(3) Each participating employer shall pick up under the provisions of Section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and pay the contribution which the member is required by law to make to the System for all compensation earned after December 31, 1988. Although the contributions so picked up are designated as member contributions, such contributions shall be treated as contributions being paid by the participating employer in lieu of contributions by the member in determining tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and such picked up contributions shall not be includable in the gross income of the member until such amounts are distributed or made available to the member or the beneficiary of the member. The member, by the terms of this System, shall not have any option to choose to receive the contributions so picked up directly and the picked up contributions must be paid by the participating employer to the System. Member contributions which are picked up shall be treated in the same manner and to the same extent as member contributions made prior to the date on which member contributions were picked up by the participating employer. Member contributions so picked up shall be included in gross salary for purposes of determining benefits and contributions under the System.
The participating employer shall pay the member contributions from the same source of funds used in paying salary to the member, by effecting an equal cash reduction in gross salary of the member.