Section 21493 Of Article 1. General Provisions From California Government Code >> Division 5. >> Title 2. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 14. >> Article 1.
21493
. (a) If a person had no beneficiary designation in effect on
the date of death, any benefit payable shall be paid to the survivors
of the person in the following order:
(1) The decedent's spouse.
(2) The decedent's natural or adopted children, including a
natural child adopted by another who meets the following criteria:
(A) The natural parent and adopted child lived together at any
time as parent and child or the natural parent was married to or was
cohabiting with the other natural parent at the time the child was
conceived and died before the birth of the child; and
(B) The child was adopted by the spouse of either of the natural
parents or after the death of either of the natural parents or the
child is a natural child adopted by another as that phrase is defined
or construed by the Probate Code.
(3) The decedent's parents.
(4) The decedent's brothers and sisters.
(b) If a deceased person had no effective beneficiary designation
and there are no survivors in the groups specified in subdivision (a)
who are entitled to the benefit under this section, the benefit
shall be paid to the estate of the decedent, if the estate is either
probated or subject to probate. Any benefit payable by this system
may be paid either to the estate or to the duly authorized
representative or representatives of the estate upon receipt by this
system of a court order appointing an executor, administrator, or
personal representative, or, in the case of an estate with a total
value not exceeding the amount prescribed in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (a) of Section 7660 of the Probate Code, to a public
administrator upon receipt by this system of a written certification
of authority for summary administration from that public
administrator.
(c) If there are no survivors in the groups specified in
subdivision (a) and the estate of the person described in subdivision
(b) does not require probate, irrespective of whether probate is
filed, the benefit shall be paid directly to the decedent's trust.
(d) If there are no survivors in the groups specified in
subdivision (a) and the estate of the person described by subdivision
(b) does not require probate, irrespective of whether probate is
filed, and the decedent has not established a trust as described by
subdivision (c), the benefit shall be paid directly to the surviving
next of kin in the following order:
(1) Stepchildren.
(2) Grandchildren, including stepgrandchildren.
(3) Nieces and nephews.
(4) Great grandchildren.
(5) Cousins.
(e) For purposes of determining the application of subdivisions
(b), (c), and (d), the amount of the benefit payable from this system
shall not be included in calculating the worth of the estate.
(f) For purposes of this section, the term "stepchild" shall mean
a person who had a regular parent-child relationship with the
deceased person.