As used in this part—

Act means the Railroad Retirement Act.

Court means any court of competent jurisdiction of any state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; any court of the United States (as defined in section 451 of title 28 of the United States Code) having competent jurisdiction; any Indian court as defined by section 1301 of title 25 of the United States Code; or any court of competent jurisdiction of a foreign country with which the United States has an agreement requiring the United States to honor any court order of such country.

Court decree means a final decree of divorce, dissolution, annulment, or legal separation issued by a court (including a final decree or order modifying the terms of a previously issued decree of divorce, dissolution, annulment, or legal separation), which is issued in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of that court and which provides for the division of property.

Division of property means any transfer of property or its value by an individual to his or her spouse or former spouse in compliance with any community property settlement, equitable distribution of property, or other distribution of property between spouses or former spouses, which is intended as a present and complete settlement of the property rights of the parties.

Employee means an individual who is or was formerly an employee as defined by part 203 of this chapter.

Final decree means a decree from which no appeal may be taken or from which no appeal has been taken within the time allowed for taking such appeals under the laws applicable to such appeals, or a decree from which timely appeal has been taken and such appeal has been finally decided under the laws applicable to such appeals.

Former spouse means the former husband or wife of an employee who, on or before the date of a court order, was married to the employee and that marriage has ended by final decree of divorce, dissolution, or annulment.

Property settlement means an agreement between the parties to a suit for divorce, dissolution, annulment or legal separation in which they expressly agree to a division of their property rights, and which is incorporated in the final decree; is filed with the court in connection with a suit for divorce, dissolution, annulment or legal separation; or is otherwise presented to the court in a suit in accordance with the law of the jurisdiction. An agreement assigning or transferring property between spouses is not within the purview of this part unless it is subsequently approved by a court in connection with a suit for divorce, dissolution, annulment or legal separation.

Spouse means the husband or wife of an employee who, on or before the date of a court order, was married to the employee and that marriage has not ended by final decree of divorce, dissolution, or annulment.

[51 FR 12845, Apr. 16, 1986, as amended at 73 FR 47045, Aug. 13, 2008]