800/Maryland Manual

terest of any debt due the State, except in cases of fines
and forfeitures; and before granting a nolle prosequi. or
pardon, he shall give notice, in one or more newspa-
pers, of the application made for it, and of the day on,
or after which, his decision will be given; and in every
case, in which he exercises this power, he shall report to
either Branch of the Legislature, whenever required, the
petitions, recommendations and reasons, which influ-
enced his decision.

SEC. 21.³⁷ The Governor shall reside at the seat of
government, and, from and after the fourth Wednesday
in January 1967, shall receive for his services an annual
salary of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars, except that be-
ginning in the year 1978 the salary of the Governor
shall be as provided in Section 21 A of this Article.

SEC. 21A.³⁸ (a) The salaries of the Governor and
Lieutenant Governor shall be as provided in this section.

(b) The Governor's Salary Commission is created. It
consists of seven members: The State Treasurer; three
appointed by the President of the Senate; and three
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates.
Members of the General Assembly and officers and em-
ployees of the State or a political subdivision of the
State are not eligible for appointment to the Commis-
sion. The members of the Commission shall elect a
member to be chairman, and the concurrence of at least
five members is required for any formal Commission ac-
tion. The terms of members shall be for 4 years, except
that the persons first appointed to the Commission
shall serve from June 1, 1977 until May 31, 1980. The
members of the Commission are eligible for reap-
pointment. Members shall serve without compensation
but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in carry-
ing out responsibilities under this section.

(c) Within ten days after the commencement of the
regular session of the General Assembly in 1978, and
within ten days after the commencement of the regular
session of the General Assembly each fourth year there-
after, the Commission shall make a written recommen-
dation to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and oth-
er members of the General Assembly as to the salary of
the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

(d) The recommendation shall be introduced as a joint
resolution in each house of the General Assembly not
later than the fifteenth day of the session. The General
Assembly may amend the joint resolution to decrease
the recommended salaries, but may not amend the joint
resolution to increase the recommended salaries. If the
General Assembly fails to adopt a joint resolution in ac-
cordance with this section within 50 days after its intro-
duction, the salaries recommended by the Commission
shall apply. If the General Assembly amends the joint
resolution in accordance with this section, the salaries
specified in the joint resolution, as amended, shall apply.
If the Commission recommends no salary change a joint
resolution shall not be introduced.

"Amended by Chapter 315, Acts of 1953, ratified Nov. 2,
1954; Chapter 641, Acts of 1965, ratified Nov. 8, 1966; Chapter
543, Acts of 1976, ratified Nov. 2, 1976.
" Added by Chapter 543, Acts of 1976, ratified Nov. 2, 1976.

Article II

(e) The Commission may not recommend salaries
lower than that received by the incumbent Governor at
the time the recommendation is made; and the General
Assembly may not amend the joint resolution to pro-
vide for salaries lower than that received by the incum-
bent Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

(f) A change in salary resulting from either Commis-
sion recommendation or amended joint resolution under
this section shall take effect at the beginning of the next
ensuing term of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

(g) Commission in action or failure of the Commission
to meet the requirements of this section with respect to
proposing a change in salary for the Governor and Lieu-
tenant Governor shall result in no change in salary.

SEC. 22.³⁹ A Secretary of State shall be appointed by
the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, who shall continue in office, unless sooner
removed by the Governor, till the end of the official
term of the Governor from whom he received his ap-
pointment, and receive such annual salary as the Gener-
al Assembly may from time to time by law prescribe.

SEC. 23. The Secretary of State shall carefully keep
and preserve a Record of all official acts and proceed-
ings, which may at all times be inspected by a commit-
tee of either Branch of the Legislature; and he shall per-
form such other duties as may be prescribed by Law, or
as may properly belong to his office, together with all
clerical duty belonging to the Executive Department.

SEC. 24.⁴⁰ The Governor may make changes in the
organization of the Executive Branch of the State Gov-
ernment, including the establishment or abolition of de-
partments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, and
the real location or reassignment of functions, powers,
and duties among the departments, offices, agencies,
and instrumentalities of the Executive Branch. Where
these changes are inconsistent with existing law, or cre-
ate new governmental programs they shall be set forth
in executive orders in statutory form which shall be
submitted to the General Assembly within the first ten
days of a regular session. An executive order that has
been submitted shall become effective and have the
force of law on the date designated in the Order unless
specifically disapproved, within fifty days after submis-
sion, by a resolution of disapproval concurred in by a
majority vote of all members of either House of the
General Assembly. No executive order reorganizing the
Executive Branch shall abolish any office established by
this Constitution or shall change the powers and duties
delegated to particular officers or departments by this
Constitution.

ARTICLE III.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.

SECTION 1. The Legislature shall consist of two
distinct branches; a Senate, and a House of Delegates;
and shall be styled the General Assembly of Maryland.