Subd. 1. Definitions.

As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings given.

1. (1) "Annuity form" means the payment procedure and duration of a retirement annuity or disability benefit available to a member of a public pension fund, based on the period over which a retirement annuity or disability benefit is payable, determined by the number of persons to whom the retirement annuity or disability benefit is payable, and the amount of the retirement annuity or disability benefit which is payable to each person.
2. (2) "Joint and survivor optional annuity" means an optional annuity form which provides a retirement annuity or disability benefit to a retired member and the spouse of the member on a joint basis during the lifetime of the retired member and all or a portion of the original retirement annuity or disability benefit amount to the surviving spouse in the event of the death of the retired member.
3. (3) "Optional annuity form" means an annuity form which is elected by a member and is not provided automatically as the standard annuity form of the public pension fund.
4. (4) "Public pension fund" means a public pension plan as defined pursuant to section 356.61.
5. (5) "Retirement annuity" means a series of monthly payments to which a former or retired member of a public pension fund is entitled on account of attaining a specified age and acquiring credit for a specified period of service, which shall include a retirement annuity, retirement allowance or service pension.
6. (6) "Disability benefit" means a series of monthly payments to which a former or disabled member of a public pension fund is entitled on account of a physical or mental inability to engage in specified employment.

Subd. 2. Provision of information on annuity forms.

Every public pension fund which provides for an annuity form other than a single life retirement annuity as an option which can be elected by an active, disabled or retiring member shall provide as a part of, or accompanying the annuity application form, a written statement summarizing the optional annuity forms which are available, a general indication of the consequences of selecting one annuity form over another, a calculation of the actuarial reduction in the amount of the retirement annuity which would be required for each optional annuity form and the procedure to be followed to obtain more information from the public pension fund concerning the optional annuity forms provided by the fund.

Subd. 3. Requirement of notice to member's spouse.

If a public pension fund provides optional retirement annuity forms which include a joint and survivor optional retirement annuity form potentially applicable to the surviving spouse of a member, the executive director of the public pension fund shall send a copy of the written statement required by subdivision 2 to the spouse of the member before the member's election of an optional retirement annuity.

Following the election of a retirement annuity by the member, a copy of the completed retirement annuity application and retirement annuity beneficiary form, if applicable, must be sent by the public pension fund to the spouse of the retiring member. A signed acknowledgment must be required from the spouse confirming receipt of a copy of the completed retirement annuity application and retirement annuity beneficiary form unless the spouse's signature confirming the receipt is on the annuity application form. If the required signed acknowledgment is not received from the spouse within 30 days, the public pension fund must send another copy of the completed retirement annuity application and retirement annuity beneficiary form, if applicable, to the spouse by certified mail with restricted delivery.