(a) The governing body of the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation may, by resolution legally adopted to conform to the rules prescribed by the Board of Control of the Teachers' Retirement System, elect to have its executive officers and full-time employees, from whatever source and in whatever manner paid, become eligible to participate in the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama, subject to all rules, regulations, and conditions thereof.

(b) The governing body of the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation, having made an election through a resolution as provided in subsection (a), its employees and executive officers may participate in and be entitled to all benefits of the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama; provided, that where contributions are made from salaries paid by the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation, the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation shall pay the employer cost, calculated as a percentage of the salaries of those employees, to be contributed as employer contributions in accordance with Section 16-25-21. Such amount shall be paid monthly and at the same time as the members' contributions are made to the Teachers' Retirement System.

(c) The governing body of the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation may provide in its resolution to the Teachers' Retirement System's Board of Control that all service rendered by an eligible employee or executive officer to said foundation, previous to the effective date of said foundation's election to come under the Teachers' Retirement System, shall be creditable service to such employee or executive officer; provided, that any such provision shall apply only to those employees and officers who were in the active service of the foundation on the effective date of said foundation's election to be covered under the Teachers' Retirement System; and provided further, that the said resolution also states that the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation shall assume and pay, as required, all costs necessary to fund the crediting of such previous service, such costs to be determined by the actuary employed by the Teachers' Retirement System Board of Control. All benefits that accrue and are payable to any beneficiary hereunder shall be limited to, and shall not exceed, the amount paid in by the beneficiary and the employer plus his portion of the interest earned and the enhancement of his moneys by investing them, less cost of administration, at no cost to the State of Alabama.