Payments under this chapter which would otherwise be made to an employee, Member, or annuitant (including an employee, Member, or annuitant as defined in section 8331) based on service of that individual shall be paid (in whole or in part) by the Office or the Executive Director, as the case may be, to another person if and to the extent expressly provided for in the terms of—

(1) 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

(2) 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.

Subsection (a) shall apply only to payments made by the Office or the Executive Director under this chapter after the date on which the Office or the Executive Director (as the case may be) receives written notice of such decree, order, other legal process, or agreement, and such additional information and documentation as the Office or the Executive Director may require.

For the purpose of this section—

(1) 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

(2) the term “child” means an individual under 18 years of age.

(Added Pub. L. 99–335, title I, § 101(a), June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 575; amended Pub. L. 103–358, § 2(b)(1)–(3), Oct. 14, 1994, 108 Stat. 3421.)