(a) The Office of Highway Safety shall be administered by a Coordinator. The Office shall employ such personnel as required to meet the federal guidelines for a state agency responsible for highway safety in accordance with the Highway Safety Act of 1966, as amended [23 U.S.C. § 401 et seq.].
(b) All employees of the Federal-State Highway Safety Coordinator's Office, heretofore established pursuant to executive order, including the Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator, shall be transferred to the Office of Highway Safety, and shall be deemed to be employees of such Office and employees of the State in classified service with all the benefits accrued as merit employees as of July 22, 1976.