WASHINGTON - Staffers for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy can stay on the payroll until late October as they shut down his Senate office.

Kennedy's staff was given up to 60 days from the date of his death to complete the closing, according to Beth Provenzano, deputy chief of staff for the secretary of the Senate's office which is overseeing the effort.

Provenzano said Tuesday that Kennedy's staff is on the payroll of the secretary of the Senate until the shutdown is complete.

The Massachusetts Democrat died Aug. 25 after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. He served in the Senate for nearly five decades and was widely viewed by colleagues from both parties as having one of the most skilled and respected staffs on Capitol Hill.

If a temporary replacement for Kennedy is chosen, that person could decide to keep some or all of Kennedy's former staff.

The Massachusetts Legislature is expected to give final approval Wednesday to a change in state law so the governor can temporarily fill Kennedy's seat until a special election is held Jan. 19.

Much of the work shutting down Kennedy's office involves archiving records and processing hundreds of constituent service cases. Some of the cases can be complex, involving issues such as immigration, citizenship or medical care for veterans.

New constituent cases that have arisen since Kennedy's death have been referred to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's office, said Kerry spokeswoman Whitney Smith.

Constituents with cases that Kennedy's office had been handling can choose to transfer them to Kerry, or they can wait for Kennedy's replacement to take over, said Smith.