Except as otherwise provided in this act, on July 1, 2009, any presiding officer in the administrative hearings section of all agencies which conduct hearings pursuant to the Kansas administrative procedure act, except those exempted pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 77-551, and amendments thereto, and support personnel for such presiding officers, shall be transferred to and shall become employees of the office of administrative hearings established under this act. Such personnel shall retain all rights under the state personnel system and retirement benefits under the laws of this state which had accrued to or vested in such personnel prior to the effective date of this section. Such person‘s services shall be deemed to have been continuous. All transfers of personnel positions in the classified service under the Kansas civil service act shall be in accordance with civil service laws and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder. This section shall not affect any matter pending before an administrative hearing officer at the time of the effective date of the transfer, and such matter shall proceed as though no transfer of employment had occurred.