Whenever any member affected by this chapter terminates his or her employment prior to the completion of twenty-five years of service he or she shall receive seventy-five percent of his or her contributions made after *the effective date of this act and he or she shall not receive any contributions made prior thereto: PROVIDED, That in the case of any member who has completed twenty years of service, such member, upon termination for any cause except for a conviction of a felony, shall have the option of electing, in lieu of recovery of his or her contributions as herein provided, to be classified as a vested member in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Written notice of such election shall be filed with the board within thirty days after the effective date of such member's termination;

(2) During the period between the date of his or her termination and the date upon which he or she becomes a retired member as hereinafter provided, such vested member and his or her spouse or dependent children shall be entitled to all benefits available under chapter 41.20 RCW to a retired member and his or her spouse or dependent children with the exception of the service retirement allowance as herein provided for: PROVIDED, That any claim for medical coverage under RCW 41.20.120 shall be attributable to service connected illness or injury;

(3) Any member electing to become a vested member shall be entitled at such time as he or she otherwise would have completed twenty-five years of service had he or she not terminated, to receive a service retirement allowance computed on the following basis: Two percent of the amount of salary at any time hereafter attached to the position held by the vested member for the year preceding the date of his or her termination, for each year of service rendered prior to the date of his or her termination. At such time the vested member shall be regarded as a retired member and, in addition to the retirement allowance herein provided for, shall continue to be entitled to all such other benefits as are by chapter 41.20 RCW made available to retired members.

*Reviser's note: The words "the effective date of this act" first appear in 1955 c 69 s 4, which became effective midnight June 8, 1955.