2710

LAWS OF MARYLAND

[Ch. 557

MARYLAND, That Section 3(5) of Article 73B - Pensions, of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Replacement Volume
and 1974 Supplement) be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

Article 73B — Pensions

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; 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 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
expiration of their respective terms. All such officials
shall be entitled to credit for previous service rendered
by them to the state, or a participating municipal
corporation, including service rendered prior to the
establishment of the Employees' Retirement System. 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 during 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 any amount due from the State in
the appropriation allowed by the next ensuing State
budget.

Any such official who receives membership service
credit for service rendered to the State or to a
participating municipal corporation under the provisions
of this subsection shall pay to the retirement system by
single payment, within such period of time as may be
determined by the board of trustees, the contributions,
with interest, which he would have paid had he been a
member of the retirement system but withdrew. Provided,
however, that any such member may waive the payment of