of 1973. The Committee consists of six members,
three from the Senate and three from the House
of Delegates, appointed by the President and the
Speaker. The chairperson and vice-chairperson are
designated by the President and Speaker jointly
and serve at their pleasure.

The functions of the Committee are to review
policies and procedures of the State Treasurer re-
garding the investment and management of State
funds in the Treasury, State funds not in the
Treasury (excluding retirement system funds), and
public funds by local government.

The Committee reports annually to the General
Assembly (Code 1957, Art. 40, secs. 92-96).

SPENDING AFFORDABILITY
COMMITTEE

Chairperson: Laurence Levitan
Vice-Chairperson: R. Clayton Mitchell, Jr.

Members from the Senate: Rosalie Silber Abrams;
Clarence W. Blount; Francis X. Kelly (designee
of the President); Dennis F. Rasmussen; Ed-
ward P. Thomas.

Members from the House of Delegates: Tyras S.
Athey; John W. Douglass; Robert R. Neall;
Donald B. Robertson; Benjamin L. Cardin,
Speaker of the House of Delegates, ex officio.

The Spending Affordability Committee was es-
tablished by Chapter 585, Acts of 1982, to study
and review the status and projections of State
revenues and expenditures and the status and
projections of the Maryland economy. The goal
of the Committee's review is to limit the rate of
growth of State spending to a level that does not
exceed the rate of growth of the State's economy.
The Committee consists of the president of the
Senate and the speaker of the House of Delegates,
the chairpersons of the Senate Budget and Taxa-
tion Committee and the House Appropriations
Committee, the majority and minority leaders of
the Senate and House or their designees, and an
equal number of other senators and delegates as
the president and speaker may designate.

By November 1 of each year, the Spending
Affordability Committee submits a report to the
Legislative Policy Committee and the Governor
with recommendations for the fiscal goals of the
budget to be considered at the next General As-
sembly session. The report includes recommended
levels of State spending, new debt authorization,
and State personnel, and provides recommenda-

Legislature/37

tions for the use of any anticipated surplus, and
other findings or recommendations as the Com-
mittee deems appropriate.

SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEES AND
TASK FORCES

The Legislative Policy Committee periodically
establishes special joint committees and task
forces for particular purposes. These special com-
mittees and task forces function only during the
interim between sessions of the General Assem-
bly. Each is reviewed annually at the end of the
legislative session, by the Legislative Policy Com-
mittee, which decides whether the commission or
task force shall continue its work or cease to
function. The staff for these special joint commit-
tees and task forces are coordinated by the State
Department of Legislative Reference, which
publishes a list of the committees and their mem-
bership each summer. The list is available on re-
quest. Further information may be obtained from
the staff contact at the State Department of Leg-
islative Reference.

Staff Contact: Michael I. Volk

90 State Circle
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 841-3870

Special Joint Committees and Task Forces func-
tioning during the 1982 interim:

Special Joint Committee on Clerks of Court
Joint Oversight Committee on Corrections
Election Laws Revision Task Force
Special Joint Committee on Energy
Federal Tax Laws Conformity Study Committee

Maryland Legislative Information System (MLIS)
Steering Committee

Jobs Initiative Task Force
Medical Malpractice Task Force

Special Joint Committee on Mental Health Laws
(terminated by LPC effective December 31,
1982)

Joint Committee on Pensions
Sewage Sludge Management Commission
State Telephone Operators Study Commission
Joint Committee on Transit Operating Costs
Joint Committee on Transportation

Special Joint Committee on Vehicle Emissions In-
spection Program