Section 47-2-320. Membership in retirement system of officers and employees of GeorgiaNet Authority; creditable service; contributions

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

   (1) "GeorgiaNet Authority" or "authority" means the GeorgiaNet Authority established by Chapter 25 of Title 50.

   (2) "Officer or employee" means the executive director of the authority and any other full-time employee of the authority employed pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of Code Section 50-25-2.

   (3) "Proof of prior employment" means pay records, income tax withholding records, or other records of the authority which are sufficient to establish to the satisfaction of the board of trustees the prior employment record of an officer or employee of the authority.

(b) Effective July 1, 1992, or on the date of employment, each officer or employee of the authority shall become a member of the retirement system.

(c) (1) This subsection shall apply only to an officer or employee of the authority holding office or employed on July 1, 1992, who, prior to becoming such an officer or employee was a member of the retirement system and whose contributions to the retirement system have not been withdrawn.

   (2) An officer or employee of the authority who is subject to the provisions of this subsection shall, upon furnishing proof of prior employment to the board of trustees, be eligible to receive creditable service under this retirement system for prior employment as an officer or employee of the authority, subject to the requirements of this subsection. Any such officer or employee must pay to the board of trustees the employee contributions which would have been paid during the period of prior employment if the officer or employee had been a member of the retirement system during such period. The authority shall be authorized to pay from any funds available to the authority the employer contributions which would have been paid during such period of prior employment. For a member claiming creditable service for prior employment under this subsection, the board of trustees shall determine the period of time that the payments to the board of trustees provided for under this subsection will fund as creditable service under the retirement system without creating any additional accrued liability of the retirement system. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, the amount of creditable service so determined shall be the creditable service to which the member is entitled.

   (3) The authority shall be authorized to supplement, if necessary, the payments made to the board of trustees under paragraph (2) of this subsection in an amount, as determined by the board of trustees, which will fully fund as creditable service the total amount of prior employment of the officer or employee without creating any additional accrued liability of the retirement system. If such supplement is paid to the board of trustees by the authority, the officer or employee shall receive full creditable service under the retirement system for all prior employment as an officer or employee of the authority.

   (4) An officer or employee of the authority who is subject to the provisions of this subsection shall have the same membership status under the retirement system which the person had during the person's previous service as a member of the retirement system. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the right of an officer or employee of the authority who is subject to the provisions of this subsection to retain or reestablish creditable service for previous service as a member of the retirement system.

(d) Any officer or employee of the authority who was already a member of the retirement system on July 1, 1992, and any member of the retirement system who, without any break in service, becomes an officer or employee of the authority on or after July 1, 1992, shall continue in the same membership status without any interruption in membership service and without the loss of any creditable service.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, an officer or employee of the authority becoming a member of the retirement system pursuant to the provisions of this Code section shall be subject to the provisions of Code Section 47-2-334.

(f) All employer contributions, including employee contributions made by the employer on behalf of members, which are required by this chapter shall be made for members who are subject to the provisions of this Code section from funds appropriated to or otherwise available for the operation of the GeorgiaNet Authority. The authority shall deduct from the salaries payable to such members the additional employee contributions required by this chapter.

Code 1981, § 47-2-320, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2117, § 1.