WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                       H.B. 982

(G) (I) (1) THE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE FISCAL
SERVICES SHALL KEEP A COPY OF EACH ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS RATING AND
ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR 3 YEARS AFTER PREPARATION OF THE RATING
OR THE ANALYSIS.

(2) THE COPIES SHALL BE REASONABLY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC
INSPECTION.

(H) (J) ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS RATINGS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
ANALYSES NEED NOT BE PUBLISHED IN THE SENATE JOURNAL OR HOUSE JOURNAL.

(I) (K) THE VALIDITY OF AN ENACTMENT OF A BILL IS NOT AFFECTED BY
THE PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR CONTENT OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
RATING OR AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the members of the
General Assembly are encouraged to provide economic impact analysis information to
the appropriate legislative agency when submitting proposed legislation.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Department of
Economic and Employment Development, after consultation with the Department of
Legislative Reference, the Department of Fiscal Services, and the Maryland Chamber of
Commerce, shall adopt regulations establishing criteria a business must meet to qualify as
a "small business" within the meaning of this Act. The regulations shall be adopted no
later than October 1, 1994.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1994.

May 26, 1994

The Honorable Casper R. Taylor, Jr.
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I have today
vetoed House Bill 982.

House Bill 982 would designate English as the common official language of the State of
Maryland. The bill would apply to all branches of government within the State, and would
declare that English is the language of government functions and actions. The bill would
require that government entities publish each official document in English, and conduct
each meeting and other official oral communication in English. The bill contains
exceptions that would allow an instrumentality of government to conduct business in a
language other than English, if its purpose is to: (1) comply with Federal law; (2) protect
the public health and safety; (3) protect the rights of civil litigants, criminal defendants,
or victims of crime; (4) assist students with limited English proficiency; (5) provide
interpretation for deaf individuals in American Sign Language; (6) teach a foreign

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