MARVIN MANGEL, Governor                                 1465

Subsection (b) is new language derived in
part from Art. 66C, §460 of the Code. At
present, no biological laboratory exists in
the State. The provisions of this subtitle
are retained because the recently created
Department of Agriculture would like to
have the authority to establish a
laboratory.

The present references in Art. 66c, §460 to
the director of the laboratory are omitted
here since no director exists. Instead,
all powers and responsibilities arising
under this subtitle are vested in the
Secretary. This does not result in a
substantive change because under the recent
department organization, the Secretary is
responsible for exercising the powers,
duties, and functions of agencies within
the department. The Secretary may appoint
a person to direct the laboratory pursuant
to §2-102(d) .

Art. 66C, §460 is revised in subsection
(b) so that the Secretary has the authority
to cooperate with the University of
Maryland so that the department may use the
facilities and expertise of Maryland
Agricultural Experiment Station as well as
other tranches of the University.

Finally, the last provision of Art. 66C,
§460, which authorizes the director to fix
salaries for persons employed in the
laboratory, is proposed for deletion
because it conflicts with the State Merit
System law.

The only other changes made are in style.

SEC. 3-204. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY TO CONDUCT TESTS,
INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH.

(A) TESTS AND INVESTIGATIONS.

THE SECRETARY MAY CONDUCT TESTS AND
INVESTIGATIONS OF ANY BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT AND PERFORM
RESEARCH AT THE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS LABORATORY.

(B) REQUEST OF UNIT OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.