(a) Subject to § 825.506, the board of trustees shall designate an ombudsman within the retirement system to assist members and retirees by performing member and retiree protection and advocacy functions, including:
(1) monitoring the system’s interactions with members and retirees;
(2) receiving and reviewing complaints from members or retirees;
(3) taking appropriate action regarding complaints, including conducting investigations of complaints or escalating or reporting complaints to the board;
(4) informing a member or retiree and the board of the results of the ombudsman’s review or investigation of the member’s or retiree’s complaint; and
(5) recommending corrective actions to the board as determined necessary by the ombudsman to resolve complaints.
(b) The ombudsman designated under this section shall regularly submit a report to the board of trustees recommending changes to the retirement system’s operations that would benefit members and retirees and increase opportunities for the members and retirees to participate in the system’s decisions.