(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a school member who is on an approved leave of absence to serve as an elected officer of an employee organization pursuant to Section 45210 or 88210 of the Education Code, shall receive the service credit he or she would have received if he or she were not on leave, and shall have benefits he or she is entitled to under this part, based upon the salary that he or she would receive if he or she were not on leave. Both the member and his or her employer shall contribute to the retirement fund the amount that would have been contributed had the member not been on leave.
(b) The school employer shall verify the eligibility of the applicant for the elected officer’s leave of absence. Service credited pursuant to this section shall not exceed 12 years.
(c) The employer shall maintain the necessary records to separately identify each employee receiving service credit pursuant to this section.