years after the death or other event which gives rise to title to the benefit.

(j)(1) Payments under this subchapter which would otherwise be made to an employee, Member, or annuitant based on service of that individual shall be paid (in whole or in part) by the Office to another person if and to the extent expressly provided for in the terms of―

(A) any court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation, or the terms of any court order or court-approved property settlement agreement incident to any court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation; or

(B) any court order or other similar process in the nature of garnishment for the enforcement of a judgment rendered against such employee, Member, or annuitant, for physically, sexually, or emotionally abusing a child.

In the event that the Office is served with more than 1 decree, order, or other legal process with respect to the same moneys due or payable to any individual, such moneys shall be available to satisfy such processes on a first-come, first-served basis, with any such process being satisfied out of such moneys as remain after the satisfaction of all such processes which have been previously served.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall only apply to payments made by the Office under this subchapter after the date of receipt in the Office of written notice of such decree, order, other legal process, or agreement, and such additional information and documentation as the Office may prescribe.

(3) For the purpose of this subsection

(A) the term "court" means any court of any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands, and any Indian court;

(B) the term "judgment rendered for physically, sexually, or emotionally abusing a child" means any legal claim perfected through a final enforceable judgment, which claim is based in whole or in part upon the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of a child, whether or not that abuse is accompanied by other actionable wrongdoing, such as sexual exploitation or gross negligence; and

(C) the term "child" means an individual under 18 years of age.

(k)(1) The Office shall, in accordance with this subsection, enter into an agreement with any State within 120 days of a request for agreement from the proper State official. The agreement shall provide that the Office shall withhold State income tax in the case of the monthly annuity of any annuitant who voluntarily requests, in writing, such withholding. The amounts withheld during any calendar quarter shall be held in the Fund and disbursed to the States during the month following that calendar quarter.

(2) An annuitant may have in effect at any time only one request for withholding under this subsection, and an annuitant may not have more than two such requests in effect during any one calendar year.

(3) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, an annuitant may change the State designated by that annuitant for purposes of having withholdings made, and may request that the withholdings be remitted in accordance with such change. An annuitant also may revoke any request of that annuitant for withholding. Any change in the State designated or revocation is effective on the first day of the month after the month in which the request or the revocation is processed by the Office, but in no event later than on the first day of the second month beginning after the day on which such request or revocation is received by the Office.

(4) This subsection does not give the consent of the United States to the application of a statute which imposes more burdensome requirements on the United States than on employers generally, or which subjects the United States or any annuitant to a penalty or liability because of this subsection. The Office may not accept pay from a State for services performed in withholding State income taxes from annuities. Any amount erroneously withheld from an annuity and paid to a State by the Office shall be repaid by the State in accordance with regulations issued by the Office. (5) For the purpose of this subsection, "State" means a State, the District of Columbia, or any territory or possession of the United States.

(1) Transfers of contributions and deposits authorized by section 408(a)(3) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 shall be deemed to be a complete and final payment of benefits under this chapter. § 8346. Exemption from legal process; recovery of payments

(a) The money mentioned by this subchapter is not assignable, either in law or equity, except under the provisions of subsections (h) and (j) of section 8345 of this title, or subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process, except as otherwise may be provided by Federal laws.

(b) Recovery of payments under this subchapter may not be made from an individual when, in the judgment of the Office of Personnel Management, the individual is without fault and recovery would be against equity and good conscience. Withholding or recovery of money mentioned by this subchapter on account of a certification or payment made by a former employee of the United States in the discharge of his official duties may be made only if the head of the agency on behalf of which the certification or payment was made certifies to the Office that the certification or payment involved fraud on the part of the former employee.

§ 8347. Administration; regulations

(a) The Office of Personnel Management shall administer this subchapter. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Office shall perform, or cause to be performed, such acts and prescribe such regulations as are necessary and proper to carry out this subchapter.

(b) Applications under this subchapter shall be in such form as the Office prescribes. Agencies shall support the applications by such certificates as the Office considers necessary to the determination of the rights of applicants. The Office shall adjudicate all claims under this subchapter.

(c) The Office shall determine questions of disability and dependency arising under this subchapter. Except to the extent provided under subsection (d) of this section, the decisions of the Office concerning these matters are final and conclusive and are not subject to review. The Office may direct at any time such medical or other examinations as it considers necessary to determine the facts concerning disability or dependency of an individual receiving or applying for annuity under this subchapter. The Office may suspend or deny annuity for failure to submit to examination.

(d)(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, an administrative action or order affecting the rights or interests of an individual or of the United States under this subchapter may be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board under procedures prescribed by the Board.

