Marvin Mandel, Governor                1247

CHAPTER 583
(House Bill 994)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 17(a)
and 18(c) and (d) of Article 64A of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1968 Replacement Volume, 1970 Supplement), title
"Merit System," to modify the procedure when an eligible veteran
is passed over, to modify the periods of military service required
for eligibility for veteran's preference, to modify the residence
requirement for veteran's preference, to modify the preference
given to wives of veterans, and dealing generally with veteran's
preference.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 17(a) and SECTION 18(c) and (d) of Article 64A of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1968 Replacement Volume, 1970
Supplement), title "Merit System," be and they are hereby repealed
and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

(a) Whenever a vacancy in any position in the classified service
is to be filled, the appointing authority shall make requisition upon
the Secretary of Personnel for eligibles. The Secretary shall there-
upon certify to the appointing authority the names and addresses

of five persons standing highest upon the eligible list for the class

in which the position is found, or if there be less than five, then

such name or names as may be on such list, and said appointing

authority shall appoint one of said persons so certified to said
position. An appointing authority shall not appoint a non resident

of the State from any list where there is a resident of the State

with the same or a better standing on the list. An appoint-

ing officer who passes over a veteran eligible as provided in Section

18 of this article and selects a nonveteran with the same or lower

examination score shall file with the Secretary of Personnel [a

substantial] his reason for so doing, which shall become a part of

the record of such veteran eligible, and shall be made available upon
request to the veteran or his designated representatives; the Sec-
retary of Personnel is directed to determine the sufficiency
of such submitted reason and, if found insufficient, shall require
such appointing officer to submit more detailed information in
support thereof; if the reason so received be deemed insufficient by
the Secretary of Personnel, then, he shall order the employment of

such veteran by such appointing officer, and a copy thereof shall

be sent to the veteran eligible or to his designated representatives;

in case there is no eligible list for the class, the Secretary shall
forthwith call an examination, and shall post the eligible list

resulting therefrom within sixty days from the time of holding

said examination, and in case no eligible list results, the Secretary

shall repeat such call and continue to hold examinations until an

eligible list results. If necessary to prevent the stoppage of public

business, but not otherwise, the Secretary may authorize temporary
appointment as prescribed in Section 22 of this article.

17.