§ 47-1-9 - Crediting of time toward Georgia Legislative Retirement System; restriction on crediting; options for members; refund of contributions; construction of conflicting provisions - Georgia Statutes

O.C.G.A. 47-1-9 (2010)
47-1-9. Crediting of time toward Georgia Legislative Retirement System; restriction on crediting; options for members; refund of contributions; construction of conflicting provisions

(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this Code section, any member of the General Assembly holding office on January 1, 1986, may obtain creditable service for membership in the General Assembly obtained on and after that date only for the purposes of the Georgia Legislative Retirement System, and no service as a member of the General Assembly which is obtained after December 31, 1985, by any such member shall be creditable or used as creditable service for the purposes of any other public retirement or pension system of this state.

(b) (1) Subject to the limitations of paragraph (2) of this subsection, the provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply to any member of the General Assembly holding office on January 1, 1986, who:

(A) Was a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia on that date; and

(B) Received annual compensation as a member and officer of the General Assembly during calendar year 1985, on which employee contributions to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia were based, exceeding the average annual compensation of all members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia for calendar year 1985.

(2) Any member of the General Assembly subject to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection who continues to receive annual compensation on and after January 1, 1986, as a member and officer of the General Assembly exceeding the average annual compensation of all members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia may continue membership in said retirement system.

(c) Any person becoming a member of the General Assembly after December 31, 1985, shall be eligible to obtain creditable service as a member of the General Assembly only for the purposes of the Georgia Legislative Retirement System, and no service as a member of the General Assembly which is obtained on or after January 1, 1986, by any such person shall be creditable or used as creditable service for the purposes of any other public retirement or pension system of this state.

(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of Chapter 6 of this title or any other law, any member of the General Assembly may withdraw from membership in the Georgia Legislative Retirement System and receive a refund of contributions to such system under Code Section 47-6-85. Any member exercising the option provided by this subsection may not at any time thereafter reestablish membership in the Georgia Legislative Retirement System or become a member of any public retirement or pension system while serving as a member of the General Assembly.

(e) The provisions of this Code section shall control over conflicting or inconsistent provisions of any other law of this state, specifically including any law relating to any public retirement or pension system of this state. It is the intention of the General Assembly that this Code section may not be repealed, superseded, or modified by implication through the enactment of any other law or through the amendment of any existing law, and any modification or repeal of the requirements of this Code section shall be accomplished only by amendment to or repeal of this specific Code section.