A. Effective July 1, 1994, unclassified Department of Veterans Affairs' employees who were transferred from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs on July 1, 1991, pursuant to Section 63.18 of this title, shall become permanent classified employees and subject to the provisions of the Merit System of Personnel Administration pursuant to Section 840.13 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes without regard to qualifications or examinations. Such employees shall be granted permanent status in the class to which the position occupied by the employee on the effective date of this act¹ is allocated by the Office of Personnel Management. This section shall not apply to employees who are in the unclassified service pursuant to Section 63.18A of this title and Sections 840.8 and 840.10 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

B. Except as provided in Sections 63.9 and 63.18A of this title and Sections 840.8 and 840.10 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes, all officers, positions and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and its constituent institutions shall be subject to the provisions of the Merit System of Personnel Administration as created by the Oklahoma Personnel Act, Section 840.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes and the rules promulgated thereunder.

C. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from utilizing its authority to appoint or retain employees in the unclassified service pursuant to Sections 63.9 and 63.18A of this title and Sections 840.8 and 840.10 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes which are not in direct conflict with this section.