DISBURSEMENTS

(a) Disbursements from the assets of the retirement system may be made by check, electronic funds transfer, or any other means generally available within the banking industry and must be signed or otherwise authorized by a person designated for that purpose in accordance with Section 845.108. (b) When a check or fund transfer is properly signed or otherwise authorized, a depository with which assets of the system are deposited shall accept and pay the check or complete the fund transfer. The depository is released from liability for payment made on the check or authorized fund transfer. (c) The retirement system shall make payments by electronic funds transfer to annuitants whose first annuity payment under this subtitle occurs after January 1, 2002, except that the system may make payment by check to an annuitant if making the payment by electronic funds transfer would be impractical for the system or if the annuitant properly notifies the system that: (1) receiving the payment by electronic funds transfer would be impractical for the person; (2) receiving the payment by electronic funds transfer would be more costly to the person than receiving the payment by check; or (3) the person is unable to establish a qualifying account at a financial institution to receive electronic funds transfers. (d) If payment by check to an individual would be, or has become, impractical, insecure, or proportionally more costly for the retirement system than payment by check to other persons, the system may hold or suspend any payment and require the individual to accept payment by another means or method that is practical, secure, and cost-effective.