38/Maryland Manual
LEGISLATIVE AGENCIES

STATE DEPARTMENT OF
LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE

F. Carvel Payne, Director

90 State Circle
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 841-3865

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 State
government must transmit to the Department of
Legislative Reference at least two copies of each
of its reports, which are used for exchange and
reference purposes. The Department keeps a com-
plete index and a complete file on all bills intro-
duced in the General Assembly from 1918 to the
present. It also keeps copies of the codes and
laws of other states, and it maintains a library of
books, pamphlets, reports, periodicals, and clip-
pings on matters of current public and political
interest (Code 1957, Art. 40, secs. 48-53). The
Department operates through the Office of the
Director and four divisions, entitled Legislative,
Code Revision, Research, and Computer.

LEGISLATIVE DIVISION

Michael I. Volk, Principal Analyst for Bill
Drafting
841-3870

Alan F. Deanehan, Principal Analyst for Commit-
tee Staffing
841-3848

The Legislative Division provides several spe-
cific staff services to the General Assembly. It

drafts or reviews all bills and amendments intro-
duced or considered by the General Assembly
and staffs all standing and statutory substantive-
issue committees.

In a typical year, the Division prepares over
4,500 bills and joint resolutions and over 10,000
amendments to them.

Staff from the Division provides professional
services to the seven non-fiscal committees in the
General Assembly (four House committees and
three Senate committees). During the annual leg-
islative session, this staff operates under the direc-
tion of the chairpersons of the committees.

CODE REVISION DIVISION

Geoffrey D. Cant, Director and Reviser of Statutes
841-3771

By Chapter 182, Acts of 1972, the Division of
Statutory Revision was created within the State
Department of Legislative Reference. The Divi-
sion is headed and administered by a Reviser of
Statutes, appointed jointly by the President of the
Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates
(Code 1957, Art. 40, secs. 53A-53D).

RESEARCH DIVISION

Lynda C. Davis, Legislative Librarian 841-3810

Dr. Myron H. Miller, Legislative Research Ana-
lyst 841-3875

This Division is composed of two independent
parts. Research analysts provide scientific and
general policy analysis for the members and staff
of the General Assembly. Legislative librarians
provide reference and research services to the
public as well. Reference materials do not circu-
late except to General Assembly members, their
staff, and State agency personnel.

The Library collection of 38,000 volumes con-
sists of Maryland laws and related legal materi-
als, laws and publications of the other states, fed-
eral documents, and general reference materials.
Bill status and other legislative information is
provided by the Library and its Information
Desk. Through the Library, the Department
serves as an official depository for the publica-
tions of Maryland State agencies and for all the
local codes published by county and municipal
governments (Code 1957, Art. 40, sec. 53; Art.
25, sec. 32A; Art. 25A, sec. 7; Art. 25B, sec. 7,
12).