SEC. 21. The doors of each House, and of the Com-
mittee of the Whole, shall be open, except when the
business is such as ought to be kept secret.

SEC. 22. Each House shall keep a Journal of its
proceedings, and cause the same to be published. The yeas
and nays of members on any question, shall at the call of
any five of them in the House of Delegates, or one in the
Senate, be entered on the Journal.

SEC. 23. Each House may punish by imprisonment,
during the session of the General Assembly, any person, not
a member, for disrespectful, or disorderly behavior in its
presence, or for obstructing any of its proceedings, or any
of its officers in the execution of their duties; provided, such
imprisonment shall not, at any one time, exceed ten days.

SEC. 24. The House of Delegates may inquire, on the
oath of witnesses, into all complaints, grievances and of-
fences, as the grand inquest of the State, and may commit
any person, for any crime, to the public jail, there to remain,
until discharged by due course of Law. They may examine
and pass all accounts of the State, relating either to the
collection or expenditure of the revenue, and appoint audi-
tors to state and adjust the same. They may call for all public,
or official papers and records, and send for persons, whom
they may judge necessary in the course of their inquiries,
concerning affairs relating to the public interest, and may
direct all office bonds which shall be made payable to the
State, to be sued for any breach thereof; and with a view to
the more certain prevention, or correction of the abuses in
the expenditures of the money of the State, the General
Assembly shall create, at every session thereof, a Joint
Standing Committee of the Senate and House of Delegates,
who shall have power to send for persons, and examine
them on oath, and call for Public, or Official Papers and
Records, and whose duty it shall be to examine and report
upon all contracts made for printing stationer); and pur-
chases for the Public offices, and the Libraiy and all expen-
ditures therein, and upon all matters of alleged abuse in
expenditures, to which their attention may be called by
Resolution of either House of the General Assembly.

SEC. 25. Neither House shall, without the consent of
the other, adjourn for more than three days, at any one
time, nor adjourn to any other place, than that in which
the House shall be sitting, without the concurrent vote of
two-thirds of the members present.

SEC. 26. The House of Delegates shall have the sole
power of impeachment in all cases; but a majority of all the
members elected must concur in the impeachment. All
impeachments shall be tried by the Senate, and when
sitting for that purpose, the Senators shall be on oath, or
affirmation, to do justice according to the law and evi-
dence; but no person shall be convicted without the con-
currence of two-thirds of all the Senators elected.

SEC. 27. (a) Any bill may originate in either House
of the General Assembly and be altered, amended or rejected
by the other. No bill shall originate in either House during
the last thirty-five calendar days of a regular session, unless
two-thirds of the members elected thereto shall so deter-
mine by yeas and nays, and in addition the two Houses by
joint and similar rule may further regulate the right to

Constitution of Maryland/647

introduce bills during this period. A Bill may not become
a law until it is read on three different days of the session
in each House, unless two-thirds of the members elected
to the House where such bill is pending determine by yeas
and nays, and no bill shall be read a thud time until it shall
have been actually engrossed or printed for a third reading.

(b) Each House may adopt by rule a "consent calendar"
procedure permitting bills to be read and voted upon as a
single group on first, second and third readings, provided
that the members of each House are afforded reasonable
notice of the bills to be placed upon each "consent calen-
dar." Upon the objection of any member, any bill in
question shall be removed from the "consent calendar."

SEC. 2S.56 No bill, nor single group of bills placed on
the "consent calendar," shall become a Law unless it be
passed in each House by a majority of the whole number
of members elected, and on its final passage, the yeas and
nays be recorded, and on final passage ofthe bilk placed
on the "consent calendar" the yeas and nays on the entire
group of bills be recorded. A resolution requiring the action
of both Houses shall be passed in the same manner.

SEC. 29. The style of all Laws of this State shall be,
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland:" and
all Laws shall be passed by original bill; and every Law
enacted by the General Assembly shall embrace but one
subject, and that shall be described in its title; and no Law,
nor section of Law, shall be revived, or amended by refer-
ence to its title, or section only; nor shall any Law be
construed by reason of its title, to grant powers, or confer
rights which are not expressly contained in the body ofthe
Act; and it shall be the duty of the General Assembly, in
amending any article, or section of the Code of Laws of
this State, to enact the same, as the said article, or section
would read when amended. And whenever the General
Assembly shall enact any Public General Law, not amen-
datory of any section, or article in the said Code, it shall be
the duty of the General Assembly to enact the same, in
articles and sections, in the same manner, as the Code is
arranged, and to provide for the publication of all additions
and alterations, which may be made to the said Code.

SEC. 30.57 Every bill, when passed by the General
Assembly, and sealed with the Great Seal, shall be pre-
sented by the presiding officer of the House in which it
originated to the Governor for his approval. All bills passed
dunng a regular or special session shall be presented to the
Governor for his approval no later than 20 days after
adjournment. Within 30 days after presentment, if the
Governor approves the bill, he shall sign the same in the
presence ofthe presiding officers and Chief Clerks ofthe
Senate and House of Delegates. Every Law shall be re-
corded in the office of the Court of Appeals, and in due
time, be printed, published and certified under the Great
Seal, to the several Courts, in the same manner as has been
heretofore usual in this State.

SEC. 31 .M A Law passed by the General Assembly
shall take effect the first day of June next after the session
at which it may be passed, unless it be otherwise expressly
declared therein or provided for in this Constitution.