Section 1.  Section 40 of chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in 2014 Official Edition is hereby amended, in line 125, by inserting after the word “requirements;” the following words:- provided that notwithstanding the previous provisions, chapter thirty-two of the General Laws, or of any general or special law to the contrary any eligible employee employed on a part-time basis on July 1, 2016 who had elected to participate in the optional retirement program shall be eligible to re-elect membership in the state employees' retirement system if their employment became full-time in any eligible position within a public institution of higher education prior to October 1, 2016. The employee may also purchase  their prior employment while a participant of the option retirement program as creditable service, conditioned upon the payment, in 1 lump sum or in installments upon such terms as the state retirement board may provide;