(a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System is directed to include within the membership of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System, as created by this chapter, all employees of conservation districts organized and operating under the provisions of this chapter.

(b) (1) (A) The effective date of membership of the employees in the system shall be July 1, 1973.

(B) The employees enrolled in the system shall be subject to the rights, privileges, and limitations prescribed in this chapter.

(2) Every such employee shall become a member of the system as a condition of continuing or obtaining employment with any conservation district.

(c) Any employee included within the membership of the system pursuant to this section shall be given credit for service rendered prior to July 1, 1957, as an employee of a public employer, as defined in § 24-4-101, or as an employee of a conservation district organized and operating under this chapter, if the employee was so employed on July 1, 1957, and on July 1, 1973.

(d) (1) (A) Any employee included within the membership of the system by this section who is an employee of a conservation district on July 1, 1973, may apply for and receive current service credit for service rendered as an employee of a public employer, as defined in § 24-4-101, or as an employee of a conservation district from July 1, 1957, to July 1, 1973.

(B) The employee shall receive credit only if the employee pays or causes to be paid to the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System Fund all necessary contributions, at the rate of four percent (4%) for the employee and four percent (4%) for the employer from July 1, 1957, to July 1, 1967, four percent (4%) for the employee and five percent (5%) for the employer from July 1, 1967, to July 1, 1969, and five percent (5%) for the employee and seven percent (7%) for the employer from July 1, 1969, to July 1, 1973, that would have been paid had the employee been a member of the system during that time.

(2) Interest at the rate of four percent (4%) per annum compounded annually from July 1, 1957, shall be paid on all contributions, which shall be paid in full on or before July 1, 1974.

(e) Each conservation district shall pay into the fund such sums of money as are necessary to match the contributions of its employees in the same form and manner as other public employers and shall be subject to all the provisions of this chapter, to the same extent as other public employers.