BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor                        2679

(18) (a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
any other law, a governor who has served at least one full
term of office or more PRIOR TO JANUARY 17, 1979, may retire
immediately upon leaving office. Notwithstanding the
provisions of any other law, [he shall receive an annual
retirement allowance or pension which is not less than one
half of the salary of the governor who is currently in
office from time to time; but for any governor retiring
after July 1, 1971, this retirement allowance or pension
shall be suspended and not paid during any period when the
former governor is employed by any agency of the State of
Maryland] BE SHALL RECEIVE AN ANNUAL RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE OR
PENSION OF $12,500 UNDER THIS SUBSECTION WHICH SHALL BE
ADJUSTED FROM YEAR TO YEAR FOR COST OF LIVING CHANGES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE SET FORTH IN SECTION 11A OF
THIS ARTICLE. THIS RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE OR PENSION SHALL BE
SUSPENDED AND NOT PAID DURING ANY PERIOD WHEN THE FORMER
GOVERNOR IS EMPLOYED BY ANY AGENCY OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
FOLLOWING HIS DEATH, HIS SURVIVING SPOUSE SHALL RECEIVE AN
ALLOWANCE WHICH IS EQUAL TO ONE-HALF THE RETIREMENT
ALLOWANCE WHICH THE FORMER GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE BEEN ENTITLED
TO RECEIVE FROM TIME TO TIME UNDER THIS SUBSECTION.

(b) [The surviving spouse of any former governor
shall receive an allowance which is equal to one half the
retirement allowance or pension which the former governor
would have been entitled to receive from time to time]
NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IN ANY OTHER LAW,
RETIREMENT ALLOWANCES AND BENEFITS FOR PERSONS SERVING IN
THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR AFTER JANUARY 17, 1979, AND THEIR
SPOUSES SHALL BE PAYABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBSECTION.
A PERSON SERVING IN THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR AFTER JANUARY 17,
1979, SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
EQUAL TO ONE-THIRD THE ANNUAL SALARY RECEIVED DURING HIS
LAST TERM OF OFFICE, PROVIDED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS SERVED
AT LEAST ONE FULL TERM AND HAS ATTAINED AGE 55. THE
RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE SO DETERMINED SHALL CONTINUE FOR THE
LIFE OF THE RETIREE, WITH ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT INFLATION
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE SET FORTH IN SECTION 11A
OF THIS ARTICLE. RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE OR PENSION SHALL
BE SUSPENDED AND NOT PAID DURING ANY PERIOD WHEN THE FORMER
GOVERNOR IS EMPLOYED BY ANY AGENCY OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
A GOVERNOR LEAVING OFFICE AT ANY TIME BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL OR
MENTAL DISABILITY, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF
CONSTITUTION ARTICLE II, SECTION 6(C), INCLUDING ONE WHO
BECAME DISABLED BEFORE HAVING SERVED AT LEAST ONE TERM,
SHALL BEGIN RECEIVING A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE IMMEDIATELY
UPON LEAVING OFFICE EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT HE WOULD HAVE
RECEIVED HAD HE SERVED A FULL TERM AND ATTAINED AGE 55.

HOWEVER, WHEN SUCH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY NO LONGER

EXISTS AND THE RETIREE HAS NOT YET ATTAINED AGE 55, THIS
DISABILITY RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE SHALL TERMINATE. WHEN SUCH

RETIREE ATTAINS AGE 55, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE NORMAL

RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE. PROVIDED HE IS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED.

UPON THE DEATH OF A GOVERNOR AT ANY TIME AFTER LEAVING
OFFICE, THE SURVIVING SPOUSE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, SHALL
RECEIVE A BENEFIT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SPOUSE'S LIFE