1442                                   LAWS OF MARYLAND                              Ch. 547

as the case may be, during the term of such public
officer.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the
aforegoing section hereby proposed as an amendment to the
Constitution of Maryland, at the next general election to
be held in this State in November, 1976, shall be
submitted to the legal and qualified voters thereof for
their adoption or rejection in pursuance of directions
contained in Article XIV of the Constitution of this
State. At that general election, the vote on this
proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by
ballot, and upon each ballot there shall be printed the
words "For the Constitutional Amendments" and "Against
the Constitutional Amendments," as now provided by law.
Immediately after the election, all returns shall be made
to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the
Constitution, and further proceedings had in accordance
with Article XIV.

Approved May 17, 1976.

CHAPTER 548

(Senate Bill 639)

AN ACT concerning

[[Laws and Referendums — Effective Dates and Forms]]
[[Referendums]] Referenda — Petitions and Forms

FOR the purpose of [[providing that a law may not take
effect before July 1 following the session at which
it was enacted unless an emergency measure;]]
changing the proportion of names to be filed in a
referendum petition by a certain date; changing the
deadline for filing a petition for referendum for
certain acts; authorizing the General Assembly to
prescribe the form of a referendum petition, the
manner of its verification and other necessary
administrative procedures; correcting language;
generally amending the referendum procedures and
requirements; and submitting this amendment to the
qualified voters of the State for adoption or
rejection.

[[BY proposing an amendment to the Constitution of
Maryland

Article III — Legislative Department
Section 31]]