(a) This section shall apply only to the employees and executive staff members of the Tennessee Valley Rehabilitation Center, Inc., who were active and contributing members of the Teachers' Retirement System on August 1, 1994 through John C. Calhoun Community College.

(b) The Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Rehabilitation Center, Inc., may, by resolution legally adopted to conform to the rules prescribed by the Board of Control of the Teachers' Retirement System, elect to have the full-time employees and executive staff members as defined in subsection (a), from whatever source and in whatever manner paid, become eligible to participate in the Teachers' Retirement System, subject to all rules, regulations, and conditions of the system.

(c) When an election is made to join the Teachers' Retirement System pursuant to subsection (b), the full-time employees and executive staff members of the Tennessee Valley Rehabilitation Center, Inc., as defined in subsection (a) may participate in and be entitled to all benefits of the Teachers' Retirement System, provided that where contributions are made from salaries paid to the employees and staff members by the Tennessee Valley Rehabilitation Center, Inc., the employer costs as a percentage of the aforementioned salaries are contributed by the center as the employer to the Teachers' Retirement System in accordance with Section 16-25-21. The employer contributions shall be paid monthly to the system at the same time as the contributions of the members are made to the system.

(d) The resolution for membership in the Teachers' Retirement System adopted pursuant to subsection (b) may also include a provision for all service rendered by an eligible employee or executive staff member from September 1, 1994, to the effective date of the election of the Tennessee Valley Rehabilitation Center, Inc., to participate in the system to be creditable service for the full-time employee or executive staff member in the system. Such a provision shall apply only to the full-time employees and executive staff members of the center who are in the active service of the center on the effective date of the election of the group to be covered under the system, and the resolution shall also state that the center, as the employer, shall assume and pay all costs required to fund the credit for the prior service in the amount for the costs as determined by the actuary employed by the board of control of the system.