(a)(1) Any member who became a member on July 1, 1998, and any member who becomes a member after that date may receive creditable service for the number of years he or she contributed to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to Code Section 47-2-262.

(2) In order to obtain the creditable service as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the member shall notify the board of directors of this retirement system and the board of trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia not later than December 31, 1998, or within 90 days after first becoming a member of this retirement system, whichever date is later. Upon such notice, the board of trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia shall verify the amount of allowable time to the board of trustees of this retirement system. If the requesting member has withdrawn his or her contributions from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, the board of trustees of such retirement system shall certify the amount of employee contributions and regular interest thereon which had been credited to the member's account, and the member shall within six months after such certification pay such amount to the board of trustees of this retirement system, together with regular interest thereon from the date of withdrawal to the date of payment. If the requesting member has not withdrawn his or her contributions from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, the board of trustees of such retirement system shall transfer to the board of trustees of this retirement system the employee contributions together with regular interest thereon and shall refund to the member any employee contribution he or she paid to such retirement system for any creditable service not allowed by the retirement system. Upon receipt of such funds, the board of trustees of this retirement system shall credit the member with the number of years of creditable service so authorized.

(b)(1) Any member may receive creditable service for the number of years he or she would have contributed to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to Code Section 47-2-262 but for the fact that he or she made the election not to become a member of such retirement system.

(2) In order to obtain the creditable service as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the member shall notify the board of directors of this retirement system and the board of trustees of this retirement system not later than December 31, 1998, or within 90 days after first becoming a member of this retirement system, whichever date is later, providing such evidence that he or she was eligible for membership in the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia as the board deems necessary. Within six months after such notification, the member shall pay to the board of trustees of this retirement system the employer and employee contributions which would have been paid by or on behalf of such member if he or she had elected to become a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, together with regular interest thereon.

(c) No creditable service may be obtained pursuant to the provisions of this Code section for any period for which creditable service has or may be obtained in any other state or local public retirement system.

(d) No creditable service obtained pursuant to the provisions of this Code section shall be calculated in determining the minimum number of years of creditable service required for retirement pursuant to Article 6 of this chapter.