Section 31-B. Participation by the Upper Hudson Library System

a. The
  Upper Hudson Library System may, by resolution adopted by its  board  of
  trustees  and  approved  by the comptroller, elect to participate in the
  retirement system. Acceptance of its employees  for  membership  in  the
  retirement  system  shall  be  optional  with the comptroller, who shall
  determine the amounts of contribution payable by  such  system  and  its
  employees,  shall  resolve  questions  of  credit for prior service, and
  shall in all other respects assure that such employees  share  the  same
  rights,  obligations  and  benefits  as  other members of the retirement
  system.
    b. The officers and employees of such system shall  be  credited  with
  such  periods  of prior service as shall be certified by such system for
  service rendered to it, or the state, or in any other capacity  approved
  by  such  system  and the comptroller. Service for such system after the
  date on which it commences to participate in the retirement system shall
  be considered as member service. An officer or employee of  such  system
  who,  as  of  the  date  he  or she is so approved for membership in the
  retirement system, is already a member thereof, shall not  have  his  or
  her  total  credit reduced by such approval. Any reserve held on account
  of any such officer or employee in the pension accumulation  fund  shall
  be  used  as  an  offset  against  the  deficiency  contribution payable
  thereafter by such system on account of such officer or employee for any
  prior service credit and any such previous credit.