3058                                            VETOES

VETOES

Titles and Messages

Senate Bill No. 10 - Public Assistance Monies
AN ACT concerning

Public Assistance — Monies Guaranteed to Recipient

FOR the purpose of providing that all assistance granted
to families with dependent children, old age
assistance, public assistance to the needy blind,
aid to permanently and totally disabled and general
public assistance programs shall not be transferable
or assignable nor subject to any operation of the
law which would deprive the recipient of the
assistance; and consolidating the provisions of
Section 73 of Article 88A and Section 21 of Article
30 in the new Section 16A of Article 88A.

May 31, 1974.

Honorable William S. James
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed Senate Bill
10.

This bill is intended to provide that assistance
granted under the various public assistance programs
shall not be assignable or subject to attachment by or on
behalf of creditors.

I have been advised by the Secretary of Employment
and Social Services that such assistance is already
protected from the claims of creditors by virtue of
federal regulation, and that Senate Bill 10 is not
necessary to achieve that end. There is, in addition, a
substantial defect in the wording of the bill, which may
render the bill nugatory in any event.

The bill repeals existing laws exempting old age
assistance and assistance for the blind from the claims
of creditors, and adds a new section 16A to Article 88A,
which provides that assistance granted under certain