850                              Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 402

of an association chartered or incorporated under the laws of the
State of Maryland or as an employee of the [Department] Division
and each for at least the five (5) previous years shall have been
a resident and registered voter of Maryland. [The Director shall
hold office for six (6) years and until his successor shall have been
duly appointed and qualified. The Governor may remove the Director
for official misconduct, incompetency or neglect of duty.] The Direc-
tor shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Licensing and
Regulation, Any vacancy in the office of Director shall be filled by
the Secretary of Licensing and Regulation, with the approval of the
Governor, for the unexpired portion of the term from a list of names
of qualified persons as aforesaid, to be submitted pursuant to Sec-
tion 161E hereof. The Director shall devote his entire time to the
duties of his office and shall be paid such salary as may be provided
for in the budget.

161-1.

(a)  The Director, with the approval of the [Board] Secretary
of Licensing and Regulation shall appoint a deputy director, ex-
aminers and such number of additional employees of the [Depart-
ment] Division of Building, Savings and Loan Associations as may
be provided for in the budget. The appointment of all examiners
and employees, other than the deputy director, shall be from the
classified service of the State of Maryland, and in accordance with
the rules and practice of the merit system. The deputy director shall
be appointed and hold office at the will of the Director, and the
provisions of Article 64A of this Code, title, "Merit System," shall
not apply.

(b)  The Director fat his discretion] with the approval of the
Secretary of Licensing and Regulation may appoint the deputy direc-
tor from among the classified employees in the Department, and
if such appointee is subsequently removed from or ceases to hold
his position as deputy director, he shall be restored to the merit
system status in the position held by him at the time of his ap-
pointment as deputy director.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Sections 250, 251 (a), 252 (a), (c), (d) of Article
56 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition, 1968 Re-
placement Volume), title "Licenses," subtitle "Home-Improvement
Law," be and they are hereby repealed and reenacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

250.

(a)  There is created the Maryland Home-Improvement Commis-
sion, which shall be a part of the Department of Licensing and
Regulation, [consists] consisting of five members.

(b)  Each member of the Commission shall be appointed by the
Governor, with the advice of the Secretary of Licensing and Regu-
lation, for a term of four years, except that when a vacancy occurs
before the expiration of a term, the Governor, with the advice of the
Secretary of Licensing and Regulation, shall appoint the successor
to serve for the remainder of the term. One of the members shall
be designated chairman by the Governor, with the advice of the
Secretary of Licensing and Regulation.