional balance and a Roth balance
                and elects to use all or a portion of his or her total account balance
                to purchase a life annuity, the TSP must purchase two separate annuity
                contracts for the participant: One from the portion of the withdrawal
                distributed from his or her traditional balance and one from the
                portion of the withdrawal distributed from his or her Roth balance.
                 (c) A participant cannot elect to purchase an annuity contract with
                less than $3,500.
                 (d) Unless an amount must be paid directly to the participant to
                satisfy any applicable minimum distribution requirement of the Internal
                Revenue Code, the TSP will purchase the annuity contract(s) from the
                TSP's annuity vendor using the participant's entire account balance or
                the portion specified. In the event that a minimum distribution is
                required by section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code before the
                date of the first annuity payment, the TSP will compute that amount
                prior to purchasing the annuity contract(s), and pay it directly to the
                participant.
                * * * * *
                 (h) For each withdrawal election in which the participant elects to
                purchase an annuity with some or all of the amount withdrawn, if the
                TSP must purchase two annuity contracts, the type of annuity, the
                annuity features, and the joint annuitant (if applicable) selected by
                the participant will apply to both annuities purchased. For each
                withdrawal election, a participant cannot elect more than one type of
                annuity by which to receive a withdrawal, or portion thereof, from any
                one account.
                Sec. 1650.15 [Removed]
                0
                8. Remove Sec. 1650.15.
                0
                9. Revise Sec. 1650.16 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.16 Required minimum distributions.
                 (a) A separated participant must receive required minimum
                distributions from his or her account commencing no later than the
                required beginning date and, for each year thereafter, no later than
                December 31.
                 (b) A separated participant may elect to withdraw from his or her
                account or to begin receiving payments before the required beginning
                date, but is not required to do so.
                 (c) In the event that a separated participant does not withdraw
                from his or her account an amount sufficient to satisfy his or her
                required minimum distribution for the year, the TSP will automatically
                distribute the necessary amount on or before the applicable date
                described in paragraph (a) of this section.
                 (d) The TSP will disburse required minimum distributions described
                in paragraph (c) of this section pro rata from the participant's
                traditional balance and the participant's Roth balance.
                 (e) The rules set forth in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this
                section shall apply to a separated participant who reclaims an account
                balance that was declared abandoned.
                0
                10. Amend Sec. 1650.17 by revising paragraphs (a) and (c) to read as
                follows:
                Sec. 1650.17 Changes and cancellation of a withdrawal request.
                 (a) Before processing. A pending withdrawal request can be
                cancelled if the cancellation is received and can be processed before
                the TSP processes the withdrawal request. However, the TSP processes
                withdrawal requests each business day and those that are entered into
                the record keeping system by 12:00 noon eastern time will ordinarily be
                processed that night; those entered after 12:00 noon eastern time will
                be processed the next business day. Consequently, a cancellation
                request must be received and entered into the system before the cut-off
                for the day the withdrawal request is submitted for processing in order
                to be effective to cancel the withdrawal.
                * * * * *
                 (c) Change in installment payments. If a participant is receiving a
                series of installment payments, with appropriate supporting
                documentation as required by the TSP record keeper, the participant can
                change at any time: The payment amount or frequency (including stopping
                installment payments), the address to which the payments are mailed,
                the amount of federal tax withholding, whether or not a payment will be
                transferred (if permitted) and the portion to be transferred, the
                method by which direct payments to the participant are being sent (EFT
                or check), the identity of the financial institution to which payments
                are transferred or sent by EFT, or the identity of the EFT account.
                0
                11. Revise Sec. 1650.21 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.21 Information provided by employing agency or service.
                 When a TSP participant separates from Government service, his or
                her employing agency or service must report the separation and the date
                of separation to the TSP record keeper. Until the TSP record keeper
                receives this information from the employing agency or service, it
                [[Page 46422]]
                will not pay a post-employment withdrawal.
                0
                12. Revise Sec. 1650.23 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.23 Accounts of less than $200.
                 Upon receiving information from the employing agency that a
                participant has been separated for more than 31 days and that any
                outstanding loans have been closed, provided the participant has not
                made a withdrawal election before the distribution is processed, if the
                account balance is $5.00 or more but less than $200, the TSP record
                keeper will automatically distribute the entire amount of his or her
                account balance. The TSP will not pay this amount by EFT. The
                participant may not elect to leave this amount in the TSP, nor will the
                TSP transfer any automatically distributed amount to an eligible
                employer plan, traditional IRA, or Roth IRA. However, the participant
                may elect to roll over this payment into an eligible employer plan,
                traditional IRA, or Roth IRA to the extent the roll over is permitted
                by the Internal Revenue Code.
