308                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 130

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1969.

Approved April 9, 1969.

CHAPTER 130
(Senate Bill 513)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 3 (5) of
Article 73B of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967 Replace-
ment Volume), title "Pensions," subtitle "In General," to provide
that membership in the State Retirement System shall be optional
for employees of the Governor's Office.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 3 (5) of Article 73B of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1967 Replacement Volume), title "Pensions," subtitle "In General,"
be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

3.

(5) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article,
membership in the retirement system shall be optional with any class
of officials elected or appointed for fixed terms; or with any employees
of the Governor's Office or with any desk officer or employee of either
house of the General Assembly who receives an annual salary as his
compensation for such employment, who shall be deemed to be an
appointed official within the application of this subsection. All officials
elected or appointed for fixed terms on or after July 1, 1957, may
become members of the system upon making application therefor at
any time after their elections or appointment and before the expira-
tion of their respective terms. All such officials shall be entitled to
credit for previous service rendered by them to the State, or a par-
ticipating municipal corporation, including service rendered prior
to the establishment of the Employees' Retirement System. If any
such official is entitled to a pension or retirement allowance under
the provisions of any other law, and such pension or retirement
allowance is supported wholly or in part by the State of Maryland,
except benefits from social security, such official shall be deemed to
have waived the benefits thereof by accepting the payment of benefits
under this Article. Upon receiving a claim for such service credit
from the official, the board of trustees of the retirement system shall
verify the fact of such previous employment and the creditable
service to which the member is entitled, compute the amount due
from such political subdivision for which credit is claimed, and
submit a statement to the participating municipal corporation for
such amount, such computation to be based upon the compensation
actually received by the official from the municipal corporation dur-
ing the period for which service is to be credited. The participating
municipal corporation is authorized and directed forthwith to pay
the said amount to the retirement system or to place it in the next
ensuing budget for prompt payment when that budget becomes
effective. The board of trustees is authorized and directed to include
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