38/Maryland Manual

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 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 com-
mittees and subcommittees to study any subject
matter. It refers to the committees functioning
during the interim any recommended subject mat-
ter 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, resolutions,
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 General
Assembly recommendations of the standing, statu-
tory, and special committees prior to each regular
session of the legislature.

The Committee consists of twenty-six members,
thirteen from the Senate and thirteen from the
House of Delegates. The President of the Senate,
the chairpersons of the Budget and Taxation,
Economic and Environmental Affairs, Finance,
and Judicial Proceedings committees, the Presi-
dent Pro Tern, the Majority Floor Leader, and the
Minority Floor Leader are members from the
Senate. The President appoints five additional
members to represent the various areas and inter-
ests of the State. The Speaker of the House of
Delegates, the chairpersons of the Appropriations,
Constitutional and Administrative Law, Economic
Matters, Environmental Matters, Judiciary, and
Ways and Means committees, the Speaker Pro
Tern, the Majority Floor Leader, and the Minority
Floor Leader are members 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 (Code State Government Article,
secs. 2-Wl through 2-410).

JOINT COMMITTEE ON
ADMINISTRATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND
LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

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

Members from the Senate: Howard A. Denis;
Arthur Dorman; Sidney Kramer; John A. Pica,
Jr.; Charles H. Smelser; Michael J. Wagner;
Gerald W. Winegrad.

Members from the House of Delegates: Arthur S.
Alperstein; R. Charles Avara; Gerald J. Curran;
Gerard F. Devlin; William R. McCaffrey;
Elizabeth S. Smith; Casper R. Taylor, Jr.
Telephone: 841-3852

The Joint Committee on Administrative, Execu-
tive and Legislative Review (AELR Committee)
was originally created as a joint standing commit-
tee known as the Committee on Legislative Review
(Chapter 96, Acts of 1964). It was renamed the
Committee on Administrative, Executive and Leg-
islative Review by Chapters 400 and 699, Acts of
1972.

The Committee primarily 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 procedural due process. The Commit-
tee also may inquire into the failure of an officer or
employee of either the legislative, executive, or
judicial branches of State government to comply
with the statutory or constitutional law of the
State. Further, the Committee sits as a legislative
advisory board for the Code of Maryland Regula-
tions and COMAR publications of the Division of
State Documents of the Office of the Secretary of
State.

The AELR Committee receives copies of all
rules of each State agency. Unless submitted to the
Committee, certain rules, regulations, or standards
may be invalid.

By Chapter 1 of the Acts of the Second Special
Session of 1973, the Committee is required to
receive emergency energy executive orders promul-
gated by the Governor. This legislative authority
has been updated annually.

By law, the Committee reports annually to the
Legislative Policy Committee and the General
Assembly.

The Committee is composed of eight Senators
and eight 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 beginning of each regular 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 (Code State Govern-
ment Article, secs. 2-501 through 2-507).