HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3401

3.  "A list of minimal assets and certification of
income limits" is to be included with the application.

4.  "Other available verification of income" is made an
additional requirement, rather than an alternative, to a
certified copy of the applicant's latest State income tax
return.

The description corresponding to these changes in the
purpose clause of the title is "eliminating a requirement
that an applicant for a loan from the Maryland Home
Financing Program apply to and be rejected by two private
lending institutions."

Giving the bill the benefit of every doubt, and
recognizing that the changes which it makes may make little
substantive difference to the operation of the Maryland Home
Financing Program, in view of other unamended sections of
the subtitle, we still cannot conclude that this title
provision satisfies the requirements of Article III, Sec. 29
of the Constitution.

Additionally, the bill deletes from Code, Financial
Institutions Article, §§ 5-507 and 9-902 provisions
authorizing the use of a written rejection from a bank or
savings and loan association for purposes of the Maryland
Home Financing Program. While these provisions are
adequately described by the bill's title, we do not believe
that the General Assembly would have made these changes
independent of the defective portion of the bill.
Accordingly, we cannot approve even this portion of the
bill. See, Somerset County v. Pocomoke Bridge Co., 109 Md.
1 (1908).

Very truly yours,
Stephen H. Sachs
Attorney General

House Bill No. 689

AN ACT concerning

Homeowners' Tax Credit Program - Corrective

FOR the purpose of making a correction by providing that as
to applications received by May 1 preceding the taxable
year in which the credit is sought, the Department
shall have the tax bill prepared, by the county or
Baltimore City, to reflect the final tax liability