                0
                13. Revise Sec. 1650.24 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.24 How to obtain a post-employment withdrawal.
                 To request a post-employment withdrawal, a participant must use the
                TSP website to initiate a request or submit to the TSP record keeper a
                properly completed paper TSP post-employment withdrawal request form.
                0
                14. Amend Sec. 1650.25 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.25 Transfers from the TSP.
                 (a) The TSP will, at the participant's election, transfer all or
                any portion of an eligible rollover distribution (as defined by section
                402(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code) directly to an eligible
                employer plan or an IRA.
                * * * * *
                0
                15. Amend Sec. 1650.31 by revising paragraphs (a) and (c) and removing
                paragraph (d).
                 The revisions read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.31 Age-based withdrawals.
                 (a) A participant who has reached age 59\1/2\ and who has not
                separated from Government service is eligible to withdraw all or a
                portion of his or her vested TSP account balance in a single payment.
                Unless the withdrawal request is for the entire vested account balance,
                the entire vested traditional balance, or the entire vested Roth
                balance, the amount of an age-based withdrawal request must be at least
                $1,000.
                * * * * *
                 (c) A participant is permitted four age-based withdrawals per
                calendar year for an account. Only one age-based withdrawal election
                per account will be processed in any 30-calendar-day-period.
                0
                16. Revise Sec. 1650.33 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.33 Contributing to the TSP after an in-service withdrawal.
                 (a) Age-Based In-Service Withdrawals. A participant's TSP
                contribution election will not be affected by an age-based in-service
                withdrawal; therefore, his or her TSP contributions will continue
                without interruption.
                 (b) Financial Hardship In-Service Withdrawals. (1) A participant
                who obtains a financial hardship in-service withdrawal prior to
                September 15, 2019, may not contribute to the TSP until the earlier of:
                 (i) The end of the six-month period after the withdrawal is
                processed, or
                 (ii) September 15, 2019.
                 (2) Therefore, the participant's employing agency will discontinue
                his or her contributions (and any applicable Agency Matching
                Contributions) for the applicable period after the agency is notified
                by the TSP; in the case of a FERS or BRS participant, Agency Automatic
                (1%) Contributions will continue. A participant whose TSP contributions
                are discontinued by his or her agency after a financial hardship
                withdrawal can resume contributions any time after expiration of the
                applicable period by submitting a new TSP contribution election.
                Contributions will not resume automatically.
                 (3) A participant's TSP contribution election will not be affected
                by a financial hardship in-service withdrawal obtained on or after
                September 15, 2019; therefore, his or her TSP contributions will
                continue without interruption.
                0
                17. Revise Sec. 1650.41 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.41 How to obtain an age-based withdrawal.
                 To request an age-based withdrawal, a participant must use the TSP
                website to initiate a request or submit to the TSP record keeper a
                properly-completed paper TSP age-based withdrawal request form.
                0
                18. Amend Sec. 1650.42 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.42 How to obtain a hardship withdrawal.
                 (a) To request a financial hardship withdrawal, a participant must
                use the TSP website to initiate a request or submit to the TSP record
                keeper a properly-completed paper TSP hardship withdrawal request form.
                * * * * *
                0
                19. Revise Sec. 1650.61 to read as follows:
                Sec. 1650.61 Spousal rights applicable to post-employment
                withdrawals.
                 (a) The spousal rights described in this section apply to total
                post-employment withdrawals when the married participant's vested TSP
                account balance exceeds $3,500, to partial post-employment withdrawals
                without regard to the amount of the participant's account balance, and
                to any change in the amount or frequency of an existing installment
                payment series, including a change from payments calculated based on
                life expectancy to payments based on a fixed-dollar amount.
                 (b) Unless the participant was granted an exception under this
                subpart to the spousal notification requirement within 90 days of the
                date the withdrawal request is processed by the TSP, the spouse of a
                CSRS participant is entitled to notice when the participant applies for
                a post-employment withdrawal or makes a change to the amount or
                frequency of an existing installment payment series. The participant
                must provide the TSP record keeper with the spouse's correct address.
                The TSP record keeper will send the required notice by first class mail
                to the spouse at the most recent address provided by the participant.
                 (c) The spouse of a FERS or uniformed services participant has a
                right to a joint and survivor annuity with a 50 percent survivor
                benefit, level payments, and no cash refund based on the participant's
                entire account balance when the participant elects a total post-
                employment withdrawal.
                 (1) The participant may make a different total withdrawal election
                only if his or her spouse consents to that election and waives the
                right to this annuity.
