HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                    1459

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect June 29, 1986.

Approved May 13, 1986.

CHAPTER 381

(Senate Bill 894)

AN ACT concerning

Merit System - Time Off for Religious Observance

FOR the purpose of altering the basis for earning time off for

religious observance based on certain compensatory work so
as to comply with certain federal requirements.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 64A - Merit System

Section 37B

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1983 Replacement Volume and 1985 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF

MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 64A - Merit System
37B.

(a)  In this section, the following words have the meanings
indicated.

(1)  "Agency" means any department, agency, board,
commission, or unit of the judicial, legislative, or executive
branches.

(2)  "Employee" means a State employee, classified or
unclassified, full time or part time, who is employed by any
State agency.

(b) (1) The Secretary shall adopt rules and regulations
providing for work schedules where an employee, whose personal
religious beliefs require absence from work during certain
periods of time, may elect to engage in work for time lost in
order to observe those religious requirements.

(2) [Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an]
AN employee EXEMPT FROM OVERTIME PROVISIONS who elects
compensatory work for personal religious beliefs shall be granted