(2) In the case of any individual found by the Office to be disabled in whole or in part on the basis of the individual's mental condition, and that finding was made pursuant to an application by an agency for purposes of disability retirement under section 8337(a) of this title, the procedures under section 7701 of this title shall apply and the decision of the Board shall be subject to judicial review under section 7703 of this title.

(e) The Office shall fix the fees for examinations made under this subchapter by physicians or surgeons who are not medical officers of the United States. The fees and reasonable traveling and other expenses incurred in connection with the examinations are paid from appropriations for the cost of administering this subchapter.

(f) The Office shall select three actuaries, to be known as the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. The Office shall fix the pay of the members of the Board, except members otherwise in the employ of the United States. The Board shall report annually on the actuarial status of the System and furnish its advice and opinion on matters referred to it by the Office. The Board may recommend to the Office and to Congress such changes as in the Board's judgment are necessary to protect the public interest and maintain the System on a sound financial basis. The Office shall keep, or cause to be kept, such records as it considers necessary for making periodic actuarial valuations of the System. The Board shall make actuarial valuations every 5 years, or oftener if considered necessary by the Office.

(g) The Office may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee or group of employees in or under an Executive agency whose employment is temporary or intermittent. However, the Office may not exclude any employee who occupies a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section 3401(2) of this title).

(h) The Office, on recommendation by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an individual or group of individuals employed by the government of the District of Columbia whose employment is temporary or intermittent.

(i) The Architect of the Capitol may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Office of the Architect of

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the Capitol whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.

(j) The Librarian of Congress may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Library of Congress whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.

(k) The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe regulations to effect the application and operation of this subchapter to an individual named by section 8331(1)(F) of this title.

(1) The Director or Acting Director of the Botanic Garden may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Botanic Garden whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.

(m) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of information used in the administration of this chapter, at the request of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management

(1) the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary's designee shall provide information on retired or retainer pay provided under title 10;

(2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide information on pensions or compensation provided under title 38;

(3) the Commissioner of Social Security or the Secretary's designee shall provide information contained in the records of the Social Security Administration; and

(4) the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary's designee shall provide information on benefits paid under subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title.

The Director shall request only such information as the Director determines is necessary. The Director, in consultation with the officials from whom information is requested, shall establish, by regulation and otherwise, such safeguards as are necessary to ensure that information made available under this subsection is used only for the purpose authorized.

(n)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the Director of Central Intelligence shall, in a manner consistent with the administration of this subchapter by the Office, and to the extent considered appropriate by the Director of Central Intelligence

(A) determine entitlement to benefits under this subchapter based on the service of employees of the Central Intelligence Agency;

(B) maintain records relating to the service of such employees;

(C) compute benefits under this subchapter based on the service of such employees;

(D) collect deposits to the Fund made by such employees, their spouses, and their former spouses;

(E) authorize and direct disbursements from the Fund to the extent based on service of such employees; and

(F) perform such other functions under this subchapter as the Director of Central Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, determines to be appropriate.

(2) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall furnish such information and, on a reimbursable basis, such services to the Director of Central Intelligence as the Director of Central Intelligence requests to carry out paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(3)(A) The Director of Central Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall by regulation prescribe appropriate procedures to carry out this subsection. (B) The regulations shall provide procedures for the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to inspect and audit disbursements from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund under this subchapter.

(C) The Director of Central Intelligence shall submit the regulations prescribed under subparagraph (A) to the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives before the regulations take effect.

(4)(A) Section 201(c) of the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement Act shall apply in the administration of this subchapter to the extent that the provisions of this subchapter are administered under this subsection.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, section 8347(d) of this title shall apply with respect to employees of the Central Intelligence Agency who are subject to the Civil Service Retirement System.

(0) Any provision of law outside of this subchapter which provides coverage, service credit, or any other benefit under this subchapter to any individuals who (based on their being employed by an entity other than the Government) would not otherwise be eligible for any such coverage, credit, or benefit, shall not apply with respect to any individual appointed, transferred, or otherwise commencing that type of employment on or after October 1, 1988.

(p) The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Federal Judicial Center, or a court named by section 610 of title 28, whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration. (q)(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, an employee who

(A) has not previously made an election under this subsection or had an opportunity to make an election under this paragraph;

(B) has 5 or more years of civilian service creditable under this subchapter; and

(C) moves, without a break in service of more than 1 year, to employment in a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, described in section 2105(c),

shall be given the opportunity to elect irrevocably, within 30 days after such move, to remain covered as an employee under this subchapter during any employment described in section 2105(c) after such move.

(2) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, and employee of a nonappropriated fund instrumen