428                                 Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 335

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE EMPLOYEES
STANDARD SALARY BOARD SHALL MAKE A STUDY WITH
A VIEW TO CREATING A LONGEVITY PAY PLAN FOR
STATE EMPLOYEES AND RELATING GENERALLY TO THE
MAKING AND REPORTING OF SUCH A STUDY.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,

Article 64A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title
"Merit System'', said new sub section to be known as Sub section
(d) to follow immediately after Sub section (c) thereof, to read as
follows:

(d) The State Employees Standard Salary Board shall create a

longevity pay plan for State employees, and shall formulate reason-
able rules and regulations for the administration thereof. Such lon-
gevity pay plan shall provide for automatic pay increases of 4% of
the minimum salary rate for each job classification, the first such
increase being payable after an employee has been paid at the maxi-
mum rate of his classification for three years, with an additional
4% increase for each subsequent three year period during which the
employee remains at the maximum rate of his classification; provided
that such automatic pay increases shall cease after an employee has
been paid at such maximum rate of his classification, without count-
ing the interim longevity payments hereby authorized, for a total

period of sixteen years. The longevity pay plan authorized by this

sub section shall take effect July 1, 1962.

THAT THE STATE EMPLOYEES STANDARD SALARY BOARD
IS DIRECTED TO MAKE A STUDY WITH A VIEW TO CREAT-
ING A LONGEVITY PAY PLAN FOR STATE EMPLOYEES. IN
THIS STUDY THE BOARD SHALL FORMULATE REASON-
ABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH WOULD BE APPLI-
CABLE TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH A PLAN. THE
BOARD SHALL CONSIDER AMONG OTHERS AN AUTOMATIC
PAY INCREASE PLAN OF 4% OF THE MINIMUM SALARY
RATE FOR EACH JOB CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF
SUCH AN INCREASE BEING PAYABLE AFTER THE EM-
PLOYEE HAS BEEN PAID AT THE MAXIMUM RATE OF HIS
CLASSIFICATION FOR THREE YEARS WITH AN ADDI-
TIONAL 4% INCREASE FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT THREE
YEAR PERIOD DURING WHICH THE EMPLOYEE REMAINS
AT THE MAXIMUM RATE OF HIS CLASSIFICATION. THE
BOARD SHALL CONSIDER ALSO, AMONG OTHERS, A PLAN
WHEREBY ANY SUCH AUTOMATIC PAY INCREASE WOULD
CEASE AFTER AN EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN PAID AT THE
MAXIMUM RATE OF HIS CLASSIFICATION FOR A TOTAL
PERIOD OF 16 YEARS WITHOUT COUNTING THE IN-
TERIM LONGEVITY PAYMENTS HEREBY AUTHORIZED. THE
BOARD SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS OF ITS STUDY TO
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NOT LATER THAN OCTOBER
1, 1961.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1961.

Approved April 24, 1961.