MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                      1705

CHAPTER 790
(Senate Bill 526)

AN ACT to propose an amendment to Article II of the Constitution
of Maryland, title "Executive Department," by adding new Sec-
tion 24, to authorize the Governor to make changes in the organiza-
tion of the executive branch by specified methods and set forth
the legal status of such reorganizations when made in conform-
ance with these methods and submitting this amendment to the
qualified voters of the State for their adoption or rejection.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
(three-fifths of all members elected to each of the two Houses con-
curring) , That new Section 24 be added to Article II of the Consti-
tution of Maryland, title "Executive Department," the same if
adopted by the legal and qualified voters of the State, as herewith
provided, to become a part of the Constitution of Maryland, and to
read as follows:

24. REORGANIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

The Governor may make changes in the organization of the Execu-
tive Branch of the State Government, including the establishment
or abolition of departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities,
and the reallocation or assignment REASSIGNMENT of functions,
powers, and duties among the departments, offices, agencies, and
instrumentalities of the Executive Branch. Where these changes
affect or are inconsistent with existing law, OR CREATE NEW
GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS they shall be set forth in executive
orders in statutory form which shall be submitted to the General
Assembly within the first ten days of a regular session. An executive
order that has been submitted shall become effective and have the
force of law on the date designated in the Order unless specifically
disapproved, within fifty days after submission, by a resolution of
disapproval concurred in by a majority vote of all members of either
House of the General Assembly. No executive order reorganizing
the Executive Branch shall abolish any office established by this
Constitution or shall change the powers and duties delegated to par-
ticular officers or departments by this Constitution.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the foregoing section
hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of Maryland
at the next ensuing general election to be held in this State, shall be
submitted to the legal and qualified voters thereof for their adoption
or rejection in pursuance of the directions contained in Article XIV
of the Constitution of this State, and at the said general election,
the vote on said proposed amendment shall be by ballot, and upon
each ballot there shall be printed the words "For the Constitutional
Amendment" and "Against the Constitutional Amendment," as now
prescribed by law, and immediately after said election, all returns
shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Constitution, and
further proceedin