PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 666

(1996 Replacement Volume)

Preamble

WHEREAS, Current law classifies each county that has adopted code home rule
under Article XI-F of the Maryland Constitution as a single class; and

WHEREAS, A single classification restricts the General Assembly's ability to

adequately address the diversity of interests and concerns among various regions of the
State; and

WHEREAS, This rigidity not only limits the General Assembly's ability to address
concerns of counties that have adopted code home rule, but may well discourage
nonhome rule counties from achieving the benefits of code home rule under Article XI-F
of the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, Recognizing the need for flexibility among counties throughout the
State, the drafters of the Code Home Rule Amendment proposed, and the voters of the
State ratified, authorization for the General Assembly to classify code counties by
grouping them into not more than four classes, based on criteria that the General
Assembly considers appropriate; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 25B - Home Rule for Code Counties

1.

(a) "Code county" (as defined in Article XI-F of the Constitution, § 1) means a
county which is not a charter county under Article XI-A of the Constitution and which
has adopted the optional powers of home rule provided in Article XI-F of the
Constitution and this article.

[2.

The General Assembly determines that there is one classification of code counties.
All counties functioning under the provisions of Article XI-F of the Constitution are
members of that class and subject to the constitutional and statutory law applicable
thereto.]

2..

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.

(2) "CENTRAL MARYLAND" MEANS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY,
BALTIMORE CITY, BALTIMORE COUNTY, CARROLL COUNTY, FREDERICK COUNTY,
HARFORD COUNTY, HOWARD COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND PRINCE
GEORGE'S COUNTY.

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