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BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor 3223
Review of Federal Grant—in—Aid Applications
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of State
Planning to notify and provide for review by members of
the General Assembly of certain applications for
federal grants-in—aid affecting their respective
districts; and requiring the Department to include
comments received from General Assembly members about
an application to be included in the State
Intergovernmental Cooperation Clearinghouse review
letter for that application.
May 29, 1978
Honorable John Hanson Briscoe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404
Dear Mr. Speaker:
In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 1359.
This bill requires the Department of State Planning to
provide to members of the General Assembly for their review
federal grant-in—aid applications in excess of $50,000 that
affect their respective districts.
The majority of these grant applications involve
statewide projects which contain very little information
specific to individual legislative districts. I am informed
that the enactment of this bill would result in additional
administrative and clerical procedures that may delay timely
application for federal funding and ultimately endanger the
receipt of federal funds.
The grant application process is an already cumbersome
one. I certainly have no objection to the involvement of
members of the General Assembly in the review process if an
application actually involves their particular districts.
However, I do not believe that compulsory legislation is
necessary to accomplish this objective. I am certain that
the Secretary of State Planning can, on an individual basis,
inform legislators of applications which are of direct
concern to them.
For these reasons, and at the request of the
Secretaries of Budget and Fiscal Planning and Health and
Mental Hygiene, I have decided to veto House Bill 1359.
Sincerely,
Blair Lee III
Acting Governor
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