STATE GOVERNMENT AND STATE AFFAIRS
CHAPTER 25
CIVIL STATE DEPARTMENTS -- CONDUCT
67-2513. Departments successors to abolished offices. Whenever rights, powers and duties, which have heretofore been vested in or exercised by any officer, board, commission, institution or department, or any deputy, inspector or subordinate officer thereof, are, by this act, transferred, either in whole or in part, to or vested in a department created by this act, such rights, powers and duties shall be vested in, and shall be exercised by, the department to which the same are hereby transferred, and not otherwise, and every act done in the exercise of such rights, powers and duties shall have the same legal effect as if done by the former officer, board, commission, institution or department, or any deputy, inspector or subordinate officer thereof. Every person shall be subject to the same obligations and duties and shall have the same rights arising from the exercise of such rights, powers and duties as if such rights, powers and duties were exercised by the officer, board, commission, department or institution, or deputy, inspector or subordinate thereof, designated in the respective laws which are to be administered by departments created by this act. Every person shall be subject to the same penalty or penalties, civil or criminal, for failure to perform any such obligation or duty, or for doing a prohibited act, as if such obligation or duty arose from, or such act were prohibited in, the exercise of such right, power or duty by the officer, board, commission, or institution, or deputy, inspector or subordinate thereof, designated in the respective laws which are to be administered by departments created by this chapter. Every officer and employee shall, for any offense, be subject to the same penalty or penalties, civil or criminal, as are prescribed by existing law for the same offense by any officer or employee whose powers or duties devolved upon him under this act. All books, records, papers, documents, property, real and personal, unexpended appropriations, and pending business in any way pertaining to the rights, powers and duties so transferred to or vested in a department created by this act, shall be delivered and transferred to the department succeeding to such rights, powers and duties.
Whenever reports or notices are now required to be made or given, or papers or documents furnished or served by any person to or upon any officer, board, commission, or institution, or deputy, inspector or subordinate thereof, abolished by this act, the same shall be made, given, furnished, or served in the same manner to or upon the department upon which are devolved by this act the rights, powers and duties now exercised or discharged by such officer, board, commission or institution, or deputy, inspector or subordinate thereof; and every penalty for failure so to do shall continue in effect.
This act shall not affect any act done, ratified or confirmed, or any right accrued or established, or any action or proceeding had or commenced in a civil or criminal cause before this act takes effect; but such actions or proceedings may be prosecuted and continued by the department having jurisdiction, under this act, of the subject-matter to which such litigation or proceeding pertains.