As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) "Accumulated contributions" means the sum of all the amounts deducted from the compensation of a member and credited to his individual account in the annuity savings fund, together with regular interest thereon. Beginning July 1, 1980, "accumulated contributions" also includes the amount of employee contributions paid by the employer on behalf of the employee and credited to the employee's individual account in the annuity savings fund, together with regular interest thereon.

(2) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed at regular interest upon the basis of the mortality tables last adopted by the board of trustees.

(3) "Annuity" means annual payments for life derived from the accumulated contributions of a member.

(4) "Annuity reserve" means the present value of all payments to be made on account of an annuity, or benefit in lieu of an annuity, computed at regular interest upon the basis of the mortality tables last adopted by the board of trustees.

(5) "Annuity savings fund" means the fund set forth under Code Section 47-2-51.

(6) "Average final compensation" means the average annual earnable compensation of any employee during his last five years of creditable service or, if he has had less than five years of creditable service, his average annual earnable compensation during his total creditable service.

(7) "Beneficiary" means any person in receipt of a pension, an annuity, a retirement allowance, or other benefit under this chapter.

(8) "Board of trustees" means the board of trustees provided for in Code Section 47-2-21 to administer the retirement system.

(9) "Commencement date affecting employers operating under a merit system of personnel administration at the time of the passage of this chapter" means January 1, 1950. Anything in this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, any employee of an employer which is not operating under the retirement system who, without a break in service, becomes an employee of an employer which is operating under the retirement system, within two years of the commencement date affecting such employer, shall have a commencement date as of the date employment with the latter department became effective; and in such cases all other dates found in this chapter shall be set in the same relation to his commencement date as they would otherwise be set in relation to the commencement date affecting such employer.

(10) "Commencement date affecting employers that after February 3, 1949, operate under a merit system of personnel administration or those employers for which funds are not available on that date under Code Section 47-2-57" means: if the employees of any employer shall hereafter become eligible for inclusion in the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, the commencement date set for such employer by the board of trustees shall be not less than six months or more than 12 months from the date such employer becomes eligible for membership; and all other dates mentioned in this chapter shall be set in the same relation to this commencement date as they would otherwise be set in relation to the commencement date in the original chapter, provided that in the application of dates to subsection (a) of Code Section 47-2-96, no date shall be later than July 1, 1953. Anything in this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, any employee of an employer which is not operating under the retirement system who, without a break in service, becomes an employee of an employer which is operating under the retirement system, within two years of the commencement date affecting such employer, shall have a commencement date as of the date employment with the latter employer became effective; and in such cases all other dates found in this chapter shall be set in the same relation to his commencement date as they would otherwise be set in relation to the commencement date affecting such employer.

(11) "Court of record" means state courts, city courts, superior courts, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Georgia handling within their jurisdiction general state law exclusively. This definition shall have no effect on creditable service determined or prior service certificates issued by the board of trustees before February 13, 1956.

(12) "Credit" means creditable service, as defined in this Code section.

(13) "Creditable service" means prior service plus membership service.

(14) "Division A" and "Division B" mean the divisions within the retirement system of members who are part of the Employees' Social Security Coverage Group, as set forth in Code Section 47-2-71, and those who are not, respectively.

(15) "Earnable compensation" means the full rate of regular compensation payable to a member employee for his full normal working time, excluding any supplements from local funds. In cases where compensation includes maintenance, the board of trustees shall fix the value of that part of the compensation not paid in cash.

(16) "Employee" means:

(A) Any regularly classified worker, elected or appointed officer, or employee of a state agency or any employee of a county, city-county, or city board, which agency or board is under a state merit system of personnel administration, including a merit system for employees of the Department of Public Safety;

(B) Any employee or officer of any other department, bureau, board, institution, or commission of the state:

(i) Which department, bureau, board, or commission operates under a merit system of personnel administration; (ii) Which department operates under a tenure system as established by law; or

(iii) Which department, bureau, board, or commission becomes eligible for inclusion in the retirement system by Act of the General Assembly;

who receives payment for performance of personal services from the state or any department, bureau, institution, board, or commission of the state or from a county, city-county, or city board and who is employed in a position normally requiring actual performance of duty during not less than nine months of the year. "Employee" shall not include members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia or members of the Public School Employees Retirement System;

(C) Any other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, any and all civilians who are employed in or with the Army National Guard of Georgia and the Air National Guard of Georgia shall, upon establishment of a merit system for such civilian employees and upon the approval of the adjutant general, be entitled to the retirement allowances, benefits, and privileges provided by this chapter, notwithstanding that such employees may be paid by federal funds. No credit shall accrue to such civilian employees for any service rendered prior to the effective date of coverage under the retirement system. The adjutant general is authorized to make such arrangements and agreements as may be necessary or proper in order to effect deductions from the salaries or wages of such civilian employees as may be necessary or proper in the administration of the retirement system as to such civilian employees. It is the intent of the General Assembly that such persons be included in this definition only if federal funds are available for payment of employer contributions for such employees and other expenses of participation.

(16.1) "Employee" may include new certified professional personnel employed on and after July 1, 1983, for the first time by the State Board of Education or by the State Department of Education only if such personnel elect membership in the retirement system pursuant to subsection (h) of Code Section 47-3-60. As used in this paragraph, the term "certified professional personnel" shall have the meaning provided for in paragraph (8.1) of Code Section 47-3-1.

