Ch. 3

1997 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(2)     Unless permitted by the budget bill or the accompanying supporting
documentation or by other authorizing legislation, a budget amendment may not:

(a)     restore funds for items or purposes specifically denied by the
General Assembly;

(b)    fund a capital project not authorized by the General Assembly
provided, however, that subject to provisions of the Transportation Article, projects of the
Department of Transportation shall be restricted as provided in Section 1;

(c)     increase the scope of a capital project by an amount 7.5 percent or
more over the approved estimate or 5 percent or more over the net square footage of the
approved project until the amendment has been submitted to the Department of Fiscal
Services and the budget committees have considered and offered comment to the
Governor or 45 days have elapsed from the date of submission of the amendment. This
provision does not apply to the Department of Transportation.

(3)     A budget may not be amended to increase a federal fund appropriation
by $100,000 or more unless documentation evidencing the increase in funds is provided
with the amendment and fund availability is certified by the Secretary of Budget and
Management.

(4)     No expenditure or contractual obligation of funds authorized by a
proposed budget amendment may be made prior to approval of that amendment by the
Governor.

(5)     Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any federal, special, or
higher education fund appropriation may be increased by budget amendment upon a
declaration by the Board of Public Works that the amendment is essential to maintaining
public safety, health, or welfare, including protecting the environment or economic
welfare of the State.
(6) This section shall not apply to budget amendments for the sole purpose of

appropriating funds available as a result of the award of federal disaster assistance.

SECTION 29. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That pursuant to any action
by the federal government to provide State aid in the form of block grants, the Governor
shall provide the General Assembly with 30 days, for each agency affected, to review and
comment on any plans to accept federal funds as block grants.

SECTION 30. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That executive budget books
shall include a summary statement of funding for children and families for the actual,
current, and budget years. The table shall identify spending by all State agencies on
programs providing services directly to children and families. The Department of Budget
and Management shall provide the Department of Fiscal Services with subprogram level
detail on the components of the children and families budget in a format acceptable to
the Department of Fiscal Services.

SECTION 31. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:

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