Ch. 353                                    1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

be delayed under this section of this Act, and shall provide the retirement date for those
employees. The retirement date of any employee whose date is delayed under this section
of this Act shall be on the first day of a month.

SECTION 9. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Delegates may defer the effective date of retirement until no
later than June 30, 1997, for not more than 35% of the employees of the Legislative Branch of
State government electing to retire under this Act. In determining the number of employees, any
fraction of an employee shall be rounded up to the next whole number. The President and the
Speaker shall notify the Board of Trustees by September 15, 1996, of the employees whose
retirement date will be delayed under this section of this Act, and shall provide the retirement
date for those employees. The retirement date of any employee whose retirement date is delayed
under this section of this Act shall be on the first day of a month.

SECTION 9. 10. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That for those employees
who have been separated from employment because their position identification numbers
have been eliminated in the State budget or by budget amendment at any time after
December 31, 1995 and before July 1, 1997, and who do not retire under this Act, the
State shall pay the entire cost of health insurance premiums for those employees to
continue the health insurance the employees received while employed by the State, for a
period of 12 months following the month of termination, or until those former employees
are covered by another employer subsidized health insurance plan through another
employer, whichever comes first.

SECTION 11. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the
General Assembly that the retirement incentive applicable to employees who voluntarily
separate from State service by participating in the early retirement program established in this
Act does not represent an ongoing policy of the State and is a one-time offer only.

SECTION 12. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the
General Assembly that the retirement incentive applicable to employees who are terminated
through the budget as established in this Act does not represent an ongoing policy of the State
and is a one-time offer only.

SECTION 13. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED. That it is the intent of the
General Assembly that all branches of State government exercise the discipline necessary to
achieve the salary savings objectives of this Act by eliminating the number of positions required
in this Act and ensuring that the State workforce does not increase above this newly established
level.

SECTION 9. 10. 14. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 1 of this
Act shall take effect October 1, 1996.

SECTION 10. 11.15. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Sections 2 through
8, except as provided in Section 14 of this Act this Act shall take effect June 1, 1996.

Approved May 14, 1996.

- 2472 -