772                               Laws of Maryland                [Chs. 461, 462

CHAPTER 461
(Senate Bill 280)

AN ACT to add a new Section 29A to Article 64A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Merit System", said new
section to follow immediately after Section 29 thereof, providing
that State employees who are separated from service for alleged
unsatisfactory performance or conduct shall have the opportunity
to answer in writing any such unsatisfactory report, or if such
employee has completed his probationary period, he may request
and receive a hearing by the Commissioner of Personnel on such
unsatisfactory report.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new Section 29A be and it is hereby added to Article 64A of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Merit Sys-
tem", said new section to follow immediately after Section 29 thereof,
and to read as follows:

29A. The Commissioner shall prescribe a form for reports by the
appointing authority concerning any employee who has been sepa-
rated from service or who has been transferred to some other State
agency, voluntarily or involuntarily, because of alleged unsatisfactory
work or conduct. In no case shall such report become a part of such
employee's official or permanent State employment record until after
the Commissioner has given the employee an opportunity to answer
it in writing. When and if such an answer is filed, it shall become part
of the official and permanent record of the employee, and the Com-
missioner shall make use thereof in ruling upon such employee's
suitability for future employment in State service or elsewhere. If
such employee has at any time satisfactorily completed a probation-
ary period, he may waive the opportunity to file a written answer
and elect to be heard in his own defense; and in the event of such
election, the Commissioner shall follow the same procedure as that
provided in cases pertaining to removal, and shall find whether none,
all, or part of the unsatisfactory report shall remain on such em-
ployee's official State employment record to determine suitability for
future employment.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1957.

Approved April 10, 1957.

CHAPTER 462

(Senate Bill 288)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 11 of
Article 33 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951 Edition),

Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.