WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                        S.B. 582

[(3)] (III) adoption in the following descending order of priority:

[(i)] 1. by a current foster parent with whom the child has resided
continually for at least the 12 months prior to developing the permanency plan or for a
sufficient length of time to have established positive relationships and family ties; or

[(ii)] 2. by another approved adoptive family;

(IV) PLACING THE CHILD IN A COURT APPROVED PERMANENT
FOSTER HOME WITH A SPECIFIC CAREGIVER;

[(4)](V) an independent living arrangement; or

[(5)] (VI) [in exceptional situations as defined by rule or regulation,]
long-term foster care.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 1994.

May 26, 1994

The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.

President of the Senate

State House

Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1991

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I have today
vetoed Senate Bill 582.

Senate Bill 582 would prohibit the State from imposing sanctions authorized by the State
Substance Abuse Policy (SSAP) on both "sensitive" and "non-sensitive" employees who
receive probation before judgement for a drug or alcohol offense that occurred outside
the work place. Further, the bill would prohibit the State from imposing sanctions on a
"non-sensitive" employee who is convicted of a drug or alcohol offense that occurred
outside the work place.

In the last two years, I vetoed bills similar to Senate Bill 582 because of my concern that
these proposals would greatly undermine public confidence in State employees--especially
its law enforcement and corrections personnel--and would deprive taxpayers the right to
a drug and alcohol-free State work force.

The State employs numerous classes of people who hold "sensitive" positions. These
classes include law enforcement personnel, corrections and probation officers, drug
laboratory chemists, helicopter pilots and mechanics, highway maintenance technicians,
and heavy equipment operators. Under the provisions of this bill, an employee who is
entrusted with the public's safety and welfare would not be held accountable for off-work
drug or alcohol offenses. This situation is intolerable to a public that demands and
deserves such accountability.

A 1993 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that nationally,

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