The provisions of this Act insofar as they are the same or substantially the same as those of any prior statute, shall be construed as a continuation of such prior statute and not as a new enactment.
     If in any other statute reference is made to an Act of the General Assembly, or an Article or a Section of such an Act, which is continued in this Act, such reference shall refer to the Act, Article, or Section thereof so continued in this Act.