Section 10.79. Reasonable efforts to locate benefit payees.

 

(1)  The department shall make reasonable efforts to maintain current addresses on file for participants, other than for participating employees under s. 40.02 (46) , Stats., alternate payees, beneficiaries or other potential benefit recipients. These efforts shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(a) Require participating employers to report a current address for all terminating participants.

(b) Request social security numbers and addresses for all named beneficiaries on the departmental beneficiary designation form.

(c) Initiate a minimum of one written contact per year to alternate payees and participants, other than participating employees and annuitants, which may be accomplished by sending those persons an annual statement of account or benefit statement.

(d) Publish an article annually in the departmental participant newsletter communicating the importance of notifying the department of address changes.

(2)  Before considering a benefit abandoned under s. 40.08 (8) , Stats., the department shall make reasonable efforts to locate participants, alternate payees and beneficiaries except those persons whose accounts meet the conditions specified in s. 40.08 (8) (f) , Stats. Reasonable efforts to locate potential benefit payees may include, but are not limited to:

(a) Seek current address information for potential benefit payees through locator services available from the social security administration, internal revenue service or other federal or state agencies.

(b) Seek current address information for potential benefit payees through private company data bases or locator services.

(c) Publish the names of potential benefit payees in the official state newspaper with instructions for contacting the department for application information. This paragraph shall not apply to accounts that meet the conditions specified in s. 40.08 (8) (f) , Stats.

Cr. Register, June, 1998, No. 510 , eff. 7-1-98.