(16.2) "Employee" shall not include certified professional personnel who are in the unclassified service of the State Merit System of Personnel Administration and who are employed by the State Board of Education or by the State Department of Education and who elect to become members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to the authority of subsection (i) of Code Section 47-3-60. As used in this paragraph, the term "certified professional personnel" shall have the meaning provided for in paragraph (8.1) of Code Section 47-3-1.

(16.3) "Employee" may include persons employed on and after July 1, 1987, for the first time by the Department of Technical and Adult Education or by postsecondary vocational-technical schools governed by the Department of Technical and Adult Education only if such personnel elect membership in the retirement system pursuant to subsection (j) of Code Section 47-3-60.

(16.4) "Employee" shall not include persons who are employed by the Department of Technical and Adult Education or by a postsecondary vocational-technical school governed by the Department of Technical and Adult Education and who elect to become members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to the authority of subsection (j) of Code Section 47-3-60.

(16.5) "Employee" shall not include personnel employed by the State Board of Education or by the State Department of Education who are authorized to elect and elect to become or remain members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to applicable provisions of Chapter 3 of this title.

(17) "Employer" means:

(A) The state or any department, bureau, institution, board, or commission of the state or any county, city-county, or city board, the employees of which are under a state merit system of personnel administration, including a merit system for employees of the Department of Public Safety, and all state departments under a tenure system as established by law, provided that such county, city-county, or city board may notify the board of trustees that it will not participate in the benefits of the retirement system, such notice to be given in writing on or before the commencement date or before persons are employed by it. Any employee of a county, city-county, or city board having an existing local retirement system may elect to continue to participate in such existing local system but shall not participate in two systems, and his election shall be final on the commencement date under this chapter. Any county, city-county, or city employee who elects to become a member of this retirement system and who was a member of an existing local retirement system shall transfer to the board of trustees any equity he has in the local system.

(B) Any other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the adjutant general is authorized, though not directed, to establish a merit system and to perform all of the duties and obligations of an "employer" for all civilians employed in or with the Army National Guard of Georgia and the Air National Guard of Georgia, even though such employees may be paid with federal funds. The adjutant general is further authorized to make and enter into such agreements and take such actions as are necessary to provide for all contributions and payments specified in this chapter, from funds made available by the federal government, and otherwise to comply with this chapter so as to make this chapter applicable to such civilian employees.

(18) "Expense fund" means the fund set forth under Code Section 47-2-60.

(19) "Group term life insurance" means the survivors benefits established under Code Section 47-2-128.

(20) "Involuntary separation from employment without prejudice" means separation or release from service other than by the willing choice of a member, provided that such member has not been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction of any crime involving moral turpitude or malfeasance in office or has not been forced to make restitution for any funds or property wrongfully taken by the member. Involuntary separation shall not include the defeat in an election of an elected official who becomes a member of this retirement system for the first time on or after July 1, 1971.

(21) "Involuntary separation from employment with prejudice" means separation or release from service other than by the willing choice of a member who has been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction of a crime involving moral turpitude or malfeasance in office or who has been forced to make restitution for any funds or property wrongfully taken by the member.

(22) "Medical board" means the board of physicians established under Code Section 47-2-24 for the purpose of arranging for and passing upon medical examinations required under this chapter.

(23) "Member" means any employee included in the membership of this retirement system. On and after July 1, 1967, no employee shall become a member unless his position with an employer, as defined in paragraph (17) of this Code section, is his primary occupation and such position requires that the employee spend at least the number of hours specified in regulations adopted by the board of trustees in the actual performance of his duties, provided that in no case shall the number of hours be less than 30 hours per week during at least nine months of a year.

(24) "Membership service" means service which is rendered by an employee while he is a member of the retirement system and for which credit is allowable under this chapter.

(25) "Option one," "option two," "option three," and "option four" mean the optional forms in which a member may elect to receive his retirement allowance, which options are set forth in Code Section 47-2-121.

(26) "Pension" means periodic payments for life derived from contributions of the state.

(27) "Pension accumulation fund" means the fund set forth in Code Section 47-2-55.

(28) "Pension reserve" means the present value of all payments to be made on account of a pension, or benefit in lieu of a pension, computed at regular interest upon the basis of the mortality tables last adopted by the board of trustees.

(29) "Prior service" means service rendered prior to January 1, 1954, for which credit is allowable under this chapter.

(30) "Prior service certificate" means the certificate issued to a member under this chapter as proof of his prior service.

(31) "Regular interest" means interest at such a rate as shall be determined by the board of trustees in accordance with Code Section 47-2-26, which interest shall be compounded annually.

(32) "Retirement" means withdrawal from service with a retirement allowance granted under this chapter.

(33) "Retirement allowance" means the sum of the annuity and the pension, or any optional benefit payable in lieu thereof. All retirement allowances shall be payable in equal monthly installments, except that the board of trustees may adopt regulations providing for the payment of a lump sum, not to exceed the equivalent actuarial value of the retirement allowance, in lieu of a retirement allowance of less than $10.00 per month or in lieu of part of an annuity.

(34) "Retirement system" means the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia.

(35) "Service" means service rendered as an employee and paid for by an employer.

(36) "Service credit" means creditable service, as defined in this Code section.

(37) "Within one year after discharge from the armed forces" means within one year after the termination of the member's active service in the military or naval forces of the United States and shall not include any military reserve or naval reserve service.