No seasonal employee of any department of the state government shall be eligible to membership in the state retirement system until such employee shall have been in the employ of the state for at least six (6) consecutive months nor shall they be entitled to any benefits under such system until they shall have become members thereof. Each department upon hiring any new employee shall within twenty (20) days thereafter certify to the retirement system whether or not such employee is being employed on a seasonal or on a permanent basis.
T.C.A. § 8-3411