2278

VETOES

Senate Bill 216, which was enacted by the General
Assembly and signed by me on May 14, 1979, accomplishes the
same purpose.

Therefore it is unnecessary for me to sign House Bill
452.

Sincerely,
Barry Hughes
Governor

House Bill No. 461
AN ACT concerning

State Agencies — Citizen Response Plan

FOR the purpose of requiring State agencies to adopt
procedures for the handling and response to any
inquiry, request, or complaint communication made by a
member of the public; and for the keeping of related
records-
May 29, 1979

Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin

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 461.

This bill would require every department, board,
bureau, commission, or other agency of the State government,
except those in the legislative or judicial branches, to
submit to the Administrative, Executive and Legislative
Review Committee written procedures to be followed by
employees in responding to communications by members of the
public and the manner and circumstances in which records of
communications and agency response should be maintained.

While the goal of insuring that agencies are
appropriately responsive to communications from the citizens
we serve is certainly laudable, this bill, in my judgment,
would mandate needless bureaucratic rule making and thereby
serve to unnecessarily dilute the limited resources of the
executive branch agencies and unreasonably burden the AELR
Committee.