(a) The Georgia Federal-State Shipping Point Inspection Service, hereinafter referred to as the "inspection service" in this Code section, is declared to be an adjunct of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, such inspection service assisting in the agricultural products inspection duties of that department. All employees of the inspection service shall be subject to a merit system of personnel administration established by the agencies which are parties to a cooperative agreement between the Consumer and Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. All employees shall perform services on the basis of merit, fitness, and efficiency. The establishment of this merit system prior to July 1, 1975, shall be a prerequisite to coverage of the inspection service under the retirement system.

(b) Any person employed by the inspection service on July 1, 1975, is authorized to become a member of Division A of the retirement system. Any person first employed or reemployed by the inspection service after July 1, 1975, shall, as a condition of employment, become a member of Division A of the retirement system. In order to become or be required to be a member of the retirement system, an employee of the inspection service must be employed in this state in a position normally requiring actual performance of duty during not less than nine months of the year.

(c) The Georgia Department of Agriculture shall be responsible for making certain that the administrative officials of the inspection service shall deduct or collect from each member the employee contributions required by the retirement system and remit them to the retirement system as required by law or regulations. The Commissioner of Agriculture is authorized and directed to pay from the funds appropriated for the operation of the Georgia Department of Agriculture the employer contributions required by the retirement system or by regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Such employer contributions shall be paid by the Commissioner upon receipt of an invoice from the retirement system.

(d) Any person who becomes a member of the retirement system under this Code section, upon certified proof of previous service with the inspection service, shall be eligible to receive up to five years of credit for such previous service by paying the regular employer and employee contributions, including accrued interest, that would have accumulated during such period of employment. In the computation of such contributions and interest, the compensation of such member shall be deemed to have been the same as the compensation such member received on the date he first became a member. For any member claiming creditable service under this subsection on and after July 1, 1983, the board of trustees shall calculate the period of time the contributions and interest provided for above will fund as creditable service under the retirement system without creating any additional accrued liability of the retirement system; and the amount of creditable service so determined shall be the creditable service to which the member is entitled. The inspection service shall be authorized to supplement contributions and interest provided for above in an amount, as determined by the board of trustees, which, together with such contributions and interest, will fully fund as creditable service the total amount of previous service claimed without creating any additional accrued liability of the retirement system, and in the event such supplement is paid by the inspection service to the board of trustees, the member shall be entitled to receive all such previous service as creditable service up to the maximum of five years. Credit for previous service shall be available to a member only after he has worked for the inspection service for one full year following July 1, 1975, and must be exercised, if at all, within one year after the time any such member becomes eligible to elect such option or by not later than January 1, 1984, whichever date is later.

(e) The board of trustees is authorized to promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Code section, including, but not limited to, regulations and rules dealing with any required reports of employment and remission of contributions by the administrative officials of the inspection service and the method for certification of proof of previous service with the inspection service.

(f) Any member who was a member of the retirement system prior to July 1, 1975, and who, prior to becoming a member of the retirement system, was employed by the inspection service shall be eligible to receive up to five years of creditable service under the retirement system for service rendered as an employee of the inspection service prior to becoming a member of the retirement system. In order to receive such creditable service, the member must pay to the board of trustees the employer and employee contributions which would have been paid to the retirement system during the period, not to exceed five years, of employment by the inspection service as if such employment had been rendered while a member of the retirement system, plus interest at the rate of 7 percent on such employer and employee contributions compounded annually from the time of the employment with the inspection service to the date of payment. The board of trustees may require such documentation as the board finds necessary to verify the period of employment with the inspection service and the compensation received for such employment. The board of trustees shall calculate the amount of payment required to obtain creditable service under this Code section and shall certify such amount to a member who applies for creditable service under this subsection. No more than a total of five years of service prior to July 1, 1975, as an employee of the inspection service may be obtained as creditable service under all provisions of this Code section. No creditable service may be obtained pursuant to the provisions of this subsection for any period for which creditable service has been or may be obtained under any other provision of this chapter.

(g)(1) Any member who was employed by the inspection service on July 1, 1975, and who was a member on that date shall be eligible to receive up to five years of creditable service under the retirement system for service rendered as an employee of the inspection service prior to becoming a member of the retirement system. Such service shall be in addition to the creditable service authorized by subsection (f) of this Code section. In order to receive such creditable service, the member must pay to the board of trustees the employee contributions of 5 percent of his or her salary on July 1, 1975, for each month of creditable service, together with interest at the rate of 4 percent compounded annually from July 1, 1975, to the date of payment. The board of trustees may require such documentation as the board finds necessary to verify the period of employment with the inspection service and the compensation received for such employment. The board of trustees shall calculate the amount of payment required to obtain creditable service under this Code section and shall certify such amount to a member who applies for creditable service under this paragraph.

(2) The inspection service is authorized to supplement, if necessary, the payment made to the board of trustees pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection from funds available to the inspection service.

(3) Payments made pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be made not later than January 1, 1997. The board shall determine whether the amount of creditable service purchased by the total contributions made pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection would warrant, without creating any additional accrued liability of the retirement system, up to five years of creditable service.

(4) No creditable service may be obtained pursuant to the provisions of this subsection for any period for which creditable service has been or may be obtained under any other provision of this chapter.