J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      695

in this State; establishing the procedure for becoming a code
county; denning the powers of these counties and of the General
Assembly for enacting, amending, or repealing certain public local
laws; relating generally to powers of home rule for the counties
here defined as "code counties"; and submitting this amendment
to the qualified voters of the State for adoption or rejection.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
(Three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses
concurring), That Article 11F be and it is hereby proposed as an
amendment to the Constitution of Maryland, title "Home Rule for
Code Counties," to follow immediately after Article HE thereof, the
same if adopted by the legal and qualified voters of the State as herein
provided to become a part of the Constitution of Maryland.

Article 11F
Home Rule for Code Counties

Section 1. For the purposes of this Article, (1) "code county"
means a county which is not a charter county under Article 11A of
this Constitution and has adopted the optional powers of home rule
provided under this Article; and (2) "public local law" means a law
applicable to the incorporation, organization, or government of a code
county and contained in the county's code of public local laws; but
this latter term specifically does not include (i) the charters of munici-
pal corporations under Article11E of this Constitution, (ii) the laws
or charters of counties under Article 11A of this Constitution, (iii)
laws, whether or not Statewide in application, in the code of public
general laws, (iv) laws which apply to more than one county, and
(v) ordinances and resolutions of the county government enacted
under public local laws.

Section 2. The governing body of any county, BY A VOTE OF AT
LEAST TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS ELECTED THERETO,

may propose by resolution that the county become a code county and
be governed by the provisions of this Article. Upon the adoption of
such a resolution, it shall be certified to the Board of Supervisors of
Elections in the county, which Board (pursuant to the election laws of
the State) shall submit to the voters of the county at the next ensuing
general election the question whether the resolution shall be approved
or rejected. If in the referendum a majority of those persons voting
on this question vote for the resolution, the resolution is approved, and
the county shall become a code county under the provisions of this
Article, on the thirtieth day after the election. If in the referendum
a majority of those persons voting on this question vote against the
resolution, the resolution is rejected, and of no further effect.

PROVIDED THAT IF AT THE NEXT ENSUING GENERAL
ELECTION THERE ALREADY IS SCHEDULED TO SHALL BE
SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS OF THE COUNTY A PROPOSED
CHARTER UNDER ARTICLE 11A OF THIS CONSTITUTION,
THE PROPOSED CHARTER ONLY SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO
THE VOTERS AT THAT NEXT ENSUING GENERAL ELEC-
TION. IF THE PROPOSED CHARTER IS ADOPTED BY THE
VOTERS, THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION TO BECOME A
CODE COUNTY SHALL NOT BE SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS