Compensation Commission                           2623

the General Assembly Compensation Commission. The Commission
shall consist of nine members, five of whom shall be appointed by the
Governor, two of whom shall be appointed by the President of the
Senate, and two of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Delegates. Members of the General Assembly and officers
and employees of the Government of the State of Maryland or of any
county, city, or other governmental unit of the State shall not be eligible
for appointment to the Commission. The members of the initial
Commission shall be appointed within ten days after this Constitu-
tional Amendment takes effect, and their terms shall expire May 31,
1974. Beginning June 1, 1974, members of the Commission shall be
appointed for terms of four years. Members of the Commission are
eligible for reappointment. Any member of the Commission may be
removed by the Governor prior to the expiration of his term for
official misconduct, incompetence or neglect of duty. The members
shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses
incurred in carrying out their responsibilities under this section.
Decisions of the Commission must be concurred in by at least five
members.

(3)    Within 15 days after the beginning of the regular session
of the General Assembly in 1974 and within 15 days after the begin-
ning of the regular session in each fourth year thereafter the Commis-
sion by formal resolution shall submit its determinations for
compensation and allowances to the General Assembly. The General
Assembly may reduce or reject but shall not increase any item in the
resolution. The resolution, with any reductions that shall have been
concurred in by joint resolution of the General Assembly, shall take
effect and have the force of law as of the beginning of the term of
office of the next General Assembly. The provisions thereof shall
continue in force until superseded by any succeeding resolution.

(4)    Until ratification of this amendment and the effective date
of compensation and allowances established as hereinabove set forth,
the compensation and allowances shall remain as they were prior to
ratification of this amendment providing, however, that within 15
days after the beginning of the regular session of the General Assembly
in 1971 the Commission by formal resolution shall submit its deter-
minations for compensation and allowances to the General Assembly.
The General Assembly may reduce or reject but shall not increase any
item in the resolution, notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 17
and 35 of Article III. The resolution, with any reduction that shall
have been concurred in by joint resolution of the General Assembly
within 30 days of its receipt by the General Assembly, shall take
effect and have the force of law as of January 1, 1971 unless rejected
by the joint resolution of the General Assembly within 30 days of
its receipt by the General Assembly, and said resolution shall continue
in force until superseded by any succeeding resolution.

(5)    In no event shall the compensation and allowances be less
than they were prior to the ratification of this Constitutional
Amendment."

By proclamation dated November 25, 1970, Marvin Mandel, the Gov-
ernor of Maryland, declared the constitutional amendment creating a
General Assembly Compensation Commission to be effective. The nine
members of the Commission were duly appointed on December 3, 1970, in
conformity with the new Article III, Section 15(2) of the Constitution.