Regulations last checked for updates: Oct 17, 2024

Title 5 - Administrative Personnel last revised: Oct 11, 2024
§ 831.642 - Marriage duration requirements.

(a) The surviving spouse of a retiree who retired on or after May 7, 1985, or of a retiree who retired before May 7, 1985, but married that surviving spouse on or after November 8, 1984, or of an employee or Member who dies while serving in a position covered by CSRS on or after May 7, 1985, or of an employee or Member who died while serving in a position covered by CSRS before May 7, 1985, but married that surviving spouse on or after November 8, 1984, can qualify for a current spouse annuity only if—

(1) The surviving spouse and the employee, Member, or retiree had been married for at least 9 months, as explained in paragraph (b) of this section; or

(2) A child was born of the marriage, as explained in paragraph (c) of this section; or

(3) The death of the employee, Member, or retiree was accidental as explained in paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) For satisfying the 9-month marriage requirement of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the aggregate time of all marriages between the spouse applying for a current spouse annuity and the employee, Member, or retiree is included.

(c) For satisfying the child-born-of-the-marriage requirement of paragraph (a)(2) of this section, any child, including a posthumous child, born to the spouse and the employee, Member, or retiree is included. This includes a child born out of wedlock or of a prior marriage between the same parties.

(d)(1) A death is accidental if it results from homicide or from bodily injuries incurred solely through violent, external, and accidental means. The term “accidental” does not include a death—

(i) Caused wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, by disease or bodily or mental infirmity, or by medical or surgical treatment or diagnosis thereof; or

(ii) Caused wholly or partially, directly, or indirectly, by ptomaine, by bacterial infection, except only septic infection of and through a visible wound sustained solely through violent, external, and accidental means; or

(iii) Caused wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, by hernia, no matter how or when sustained; or

(iv) Caused by or the result of intentional self-destruction or intentionally self-inflicted injury, while sane or insane; or

(v) Caused by or as a result of the self-administration or illegal or illegally obtained drugs.

(2) A State judicial or administrative adjudication of the cause of death for criminal or insurance purposes is conclusive evidence of whether a death is accidental.

(3) A death certificate showing the cause of death as accident or homicide is prima facie evidence that the death was accidental.

[50 FR 20070, May 13, 1985; 50 FR 21031, May 22, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 31933, Sept. 8, 1986; 56 FR 16263, Apr. 22, 1991. Redesignated at 58 FR 52882, Oct. 13, 1993]
authority: 5 U.S.C. 8347; Sec. 831.102 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8334; Sec. 831.106 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552a; Sec. 831.108 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(2); Sec. 831.114 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(2) and Sec. 1313(b)(5) of Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135; Sec. 831.201(b)(1) also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8347(g); Sec. 831.201(b)(6) also issued under 5 U.S.C. 7701(b)(2); Sec. 831.201(g) also issued under Secs. 11202(f), 11232(e), and 11246(b) of Pub. L. 105-33, 111 Stat. 251; Sec. 831.201(g) also issued under Secs. 7(b) and (e) of Pub. L. 105-274, 112 Stat. 2419; Sec. 831.201(i) also issued under Secs. 3 and 7(c) of Pub. L. 105-274, 112 Stat. 2419; Sec. 831.202 also issued under Sec. 111 of Pub. L. 99-500, 100 Stat. 1783, and Sec. 111 of Pub. L. 99-591, 100 Stat. 3341-348, and also Sec. 1 of Pub. L. 110-279, 122 Stat. 2602, as amended by Sec. 1(a) of Pub. L. 116-21, 133 Stat. 903; Sec. 831.204 also issued under Sec. 102(e) of Pub. L. 104-8, 109 Stat. 102, as amended by Sec. 153 of Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321; Sec. 831.205 also issued under Sec. 2207 of Pub. L. 106-265, 114 Stat. 784; Sec. 831.206 also issued under Sec. 1622(b) of Pub. L. 104-106, 110 Stat. 515; Sec. 831.301 also issued under Sec. 2203 of Pub. L. 106-265, 114 Stat. 780; Sec. 831.303 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8334(d)(2) and Sec. 2203 of Pub. L. 106-235, 114 Stat. 780; Sec. 831.502 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8337,and. 1(3), E.O. 11228, 3 CFR 1965-1965 Comp. p. 317; Sec. 831.663 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8339(j) and (k)(2); Secs. 831.663 and 831.664 also issued under Sec. 11004(c)(2) of Pub. L. 103-66, 107 Stat. 412; Sec. 831.682 also issued under Sec. 201(d) of Pub. L. 99-251, 100 Stat. 23; Sec. 831.912 also issued under Sec. 636 of Appendix C to Pub. L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-164; Subpart P also issued under Sec. 535(d) of Title V of Division E of Pub. L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 2042; Subpart Q also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336a; Subpart V also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8343a and Sec. 6001 of Pub. L. 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330-275; Sec. 831.2203 also issued under Sec. 7001(a)(4) of Pub. L. 101-508, 104 Stat. 1388-328; Pub. L. 115-352, 132 Stat. 5067 (5 U.S.C. 101)
source: 33 FR 12498, Sept. 4, 1968, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 5 CFR 831.642