(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), the optional death benefit plan established by the board of trustees of the Kansas public employees retirement system under subsection (6) of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-4927 and amendments thereto shall be available to all persons who are members of the Kansas police and firemen’s retirement system and who have not retired thereunder, subject to and in accordance with all provisions of that statute and in the same manner that the plan is made available to other employees of the state under that statute, notwithstanding any provision of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 40-433 and amendments thereto or other section of the insurance code of the state of Kansas and amendments thereto.

(2) Any employer other than the state of Kansas which is currently a participating employer of the Kansas police and firemen’s retirement system or is in the process of affiliating with the Kansas police and firemen’s retirement system may also elect to affiliate for the purposes of subsection (6) of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-4927 and amendments thereto. All such employers shall make application for affiliation with such system in the manner provided by Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-4910 and amendments thereto, to be effective on January 1 next following application. Such optional death benefit plan shall not be available for employees of employers specified under this subsection until after July 1, 1988.