524                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 227

subheading "Joint Budget and Audit Committee," revising a
portion of the law which created the Joint Budget and Audit Com-
mittee, making general provision for the members of the com-
mittee and their appointments and compensation and relating
generally to the Joint Budget and Audit Committee.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 55 of Article 40 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
{1970 Supplement), title "General Assembly," subtitle "Department
of Fiscal Services," subheading "Joint Budget and Audit Committee,"
be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to
read as follows:

55.

(a)  There shall be [fourteen] eighteen members of the committee,
[seven] nine of whom are members of the Senate finance committee,
and [seven] nine of whom are members of the House ways and
means committee or of the House appropriations committee.

(b)  The two sets of members shall be appointed respectively by
the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Dele-
gates. Appointments shall be made [not later than April 1 at the
end of] following organization of the two Houses and their com-
mittees during each regular session of the General Assembly. Vacan-
cies on the committee shall be filled promptly by the President or the
Speaker, as the case may be.

(c)  Members of the committee shall be appointed on the basis of
demonstrated ability and interest in the functions described and
covered in this subtitle. The President and the Speaker, in making
appointments from time to time, shall take into account, and provide
for representation thereon for, persons residing in the several major
areas in the State.

(d)  [The chairman of the Senate finance committee and the chair-
man of the House ways and means committee shall be among those
appointed to membership on the joint budget and audit committee.
By agreement between the president and the Speaker, one of these
persons shall be the chairman, and the other shall be the vice-chair-
man, of the joint budget and audit committee during any four-year
elective period of a General Assembly. During successive four-year
periods, the chairmanship and the vice-chairmanship shall alternate
between the Senate and House members; except that by agreement
between the President and the Speaker, the alternation may be
postponed. By agreement with the President or the Speaker, the
chairman of the Senate finance committee or the chairman of the
House ways and means committee may designate another member
of his respective committee to serve in his stead on the joint budget
and audit committee.] From time to time, the President and the
Speaker by joint action shall name the chairman and the vice-chair-
man of the committee.

(e)  The minority floor leader in the Senate, or his designee, and
the minority floor leader in the House, or his designee, shall be among
those appointed to membership on the joint budget and audit
committee.