GA Code § 47-3-81 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 47 - Retirement and Pensions|Chapter 3 - Teachers Retirement System of Georgia|Article 5 - Service Creditable Toward Retirement Benefits|§ 47-3-81. Transfer of Service Credits From Employees' Retirement System of Georgia; Limitations; Additional Contributions or Adjustments Required

  Any other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, any member, other than a member subject to subsection (b) of this Code section, who was previously a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia and who has service credits with said employees' retirement system may have such service credits and accumulated contributions under said employees' retirement system transferred to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. Any member who elects to transfer such service credits and accumulated contributions shall notify the board of trustees of this retirement system in writing of the member's election to do so. Such transferred service credits shall not be used in determining the qualifications of a member for benefits other than vested rights, disability, death, or normal service retirement. Such member shall be required to make additional contributions to this retirement system so that the member's annuity account balance will be the same as though the member had been a member of this retirement system during the period of time for which service credits are transferred from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia to this retirement system or, in the absence of such payment, the board of trustees shall adjust the member's credits in proportion to the accumulated contributions transferred from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia to this retirement system. The Employees' Retirement System of Georgia shall pay an employer contribution plus regular interest to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia for each member transferring service credits and accumulated contributions to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia authorized in this Code section. The amount of such employer contributions shall be 6 percent of the reported compensation of the member while a member of said employees' retirement system. The employees' retirement system shall pay an additional amount of retirement contributions pursuant to Code Section 47-2-51 for an employees' retirement system member covered by Code Section 47-2-334. This payment shall be placed in the pension accumulation fund and will adjust the amount of employee retirement contributions required for service credit.     Any provision of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, any vested member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia who becomes a teacher may, at his or her option, elect to remain a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia.   If a person subject to this subsection elects to remain a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, the employer and teacher shall make all contributions to such retirement system and perform such other acts as are required by law or regulation.   If a person subject to this subsection does not elect to remain a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, he or she shall become a member of this retirement system subject to all provisions of this chapter.   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 Employees' 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 a teacher, whichever date is later. Once made, the election shall be irrevocable.   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.       At the time the membership of a person subject to Article 10 of Chapter 2 of this title is transferred from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia to this retirement system, this retirement system shall receive the funds transferred from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia pursuant to Code Section 47-2-181 and, as applicable, add the accrued benefit transferred from the Employees' 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.   At the time the membership of a member of this retirement system transfers to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia and is subject to Article 10 of Chapter 2 of this title, this retirement system shall:   Calculate the accumulated benefit using the service and compensation at the time of the transfer;   Calculate the present value of the accrued benefit using methods and assumptions adopted by the board of trustees; and   Transfer to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia the greater of the present value of the accumulated benefit or the balance of the employee contributions and interest.     All service transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be calculated as credit in this retirement system for all purposes in this retirement system.   This retirement system and the Employees' 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. 723, § 16; Ga. L. 1966, p. 513, § 4; Ga. L. 1968, p. 1405, § 2; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1543, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1105, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 775, § 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1273, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 21, § 1; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1051, § 4/SB 286.)    The 2012 amendment,  effective July 1, 2012, added subsection (c).   OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL   Transferability of forfeited leave.    - Forfeited leave cannot be established as creditable service under the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 47-2-91 prior to retirement and therefore, it is not transferable to the Teachers Retirement System pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 47-3-81. 1985 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 85-8.   RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 60A Am. Jur. 2d, Pensions and Retirement Funds, §§ 1174, 1183 et seq., 1226 et seq., 1231 et seq.   C.J.S.   - 67 C.J.S., Officers and Public Employees, § 311 et seq. 78 C.J.S., Schools and School Districts, § 481 et seq.