(a) All applications, beneficiary designations, administrative elections, petitions, complaints, replies, and other pleadings seeking to institute any claim, complaint, or other proceeding under the Act, or relating to any such proceeding then pending (other than one that has become a "contested case" under Chapter 2001 of the Texas Government Code), or seeking to exercise a right or perform an administrative action under the Act, shall be filed with the director, at the offices of the system in Austin. Such instruments shall be deemed filed only when actually received, accompanied by the filing fee, if any, required by statute or by rules of the board. For purposes of clarity and without limiting the foregoing, if a participant (as that term is defined in §855.114 of the Act) who completes and executes a beneficiary designation, or application for benefits, dies before the system receives such documentation, such application or designation will not be accepted or considered valid.     
      (b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, an instrument may be filed electronically in accordance with §855.115(e) of the Act and any instructions provided by the system.     
      (c) If a proceeding becomes a "contested case," documents shall thereafter be filed in accordance with §§121.12-121.25 of this title.     
      (d) Any notice, application, designation, election, petition, complaint, reply or other pleading delivered to the system in accordance with subsections (a) or (b) of this section is deemed delivered to the board.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §121.3 adopted to be effective September 13, 2020, 45 TexReg 6246