34/Maryland Manual

STATUTORY COMMITTEES

LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE

Co-Chairpersons: Melvin A. Steinberg, President
of the Senate; Benjamin L. Cardin, Speaker of
the House of Delegates

Members from the Senate: Rosalie Silber Abrams;
Clarence W. Blount; John A. Cade; Jerome F.
Connell, Sr.; Laurence Levitan; Frederick C.
Malkus, Jr.; Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.;
Dennis F. Rasmussen; Margaret C. Sch-
weinhaut; Charles H. Smelser; Norman R.
Stone, Jr.; Edward P. Thomas.

Members from the House of Delegates: Tyras S.
Athey; Hattie N. Harrison; Thomas B. Kernan;
Helen L. Koss; R. Clayton Mitchell, Jr.; Rob-
ert R. Neall; Joseph E. Owens; Lewis R. Riley;
Donald B. Robertson; Frederick C. Rummage;
Thomas A. Rymer; Larry Young.

Michael I. Volk, Committee Reporter

90 State Circle
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 841-3848

The Legislative Policy Committee was estab-
lished by Chapter 362, Acts of 1976, to replace
the Legislative Council created by Chapter 62,
Acts of 1939. The Committee consists of twenty-
six members, thirteen from the Senate and thir-
teen from the House of Delegates. The President
of the Senate, the chairpersons of the Budget and
Taxation, Constitutional and Public Law, Eco-
nomic Affairs, Finance, and Judicial Proceedings
committees, the President Pro Tern, the Majority
Floor Leader, and the Minority Floor Leader are
members from the Senate. The President appoints
four additional members to represent the various
areas and interests of the State. The Speaker of
the House of Delegates, the chairpersons of the
Appropriations, Constitutional and Administra-
tive Law, Economic Matters, Environmental
Matters, Judiciary, and Ways and Means com-
mittees, the Speaker Pro Tern, the Majority Floor
Leader, and the Minority Floor Leader are mem-
bers from the House. The Speaker appoints three
additional members to represent the various areas
and interests of the State. The President and
Speaker serve as co-chairpersons.

The Legislative Policy Committee coordinates
and supervises the work of the standing commit-
tees of the General Assembly during the interim
between sessions as well as during each session.
The Committee studies the rules and procedures
of the Senate and House, and appoints special
committees and subcommittees to study any sub-

ject matter. It refers to the committees function-
ing during the interim any recommended subject
matter it receives, holds hearings on any subject
matter, and subpoenas witnesses and records as
required. The Committee may prepare its own
legislative recommendations, and may endorse a
legislative program in the form of bills, resolu-
tions, or other proposals to be submitted to the
next regular session of the General Assembly.

The Legislative Policy Committee is required to
compile and make public in a report to the Gen-
eral Assembly recommendations of the standing,
statutory, and special committees prior to each
regular session of the legislature (Code 1957, Art.
40, secs. 27-38).

COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE,
EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE RE-
VIEW

Senate Chairperson: Catherine I. Riley
House Chairperson: John S. Arnick

Members from the Senate: Howard A. Denis,
Sidney Kramer, Dennis F. Rasmussen, Charles
H. Smelser.

Members from the House of Delegates: Arthur S.
Alperstein; R. Charles Avara; Gerald J. Cur-
ran; Gerard F. Devlin; William R, McCaffrey,
Elizabeth S. Smith; Casper R. Taylor, Jr.

The Committee on Administrative, Executive
and Legislative Review (AELR Committee) was
originally created as a joint standing committee
known as the Committee on Legislative Review
(Chapter 96, Acts of 1964). It was renamed the
Committee on Administrative, Executive and
Legislative Review by Chapters 400 and 699,
Acts of 1972, and had its membership increased
to five Senators and five members of the House
of Delegates, all of whom are appointed by the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Delegates at the conclusion of each reg-
ular session. Members serve for one year. The
chairperson and vice-chairperson alternate each
year between the two Houses. Representation of
each political party is approximately in the same
proportion as their membership in each House.

The Committee may inquire into the failure of
an officer or employee of either the legislative, ex-
ecutive, or judicial branches of State government
to comply with the statutory or constitutional
law of the State. However, the Committee pri-
marily reviews the rules and regulations that are
adopted by any State agency as to intrusion on
the legislative prerogative and as to the issue of