2006 Alabama Code - Section 35-4-259 — Trusts for employees or self-employed persons.

(a) A trust of real or personal property or real and personal property combined:

(1) Which is created by an employer as part of a stock bonus plan, pension plan, disability or death benefit plan or profit-sharing plan, for the exclusive benefit of some or all his employees, to which contributions are made by such employer or employees, or both, for the purpose of distribution to such employees the earnings of the principal, or both earnings and principal of the fund so held in trust; or

(2) Which is created by a self-employed person or group of self-employed persons and

a. Which is part of a retirement, disability or death benefit plan for such self-employed person or persons and

b. Contributions to which are deductible, in whole or in part, from gross income for federal income tax purposes under the internal revenue laws of the United States; or

(3) Which is created for the collective investment of the funds of trusts which fall within the coverage of subdivisions (1) or (2) above shall not be deemed to be invalid as violating any existing laws against perpetuities or against suspension of the power of alienation of title to property or against trusts for the purpose of the accumulation of income; but such a trust may continue for such a time as may be necessary to accomplish the purpose for which it was created.

(b) This section shall apply to all trusts of the nature specified in subsection (a) of this section whether now in existence or hereafter created.

(c) Any employee who has the power to benefit others under the terms of any trust, including a pension or profit-sharing trust or any trust which has been created as a part of a stock bonus plan, pension plan, disability or death benefit plan or profit-sharing plan, which has been created for the direct or indirect benefit of any class or classes or employees of one or more employers, may designate any person as a primary, contingent, alternate, joint or other beneficiary in accordance with the terms of the instrument governing such trust. Such designation, in the form, if any, required by the terms of the instrument governing such trust, shall be effective to give to such designated beneficiary the benefits provided under the terms of the instrument governing such trust, notwithstanding any law which would otherwise make ineffective such designation, including, but without limitation to, any rule against perpetuities or law respecting testamentary dispositions; provided, that any such designation must be in writing.

(d) Any trustee or other person, including any person, corporation or national banking association, is authorized to make payment to any person, or his legal representative, designated as provided in subsection (c) of this section, and no trustee or other person shall be liable in any way to any person for making payment to a person, or his legal representative, so designated.

(e) This section shall not be construed to indicate any invalidity of designations such as are provided in subsection (c) of this section made prior to September 9, 1961. This section shall not be construed to impose liability for the payment by a trustee or other person, in accordance with the terms of a trust instrument, to a person or his legal representative, not designated as provided herein.

(Acts 1945, No. 306, p. 499; Acts 1961, No. 1014, p. 1592.)