Xviii

No provision of this Plan shall be construed to modify, alter or invalidate any agreement, covenant, claim or contract that the responsible officials or employees of the bodies or programs which through this Plan are part of the Department, have granted and are in force when it became effective. Any claim filed by or against said officials or employees and which is pending resolution when this Plan becomes effective, shall subsist until its final conclusion.All the regulations that govern the operation of the bodies or programs which are integrated into the Department through this Plan, which are in effect when it becomes effective, shall remain in effect until they are altered, modified, amended, repealed or replaced.All career service employees in the agencies affected by this reorganization, are guaranteed their employment and the vested rights acquired under the personnel laws or regulations as well as the rights, privileges, obligations and status regarding any existing pension or retirement system or systems, or savings and loan funds to which they may be affiliated upon approval of this Plan.None of what has been provided above, shall be construed as to the Department being

retirement system or systems, or savings and loan funds to which they may be affiliated upon approval of this Plan.None of what has been provided above, shall be construed as to the Department being liable for any debts that were validly contracted by any of the operational components. Said debts shall continue to be the responsibility of the body that incurred them.