General Assembly

ing federal programs and activities, and circulates
information and data thus obtained among the
several agencies of the State and its political
subdivisions. It endeavors to advance cooperation
between the State and other units of government
when it seems advisable by formulating proposals
for the adoption of compacts, the enactment of
uniform or reciprocal statutes, the adoption of
uniform or reciprocal administrative rules, the in-
formal cooperation of governmental offices with
one another, and whatever else is required to en-
sure that Maryland does its part in bringing the
various governments in the United States into
close contact (Code 1957, Art. 40, sees. 16-20).

JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
ON METROPOLITAN MASS TRANSIT

Chairperson: Vacant
Vice-Chairperson: Vacant

Members from the Senate: John J. Bishop, Jr„
Robert L. Douglass, John J. Garrity.

Members from the House of Delegates: Hattie
N. Harrison, A. Wade Kach, George T.
Schminke.

The Joint Legislative Committee on Metro-
politan Mass Transit was established by Chap-
ter 630, Acts of 1976, to review, evaluate, and
make recommendations to the General Assem-
bly with respect to the rapid mass transit sys-
tem in the Baltimore Metropolitan Transit Dis-
trict. The Committee is composed of ten
members, five from the Senate appointed by the
President and five from the House of Delegates
appointed by the Speaker. The chairperson is
appointed jointly by the President and the
Speaker.

The Committee's review, evaluation, and
recommendations with respect to the Baltimore
Rapid Transit System include, but are not limited
to, items such as safety and security factors, envi-
ronmental standards, fiscal implications, total
cost of building and maintaining the system,
cost/benefit ratio for expenditures, and availabili-
ty of federal funds.

The Secretary of Transportation of Maryland
is required to submit to the Committee for its
review and evaluation any final plans for the
future development or extension of the rapid
transit system in Baltimore. The Committee is
required to submit its recommendations on any
proposed final plan to the General Assembly.

Intergovernmental Cooperation/27

SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEES
AND TASK FORCES

The Legislative Policy Committee periodically
establishes special joint committees and task
forces for particular purposes. The staff for these
special joint committees and task forces are coor-
dinated by the Department of Legislative Refer-
ence. A list of the committees and their member-
ship is published each summer by the
Department of Legislative Reference and is avail-
able on request. Further information may be
obtained from the staff contact at the Depart-
ment of Legislative Reference.

Staff Contact: Michael 1. Volk

90 State Circle
P.O. Box 348
Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-2367

LEGISLATIVE AGENCIES

STATE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLA-
TIVE REFERENCE

F. Carvel Payne, Director

90 State Circle
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-2373

The State Department of Legislative Reference
was originally created by Chapter 565, Acts of
1906, to serve the City of Baltimore. The scope of
the Department was enlarged so that it would
also serve the State by Chapter 474, Acts of
1916. By Chapter 453, Acts of 1965, the State's
portion of the Department was transferred to the
Legislative Branch. The present Department dates
its current organization from Chapter 571, Acts
of 1966, which separated this Department from
the department of the same name in Baltimore
City.

The Department collects, compiles, and indexes
information on all questions of proposed legisla-
tion. It investigates and reports on the laws of
Maryland and other states at the request of the
Governor, any committee or member of the Gen-
eral Assembly, or any State agency. At the re-
quest of a member of the General Assembly, the
Department prepares or aids in the drafting of
any law or resolution. Each department of the
State government must transmit to the Depart-
ment of Legislative Reference at least two copies
of each of its reports, which are used for ex-
change and reference purposes. The Department
keeps a complete index and a complete file on all
bills introduced in the General Assembly from