Section 47-2-181. Transfer of service credits and accumulated contributions from the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia to this retirement system; transfer of funds

   (a) Any other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, any member, except a member subject to subsection (b) of this Code section, who was previously a member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia who has service credits with said teachers retirement system may have such service credits and accumulated contributions under said teachers retirement system transferred to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, provided that such transferred service credits shall not be used in determining the qualifications of a member for benefits other than vested rights or disability, death, or normal service retirement allowances. The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia shall pay an employer contribution together with regular interest thereon to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia for each member establishing creditable service under this subsection. The amount of such employer contributions shall be 6 percent of the reported compensation of the member establishing creditable service during membership in the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. Any member who elects to transfer such service credits shall so notify the board of trustees in writing.

(b) Pursuant to Code Section 47-3-81, any employee of an agency under the retirement system may transfer his or her service credit to the credit of his or her membership in the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia in the event that he or she enters service as a teacher, as defined in Code Section 47-3-1.

(c) (1) Any provision of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, any vested member of the Teachers Retirement System who becomes an employee of an employer may, at his or her option, elect to remain a member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.

   (2) If a person subject to this subsection elects to remain a member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, the employer and employee shall make all contributions to such retirement system and perform such other acts as are required by law or regulation.

   (3) If a person subject to this subsection does not elect to remain a member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, he or she shall become a member of this retirement system subject to all provisions of this chapter.

   (4) This subsection shall be applicable to each person who was a member of this retirement system on January 1, 1997, and to all persons who become a member on or after such date. Any person subject to this subsection who became a member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia between January 1, 1997, and June 30, 1998, who elects to remain a member of this retirement system shall be governed by the provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section relating to the transfer of service credits and accumulated contributions. Any person eligible to make the election provided for in this subsection shall do so in writing to the board of trustees not later than September 30, 2000, or within 60 days after the person became an employee of an employer, whichever date is later. Once made, the election is irrevocable.

   (5) The provisions of this subsection shall not become a part of the employment contract and shall be subject to subsequent legislation; provided, however, that no person who has made the election provided by this subsection shall be affected by any subsequent legislation.

(d) (1) At the time the membership of a person is transferred from the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia to this retirement system subject to Article 10 of this chapter, this retirement system shall receive the funds transferred from the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to Code Section 47-3-81 and, as applicable, add the accrued benefit transferred from the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia to the accrued benefit or the balance of employee contributions and interest. The total benefits of any such member shall be subject to the rules of this retirement system.

   (2) At the time the membership of a person subject to Article 10 of this chapter transfers to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, this retirement system shall:

      (A) Calculate the accumulated benefit using the service and compensation at the time of the transfer;

      (B) Calculate the present value of the accrued benefit using methods and assumptions adopted by the board of trustees; and

      (C) Transfer to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia the greater of the present value of the accumulated benefit or the balance of the employee contributions and interest.

   (3) All service transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be calculated as credit in this retirement system for all purposes in this retirement system.

   (4) This retirement system and the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia shall recalculate the accumulated benefit of any person transferred between such retirement systems from January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, according to the methods prescribed by this subsection.

Ga. L. 1962, p. 54, § 8; Ga. L. 1968, p. 1407, § 2; Ga. L. 1973, p. 900, § 10; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 47; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1110, § 2; Ga. L. 1998, p. 775, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1273, § 1; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1051, § 1/SB 286.