1918                              Joint Resolutions

Whereas, The policy underlying the age limit determination may
vary with respect to many of these provisions; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That a legislative
committee be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Presi-
dent of the Senate to conduct an in-depth study into the issue of
lowering the age of majority from 21 years to 18 years of age; and
be it further

Resolved, That the committee should submit its report to the Gen-
eral Assembly by January 1, 1973.

Approved May 26, 1972.

No. 42

(House Joint Resolution 9)

House Joint Resolution requesting Maryland's Congressional Delega-
tion to introduce appropriate legislation and to urge governmental
agencies to enact regulations to provide adequate safeguards in
the governmental centralization of personnel files and in the Na-
tional Data Center NATIONAL DATA BANKS, GOVERN-
MENTAL AND PRIVATE, to insure the privacy and freedom of
individuals and their interest in controlling both the amount and
the accuracy of what others know about them.

Whereas, All major federal agencies presently have computerized
files, and state and local governments are rapidly increasing their
utilization of computers as record keepers; and

Whereas, Computers make the operation of filing systems less
expensive and faster, and they also have the potential to be coordi-
nated and connected in such a way that they can form an enormous
single pool of information from which all users of the pool can
draw; and

WHEREAS, Individuals have strong interests in restricting dis-
closures of certain information about them; and

Whereas, The greatest concern has been the danger of disclosure
of personal information, which involves the government's right to
collect and store personal information, as well as its right to subse-
quently allow access to that information; and

Whereas, There are two types of dangers posed by the possibility
of unauthorized access to a centralized computer file system which
should be distinguished: first, there is the danger that for any single
piece of information stored in the files, the number of persons who
will be able to gain unauthorized access to it will be increased, and,
secondly, there is the danger that those who are able to gain unau-
thorized access to the files will be able to obtain a far greater quantum
of information; and

Whereas, The present safeguards on collection, storage, and dis-
closures of information are highly fragmentary and little more than
policy guidelines which may, or may not, be adhered to by the
responsible agencies; now, therefore, be it