BENEFICIARY CAUSING DEATH OF PARTICIPANT OR BENEFICIARY OF PARTICIPANT.

(a) Any benefits, funds, or account balances payable on the death of a participant or the beneficiary of a participant in the group benefits program may not be paid to a person convicted of or adjudicated as having caused that death but instead are payable as if the convicted person had predeceased the decedent.

(b) The Employees Retirement System of Texas is not required to change the recipient of any benefits, funds, or account balances under this section unless it receives actual notice of the conviction or adjudication of a beneficiary. However, the retirement system may delay payment of any benefits, funds, or account balances payable on the death of a participant or beneficiary of a participant pending the results of a criminal investigation or civil proceeding and other legal proceedings relating to the cause of death.

(c) For the purposes of this section, a person has been convicted of or adjudicated as having caused the death of a participant or beneficiary of a participant if the person:

(1) pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or is found guilty by a court or jury in a criminal proceeding of, causing the death of the participant or beneficiary of a participant, regardless of whether sentence is imposed or probated, and no appeal of the conviction is pending and the time provided for appeal has expired; or

(2) is found liable by a court or jury in a civil proceeding for causing the death of the member or annuitant and no appeal of the judgment is pending and the time provided for appeal has expired.