                 (2) A participant's spouse must consent to any partial withdrawal
                election (other than an election to purchase this type of an annuity
                with such amount) and waive his or her right to this annuity with
                respect the amount withdrawn.
                 (3) A spouse must consent to any change in the amount or frequency
                of an existing installment payment series and waive his or her right to
                this annuity with respect to the applicable amount. Spousal consent is
                not required to stop installment payments.
                 (4) Unless the TSP granted the participant an exception under this
                [[Page 46423]]
                subpart to the spousal notification requirement within 90 days of the
                date the withdrawal form is processed by the TSP, to show that the
                spouse has consented to a different total or partial withdrawal
                election or installment payment change and waived the right to this
                annuity with respect to the applicable amount, the participant must
                submit to the TSP record keeper a properly completed withdrawal request
                form, signed by his or her spouse in the presence of a notary. If the
                TSP granted the participant an exception to the signature requirement,
                the participant should enclose a copy of the TSP's approval letter with
                the withdrawal form.
                 (5) The spouse's consent and waiver is irrevocable for the
                applicable withdrawal or installment payment change once the TSP record
                keeper has received it.
                0
                20. Amend Sec. 1650.62 by revising paragraphs (b) and (c) to read as
                follows:
                Sec. 1650.62 Spousal rights applicable to in-service withdrawals.
                * * * * *
                 (b) Unless the participant was granted an exception under this
                subpart to the spousal notification requirement within 90 days of the
                date on which the withdrawal request is processed by the TSP, the
                spouse of a CSRS participant is entitled to notice when the participant
                applies for an in-service withdrawal. If the TSP granted the
                participant an exception to the notice requirement, the participant
                should enclose a copy of the TSP's approval letter with the withdrawal
                form. The participant must provide the TSP record keeper with the
                spouse's correct address. The TSP record keeper will send the required
                notice by first class mail to the spouse at the most recent address
                provided by the participant.
                 (c) Unless the participant was granted an exception under this
                subpart to the signature requirement within 90 days of the date the
                withdrawal form is processed by the TSP, before obtaining an in-service
                withdrawal, a participant who is covered by FERS or who is a member of
                the uniformed services must obtain the consent of his or her spouse and
                waiver of the spouse's right to a joint and survivor annuity described
                in Sec. 1650.61(c) with respect to the applicable amount. To show the
                spouse's consent and waiver, a participant must submit to the TSP
                record keeper a properly completed withdrawal request form, signed by
                his or her spouse in the presence of a notary. Once a form containing
                the spouse's consent and waiver has been submitted to the TSP record
                keeper, the spouse's consent is irrevocable for that withdrawal.
                PART 1651--DEATH BENEFITS
                0
                21. The authority citation continues to read as follows:
                 Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8424(d), 8432d, 8432(j), 8433(e),
                8435(c)(2), 8474(b)(5) and 8474(c)(1).
                0
                22. Amend Sec. 1651.1 in paragraph (b) by adding in alphabetical order
                definitions for ``Required beginning date'' and ``Required minimum
                distribution'' to read as follows:
                Sec. 1651.1 Definitions.
                * * * * *
                 (b) * * *
                 Required beginning date means:
                 (1) The end of the calendar year immediately following the calendar
                year in which the participant died; or
                 (2) The end of the calendar year in which the participant would
                have attained age 70\1/2\, whichever is later.
                 Required minimum distribution means the amount required to be
                distributed to a beneficiary participant beginning on the required
                beginning date and every year thereafter pursuant to Internal Revenue
                Code section 401(a)(9) and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as
                applicable.
                * * * * *
                0
                23. Amend Sec. 1651.19 by revising paragraph (c) to read as follows:
                Sec. 1651.19 Beneficiary participant accounts.
                * * * * *
                 (c) Required minimum distributions. (1) A beneficiary participant
                must receive required minimum distributions from his or her beneficiary
                participant account commencing no later than the required beginning
                date and, for each year thereafter, no later than December 31.
                 (2) A beneficiary participant may elect to withdraw from his or her
                account or to begin receiving payments before the required beginning
                date, but is not required to do so.
                 (3) In the event that a beneficiary participant does not withdraw
                from his or her beneficiary participant account an amount sufficient to
                satisfy his or her required minimum distribution for the year, the TSP
                will automatically distribute the necessary amount on or before the
                applicable date described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
                 (4) The TSP will disburse required minimum distributions described
                in paragraph (c)(3) of this section pro rata from the beneficiary
                participant's traditional balance and the beneficiary participant's
                Roth balance.
                * * * * *
                [FR Doc. 2019-19029 Filed 9-3-19; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 6760-01-P
                

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