HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3473

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

9.

(A)   It is hereby declared to be the legislative intent
and desire that the Governor, in submitting the State budget
and budget bill as directed by § 52(5) of Article 3 of the
State Constitution, submit his complete financial program
and recommendations for the fiscal year involved, including
proposed bond bills and revenue bills to carry out such
program, so that the General Assembly may have before it
early in the session the entire fiscal program of the State
administration, and that the supplemental budget amendments
be rigidly restricted to the correction of mechanical errors
in the initial budget and provision for expenditures
required by legislation enacted in the current session.

(B)  (1) IT IS FURTHER THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT AND
DESIRE THAT THE GOVERNOR, IN SUBMITTING THE STATE BUDGET AND
THE BUDGET BILL, GIVE THOROUGH AND DETAILED REVIEW TO THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE.

(2) IF THE GOVERNOR SUBMITS A BUDGET AND BUDGET
BILL THAT REQUEST APPROPRIATIONS IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNTS
RECOMMENDED BY THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE, THE
GOVERNOR SHALL INDICATE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE BUDGET AS
SUBMITTED DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND
EXPLAIN HIS RATIONALE FOR EXCEEDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND
SHALL INCLUDE A PLAN THAT WOULD LOWER THE REQUESTED LEVEL OF
APPROPRIATIONS TO CONFORM TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE.

Article 40 - General Assembly

SPENDING AFFORDABILITY

109.

(A)  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT STATE EXPENDITURES
FOR OPERATING AND CAPITAL PROGRAMS MUST BE CONTROLLED SO
THAT THE LEVEL OF STATE SPENDING IS CONSISTENT WITH THE
ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE STATE.

(B)  (1) THE CONTROL OF SPENDING SHALL BE EXERCISED
THROUGH THE BUDGETARY PROCESS AS WELL AS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE
OVERSIGHT AND PROGRAM REVIEW.

(2) THE BUDGET FOCUSES ON SPENDING FOR THE NEXT
FISCAL YEAR AND PROVIDES CAREFUL SCRUTINY OF NEW PROGRAMS OR
EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND WEIGHS THE
INCREMENTAL COST OF THE BUDGET IN LIGHT OF THE PRIORITY
NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS.