(a) Each registrar shall receive a salary in the amount of eighty dollars ($80) per day for each day's attendance upon business of the board, to be paid by the state and disbursed to the county commissions and disbursed by the county commissions to each registrar on order of a quorum of the board of registrars of the county. The state Comptroller shall issue to each county commission on a monthly basis an amount sufficient to fund these payments plus the employer share of the Social Security or Federal Insurance Corporation Act tax. The county commission will provide to the state Comptroller an invoice itemized to reflect payments made. If a legal holiday falls on a day the board is to be in session, and the courthouse of the county is closed for the holiday, the board of registrars shall be compensated for the holiday. Each registrar shall receive a mileage allowance equal to the amount allowed state employees or employees of the county, whichever is greater, for official travel in the course of attending the business of the board, including attending continuing education programs. Travel and other expenses shall be paid by the county commissions to the boards of registrars and the state shall reimburse the county commissions based on a written request submitted by the county commissions to the state Comptroller.

(b) The provisions of this section regarding travel mileage shall not apply in any county having a population of 600,000 or more inhabitants according to the 1970 or any succeeding federal decennial census, and any currently effective local law or general law of local application regarding travel mileage for registrars in the county shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be repealed by operation of this chapter.

(c) Members of the boards of registrars of this state are hereby declared to be state employees for the purposes of Chapter 28 of Title 36.

(d) Members of the boards of registrars of this state shall be treated as equals with other state and county employees in regard to Social Security protection and benefits.

(e) All payments by a county to any member of a county board of registrars (except for mileage or reimbursement for expenses) shall be treated for Social Security purposes equally with payments by that county to other county employees of the county.

(f) The state office for Social Security and the state Comptroller and each county commission are directed to take all necessary action to insure that members of the boards of registrars of this state are treated as other state and county employees in regard to Social Security protection and benefits as provided in Chapter 28 of Title 36, including, if necessary, amending the federal-state agreement referred to in Chapter 28 of Title 36, to implement the intent of the Legislature as expressed herein.

(g) No county commission may reduce the current county supplement upon the effect of this section by implementation of Act 94-693.

(h) A county commission may allow the chair or any member of the county board of registrars who has served at least 16 years in that position to participate in any health insurance program provided by the county upon the same terms, conditions, and employee contributions as required for county employees.

This subsection shall not apply to any health insurance plans administered by the State of Alabama as described in Title 36, Chapter 29 and Title 11, Chapter 91A.