Section 602. Eligibility for service retirement benefits; minimum service requirements

a. A member who first joins a public retirement system  of
  this  state  on  or after July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six shall
  not be eligible for service retirement  benefits  hereunder  until  such
  member has rendered a minimum of five years of credited service.
    b.  A member who previously was a member of a public retirement system
  of this state shall not be  eligible  for  service  retirement  benefits
  hereunder  until  such  member  has  rendered a minimum of five years of
  service which is credited pursuant to section six hundred nine  of  this
  article.
    c.  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of this section, if a member
  attains mandatory  retirement  age,  the  minimum  service  requirements
  specified in this section shall be five years.
    d.  Upon  the first day of the month after the attainment of mandatory
  retirement age, a member shall be separated from service whether or  not
  eligible  for service retirement hereunder; provided, however, that this
  requirement shall not preclude a member from being continued in  service
  beyond  such  mandatory  retirement  age  pursuant  to  other applicable
  provisions of law and provided further, however, that  this  requirement
  shall  not  preclude  a  school  district  from  permitting a teacher to
  continue in service to the end of  the  school  year  should  a  teacher
  attain  age  seventy  within  the  period  September  first through June
  thirtieth of such school year.
    * NB Expires June 30, 2011