Section 31-C. Participation by the Metropolitan Reference and Research Library Agency

a. The Metropolitan  Reference  and  Research  Library
  Agency  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 agency 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 agency shall  be  credited  with
  such  periods  of prior service as shall be certified by such agency for
  service rendered to it, or the state, or in any other capacity  approved
  by  such  agency  and the comptroller. Service for such agency 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  agency
  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 agency on account of such officer or employee for any
  prior service credit and any such previous credit.