A participant may at any time designate or change the designation of one or more primary beneficiaries and one or more contingent beneficiaries to receive any lump-sum death benefit that may be payable under the plan. The beneficiary shall be designated on a form prescribed by the system that is received by the system before the participant’s death.

A corporation, trust, charitable organization, parochial institution, or public entity may be designated as a beneficiary under this part, but shall not be designated as an annuity beneficiary, except a trust as defined in Section 26106.5.

In the event the participant dies without a valid beneficiary designation on file with the system, any lump-sum death benefit under this part shall be payable to the estate of the participant.

Part 5 (commencing with Section 220) of Division 2 of the Probate Code, when applicable, shall govern the distribution of any lump-sum death benefit payable under this part. In applying Part 5 (commencing with Section 220) of Division 2 of the Probate Code with respect to proceeds payable to a beneficiary, participation in the plan shall be considered as having the same status as an insurance policy issued after December 31, 1984.