State and County Officers and Employees’ Retirement System; consolidation; divisions.

(1) Former chapter 121, the State Officers and Employees’ Compulsory Retirement System, and former chapter 134, the County Officers and Employees’ Compulsory Retirement System, are hereby consolidated and shall be known as the “State and County Officers and Employees’ Retirement System.”

(2) Any person who is employed after the effective date of this chapter, July 1, 1955, by a county having a retirement system shall be a compulsory member of this retirement system unless he or she becomes a member of a local county retirement system at the time of employment.

(3) The rights of members of the retirement system established by former chapters 121 and 134, Florida Statutes, shall not be impaired, nor shall their benefits be reduced by virtue of any part of this chapter.

(4)(a) The State and County Officers and Employees’ Retirement System shall be deemed to be divided into two divisions to be designated division A and division B.

1. Division A of this system shall consist of those members of the system who were employed prior to July 1, 1963, who did not elect to become members of division B; and ss. 122.01-122.12, 122.15, 122.16, 122.18 to 122.20, inclusive and ss. 122.34 to 122.35, inclusive shall control with respect to division A and membership therein.

2. Division B of this system, established for the purposes and within the contemplation of s. 218(d)(6) of the federal Social Security Act [42 U.S.C.A. s. 418(d)(6)] for the purpose of affording to the members of said division B the opportunity to obtain federal social security coverage, shall consist of those members of the system who elected to or were required to become members of division B, as hereinafter provided, and ss. 122.21-122.24, 122.26 to 122.321 shall control with respect to division B and membership therein.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this chapter, s. 122.34 shall apply with respect to sheriffs and high hazard deputy sheriffs, as provided for herein, to the extent that the provisions of such sections are at variance or in conflict with the sections otherwise applicable, and with respect to members who are classified as “high hazard” members as hereinafter defined, the provisions of ss. 122.03, 122.08, 122.27, and 122.28 shall be subject to the provisions of s. 122.34.

(5) Notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, the provisions of this chapter relating to age for retirement under s. 122.08 shall be subject to amendment or modification by subsequent legislation at any time and all other provisions of this chapter relating to the administration of the system or to the duties, rights, privileges, requirements, and benefits of those persons who become members on or after July 1, 1963, shall be subject to amendment, modification, deletion or substitution by act of the 1965 Legislature of the state and all such legislation shall apply retroactively to July 1, 1963, with respect to those persons who become members on or after July 1, 1963; provided, however, that such legislation shall not set the age for retirement, as specified in s. 122.08(1) to exceed the age of 65 years, nor shall such legislation affect any benefit which becomes payable to, or with respect to, such members prior to July 1, 1965.