(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary and beginning on November 1, 1982, any of the following employees who are not eligible for social security coverage shall be eligible for early service retirement upon the completion of ten (10) years of membership service in a position covered by a local retirement system as provided for in chapter 35, part 3 of this title; the Tennessee consolidated retirement system; or a superseded system:

(1) General employee;
(2) Firefighter or police officer;
(3) Teacher; and
(4) Member of a local retirement system.
(b) The retirement allowance, as provided under this section, shall be computed as a service retirement allowance and reduced by the greater of:

(1) Four-tenths of one percent (0.4%) for each month by which the date of early service retirement precedes the service retirement date; or
(2) An actuarial equivalent of the retirement allowance.