TITLE 47 RETIREMENT AND PENSIONS

Section 1. General Provisions, 47-1-1 through 47-1-86.

ARTICLE 2 RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS ON MEMBERSHIP IN PUBLIC RETIREMENT OR PENSION SYSTEMS

47-1-22.1. Rights and benefits of employees convicted of drug related crimes.

1. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, this Code section shall not apply to any public employee in service on July 1, 1990, and shall apply only to those public employees entering public service after July 1, 1990.A public employee in service on July 1, 1990, who ceases to be a public employee and terminates his or her membership in a public retirement system after that date and who subsequently again becomes a public employee shall be subject to the provisions of this Code section, beginning with the date of such subsequent employment.Any person who was a public employee prior to July 1, 1990, and who ceased to be a public employee and terminated his or her membership in a public retirement system prior to that date shall be subject to the provisions of this Code section if such person again becomes a public employee after July 1, 1990, beginning with the date of such subsequent employment.
2. If a public employee who is not vested under a public retirement system commits a drug related crime and is convicted for the commission of such crime, such public employee shall forfeit all rights and benefits under and membership in the public retirement system in which the employee is not a vested member, effective on the date of final conviction.Any such public employee shall not at any time after such final conviction be eligible for membership in any public retirement system.Any employee contributions made by any such public employee to any public retirement system in which the employee is not a vested member shall be reimbursed, without interest, to the public employee within 60 days after the date of final conviction for the commission of the drug related crime.
3. If a public employee who is vested under a public retirement system commits a drug related crime, such employee's active membership in any public retirement system shall terminate on the date of final conviction and such employee shall not at any time thereafter be eligible for active membership in any public retirement system.For any such public employee, the right to any benefit or any other right under any public retirement system in which the employee is a vested member shall be determined as of the date of final conviction.
4. The provisions of Code Section 47-1-23 shall apply to a public employee charged with the commission of a drug related crime in the same manner that they apply to a public employee charged with the commission of a public employment related crime.

(Code 1981, §47-1-22.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2019, § 2.)