PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 120

[5-602.] 3-802.

The General Assembly declares it to be the policy of the State to adhere to these
seven guiding principles for supporting manufacturing in Maryland:

(1)     The State must make a long-term institutional commitment to improving
the competitiveness of existing and emerging manufacturers;

(2)     The State's support for manufacturing must be industry-driven, with
government and education efforts focused on priorities set by businesses;

(3)     The State's efforts to support manufacturing must be organized in ways
that address the scale of need in order to have a noticeable impact on the State and
regional economies;

(4)     The State's support of manufacturing must be held accountable to
measurable outcomes that result from the State's business assistance activities;

(5)     All manufacturers need to deploy the latest advances in technology to be
competitive;

(6)     The State should target its limited resources to key manufacturing
industries, those that have a strong presence or healthy growth prospects, as a means of
developing a competitive manufacturing base; and

(7)     The State's business assistance services for existing and emerging
manufacturers must be comprehensive, ranging across marketing, technology, financing,
job training, and other needs of manufacturing, and must be readily available across all
regions of the State.

[5-603.] 3-803.

(a)     There is a Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness
in the Department.

(b)     The Commission consists of the Secretary, or the Secretary's designee, and 24
members appointed as follows:

(1)     Two members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate of
Maryland;

(2)     Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Delegates; and

(3)     Twenty members shall be appointed by the Secretary with the approval
of the Governor.

(c)     A member of the Commission who is a member of the General Assembly may
not vote on matters before the Commission relating to the exercise of the sovereign
powers of State.

(d)     The 20 members appointed by the Secretary shall reflect the gender and racial
makeup of the population of the State, and of those members:

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