Notwithstanding the provisions of section 43:1-1 of the Revised Statutes, any employee of a city of the first class as defined in the article to which this is a supplement who at the time of the effective date of this act is ineligible to the benefits of said article by reason of having accepted employment after reaching the age of 40 years and who was at the time of accepting such employment under the age of 55 years and had prior service in any other elective or appointive State or county office or position, may within 2 months after this act becomes effective become a member of the fund established for employees of said cities of the first class by article 2 of chapter 13 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes.
N.J.S. § 43:13-1.1