All health officers, registered environmental health specialists and other persons selected to fill available positions in a local board of health in any municipality, which has adopted, or shall hereafter adopt, the provisions of Title 11A, Civil Service of the New Jersey Statutes, shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes and all such health officers, sanitary inspectors and employees of any such local board of health now holding office, position or employment and who were holding such office, position or employment on July 1, 1950, shall be placed in the career service of the civil service, without examination, and shall be entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits of such classified service and their successors shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes.
N.J.S. § 26:3-19.1