WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
be construed only prospectively and may not be applied or
interpreted to have any effect upon or application to any
adoption or guardianship for which a final decree was entered
before July 1, 1987, nor to any adoption or guardianship in which
a petition has been filed, but proceedings are pending as of July
1, 1987. However the amendment by this Act of provisions of law
in effect prior to the effective date of this Act may not be
construed to preclude the application of those provisions of law
to any adoption or guardianship for which a final decree was
entered before July 1, 1987, nor to any adoption or guardianship
proceeding pending as of the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1987.

June 2, 1987
The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland
Constitution, I have today vetoed Senate Bill 860.

Senate Bill 860 would allow a law enforcement officer to
waive the rights in the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights
and elect to be covered by the terms of a collective bargaining
agreement. The rights under the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill
of Rights could be supplemented or expanded by law or by a
provision of a collective bargaining agreement, but could not be
diminished or abrogated.

When the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights was
enacted in 1973, its intent was to secure for law enforcement
officers minimum guarantees of procedural and substantive due
process. Few, if any, police officers were under collective
bargaining agreements at that time. Now, most major
jurisdictions in the State have collective bargaining with their
officers.

Although there is some confusion as to whether collective
bargaining may address a subject covered by the Law Enforcement
Officers' Bill of Rights, I do not feel that Senate Bill 860
provides the correct solution. Under this legislation, police
officers in different jurisdictions would be able to elect to be

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