(a) The executive director and his deputy director, division directors, and other employees shall be considered state employees in the unclassified service of the merit system for the purposes of benefits administered by the merit system and for retirement purposes.

(b) Upon the assignment of the licenses held by the prior Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission to the commission created by this chapter, pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 20-13-8, all current positions and all officers and employees previously employed, assigned, or delegated by the Department of Education and the board of regents to the prior Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission shall be transferred to the commission created by this chapter. Certain employees from the Foundation for Public Broadcasting in Georgia who have functioned in support positions in the foundation for the benefit of the state and the prior Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission shall be employed by the commission created by this chapter subject to the operating needs of the commission.

(c) All employees of the Department of Education transferred to the commission by the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section shall retain all accumulated sick and annual leave and shall be entitled to retain membership in the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia and to retain any and all rights under said retirement plan.

(d) All employees of the board of regents transferred to the commission by the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section shall retain all accumulated sick and annual leave and shall be entitled to retain membership in the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia and to retain any and all rights under said retirement plan.

(e) All employees or officers hired or appointed by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission on or after July 1, 1990, shall be members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia as a condition of employment. All employees and officers of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission who are not already members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia may elect to become members on or after July 1, 1990. Any officer or employee of the commission who is already a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia by virtue of services with another employer shall be entitled to credit for his services and shall not suffer any loss of credit to which he is otherwise entitled. There shall be paid from the funds appropriated or otherwise available for the operation of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission all employer contributions required under this subsection, including employer's social security contributions. The commencement date shall be July 1, 1990.