(a) Any member who became a member by operation of Code Section 47-2-242 or 47-2-243 shall be eligible to obtain creditable service for all prior service as an officer or employee of a state court judge or a superior court judge while covered by a retirement or pension system operated by a county for county employees if such person has not yet begun receiving a retirement or disability benefit from such retirement or pension system.

(b) To obtain creditable service under this Code section, the member must apply to the board of trustees not later than December 31, 2000, or within six months after becoming a member, whichever date is later, and must provide such evidence of such prior service as the board deems necessary. Upon notification in writing by the board of trustees of this retirement system, the board of trustees or other managing body of the local retirement or pension system shall transfer to this retirement system accumulated employer contributions and accumulated interest thereon which have been credited by the local retirement or pension system to each employee, and thereafter such person shall not be entitled to receive a benefit from such local retirement or pension system.

(c) Upon receipt of the funds provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, the trustees shall grant to the member such creditable service as such amount will provide without creating any accrued liability, as a result of granting such creditable service, against this retirement system. If the amount of creditable service so obtained is less than the actual number of years of eligible service, the member is authorized, but not required, to obtain the difference by paying to the board of trustees an amount sufficient to grant such creditable service without creating any accrued liability, as a result of granting such creditable service, against this retirement system.