Except as otherwise provided in Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-8127 through 74-8129, and amendments thereto, on the effective date of this act:

(a) The department of commerce and the secretary of commerce shall be the successor in every way to the powers, duties and functions of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation in which the same were vested prior to the effective date of this section and that are transferred pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-8124, and amendments thereto. Every act performed in the exercise of such transferred powers, duties and functions by or under the department of commerce or the secretary of commerce pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-8124, and amendments thereto, shall be deemed to have the same force and effect as if performed by the Kansas technology enterprise corporation in which such powers, duties and functions were vested prior to the effective date of this section.

(b) Whenever the Kansas technology enterprise corporation, or words of like effect, are referred to or designated by a statute, contract or other document and such reference is in regard to any of the powers, duties or functions transferred to the department of commerce pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-8124, and amendments thereto, such reference or designation shall be deemed to apply to the department of commerce or the secretary of commerce as the context requires.

(c) All rules and regulations, orders and directives of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation which are in effect on the effective date of this section shall continue to be effective and shall be deemed to be rules and regulations, orders and directives of the department of commerce or the secretary of commerce until revised, amended, revoked or nullified pursuant to law.

(d) The secretary of commerce shall have the legal custody of all records, memoranda, writings, entries, prints, representations, electronic data or combinations thereof of any act, transaction, occurrence or event of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation.

(e) The secretary of commerce shall be the continuation of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation.

(f) (1) All officers and employees who, immediately prior to such date, were engaged in the performance of powers, duties or functions of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation concerning programs transferred pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-8124 and 74-8125, and amendments thereto, or who become a part of the department of commerce, or the powers, duties and functions of which are transferred to the department of commerce, and who, in the opinion of the secretary of commerce, are necessary to perform the powers, duties and functions of the department of commerce, shall be transferred to, and shall become officers and employees of the department of commerce.

(2) Officers and employees of the Kansas technology enterprise corporation transferred by this act shall retain all retirement benefits and leave balances and rights which had accrued or vested prior to the date of transfer. The service of each such officer and employee so transferred shall be deemed to have been continuous. All transfers, layoffs or abolition of classified service positions under the Kansas civil service act shall be made in accordance with the civil service laws and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder. Nothing in this act shall affect the classified status of any transferred person employed by the Kansas technology enterprise corporation.