§ 652-a. Appointment and promotion of deputy sheriffs. 1. In any county outside the city of New York where heretofore there has been established a procedure for the appointment and promotion of personnel within the office of the sheriff, the appointment and promotion of personnel within the office of the sheriff may continue to be made pursuant to that procedure through March thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-three, any other provision of law notwithstanding.

2. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to alter or restrict the authority of a county to change the method of appointment or promotion of deputy sheriffs by a duly adopted local law, nor shall anything contained herein be construed to alter any existing collective bargaining agreement between a county and an employee organization representing deputy sheriffs, nor to alter or restrict the power of any county or employee organization to contract with respect to an alternate method of appointment or promotion of deputy sheriffs.