Florida/Georgia Personal Injury & Workers Compensation

...artment of Agriculture, as a cooperative extension employee. At that time, he was required to join and contribute to TRS and to the Federal Civil Service Retirement System (GSRS). In 1961, the Florida Legislature enacted what *502 is now codified as § 238.13(2), which provides that employees covered by CSRS shall not be members of TRS except that those hired before 1961 may elect to remain participants in TRS....

...In 1973, the Legislature enacted § 121.051(7), which provides that personnel participating in CSRS are prohibited from participating in any retirement or social security program or act administered by the state “except those members covered under s. 238.13, as of November 30, 1970.” (Emphasis supplied.) Appellant paid into CSRS until November 23, 1978, when he was forced to resign because he accepted a non-federal position....

...ed States Civil Service from becoming creditable under any state retirement or social security program. The sole exception provided for continued participation in TRS by those cooperative extension personnel participating in that system by virtue of § 238.13....

...the United States Department of Agriculture and was governed by the requirements of the Federal Civil Service. That decision was upheld in Beem v. Division of Retirement of Department of Administration, 379 So.2d 214 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979). In our view, § 238.13(2) merely allows employees hired before 1961 to maintain their memberships in TRS. Section 121.051(7) allows only one type of dual participation in CSRS and a state retirement program. That statute allows only those employees who were allowed pursuant to § 238.13(2) to continue to participate in TRS while contributing to CSRS to remain in that program....