HARRY HUGHES, Governor

1757

AN ACT concerning

Merit System - Presentation of Pay Plan

FOR the purpose of altering the time for presentation to the
General Assembly of amendments to the pay plan for all
classes of positions of classified and unclassified
service.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 64A - Merit System

Section 27(a)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1972 Replacement Volume and 1978 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 64A - Merit System

27.

(a) After consultation with appointing authorities,
the Secretary of Personnel shall prepare and recommend to
the Governor a pay plan for all classes of positions in both
the classified and unclassified service to the end that all
positions in the services involving comparable duties,
experience, responsibilities and authority shall be paid
comparable salaries in accordance with the relative value of
the services to be performed. In establishing rates of pay,
the Secretary shall give consideration to experience, the
prevailing rates of pay for the services performed, and for
comparable services in public and private employment, living
costs, maintenance or other benefits received by employees,
and the State's financial condition and policies. The pay
plan shall take effect and shall have the force and effect
of law after approval by the Governor, at the time the next
State budget takes effect, if funds for the pay plan are
provided therein. Amendments to the pay plan may be made
from time to time for specific classes of positions when
recommended by the Secretary and approved by the Governor
and so presented to the General Assembly on or before the

[third] FIRST Wednesday of each [January] DECEMBER DECEMBER

20 OF EACH YEAR. The amendments will be effective in the
next State budget if funds are provided for that purpose.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary and solely in cases
of acute emergency, amendments may be made from time to time
in the pay plan to take effect at any time prior to the
effective date of the next State budget, if the amendment is
necessary in order to procure or to retain in the State
service, essential career administrative employees,
performing executive functions, or essential professional or
technical employees, and upon approval of the Board of