(1)

(a) Any law enforcement officer or fireman who has been covered under this article or under Section 21-29-101 et seq., Section 21-29-201 et seq., or Section 25-13-1 et seq., and who changes his employment from one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction, or has previously made that change, may elect to transfer retirement service credit earned while covered under the retirement system of the former jurisdiction to that of the latter as provided in this section.

(b) Any law enforcement officer or fireman transferring as described in paragraph (a) of this subsection and having paid retirement funds under this article or under Section 21-29-101 et seq., Section 21-29-201 et seq., or Section 25-13-1 et seq., must pay into the retirement system to which he is transferring the full amount of employee contributions that he would have paid into that system if he had been a member of that system for each year of creditable service that is being transferred, together with regular interest that would have been earned by that system on those contributions, and he must also pay, or the system from which he is transferring must pay, into the system to which he is being transferred, an amount equal to that which the employer would have paid if he had been a member of that system for each year transferred, together with regular interest that would have been earned by that system on those contributions. The retirement system from which he is being transferred shall be required to pay into the system to which he is transferring any funds credited to his account. Any additional funds that may be required shall be paid by the person being transferred. Those payments may be made in quarterly increments. Failure to make these proper adjustment payments will void any transfer of service credits.

(2) The benefits that are being currently paid by the system in which the law enforcement officer or fireman has last been a member, and the requirements for retirement or disability benefits, shall be those applicable to the officer falling under the provisions of this section. Any law enforcement officer or fireman who elects to transfer retirement service credit may immediately transfer the funds and service as provided for in subsection (1) of this section; however, the amounts that are transferred by the law enforcement officer or fireman and his employer, if applicable, and the service credit related to the transfer of funds, shall not be used in any benefit calculation or determination of eligibility for benefits until the person has remained a contributing member of the retirement system to which he is transferring for the minimum period necessary to qualify for a monthly retirement allowance or benefit. Upon the complete transfer and payment of that credit, all time spent in the covered law enforcement or fire department service, as noted above, within and for the State of Mississippi or the political subdivisions thereof, shall apply to the time required by law necessary to effect the retirement or disability of the officer.