§ 602. Eligibility for service retirement benefits; minimum service requirements. a. Except as provided in subdivision b-1 of this section, 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. Except as provided in subdivision b-1 of this section, 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.

b-1. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision a or b of this section or any other provision of law to the contrary, (i) a member of the New York city teachers' retirement system who holds a position represented by the recognized teacher organization for collective bargaining purposes, and who became subject to the provisions of this article after the effective date of this subdivision, or (ii) a member of the New York city board of education retirement system who holds a position represented by the recognized teacher organization for collective bargaining purposes, and who became subject to the provisions of this article after the effective date of this subdivision, shall not be eligible for service retirement benefits hereunder until such member has rendered a minimum of five years of credited service.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision a or b of this section or any other provision of law to the contrary, a member who first joins a public retirement system of the state on or after April first, two thousand twelve shall not be eligible for service retirement benefits hereunder until such member has rendered a minimum of five years of credited service.

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.