Change of positions; election of retirement systems; exceptions.

(1)(a) Any person who is a participant in any state or county retirement system, who changes his or her position or employment, or who is reclassified so that under any existing law such person would participate in a different retirement system, may continue to participate and come under the same retirement system in which he or she participated or came under before changing positions or being reclassified so long as such person remains in the employ of the state or county and continues to make the contributions required by law.

(b) Any member of the Duval County Employees Pension Fund who becomes an elected state or county official, certified by the Department of State, may become a member of the State and County Officers and Employees’ Retirement System as a new member upon assuming office, however, no prior service shall be allowed unless such official withdraws from the Duval County Employees Pension Fund, the same to be certified by Duval County, and complies with s. 122.03.

(2) The provisions of this section shall supersede any existing law relating to state and county retirement systems or pensions, provided nothing herein shall be construed to apply to state Supreme Court justices, or circuit judges who are members of another state retirement system applicable to Supreme Court justices or circuit judges, nor to members of the Department of Public Safety Retirement System nor to members of Duval County Employees’ Pension Fund as provided in chapter 23259, Acts of 1945, as amended by chapters 27520 and 27523, Acts of 1951.