WHEREAS, Unlike the federal appropriations process, the Constitution of
Maryland requires the State budget to be balanced each year; and

WHEREAS, The payments to Maryland under the settlement will be used to
fund important initiatives and programs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
General Assembly of Maryland urges the Congress of the United States to enact and
the President of the United States to support and sign legislation to prohibit the
federal government from recouping any portion of state tobacco settlement funds; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of
Legislative Services to the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Paul S.
Sarbanes and Barbara A. Mikulski, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510;
and Representatives Wayne T. Gilchrest, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., Benjamin L. Cardin,
Albert R. Wynn, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, Roscoe G. Bartlett, Elijah E. Cummings, and
Constance A. Morella, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

Signed May 27, 1999.

Joint Resolution No. 2
(Senate Joint Resolution No. 3)

A Senate Joint Resolution concerning

Ethics Law - Study Commission on Lobbyist Ethics

FOR the purpose of creating a Study Commission on Lobbyist Ethics; providing for
the appointment of the Commission; specifying the duties of the Commission;
requiring the Commission to issue a certain report by a certain date; providing
for the termination of the Commission; and generally relating to the Study
Commission oh Lobbyist Ethics.

WHEREAS, The Maryland Public Ethics Law was enacted in 1979 to assure the
people of this State that the operations of government are free from improper
influence and the appearance of improper influence; and

WHEREAS, The Ethics Law regulates not only officials and public employees,
but also persons who lobby on behalf of private sector interests; and

WHEREAS, While officials and employees are subject to an extensive code of
ethical conduct under the Ethics Law, regulated lobbyists are generally subject only to
financial reporting requirements; and

WHEREAS, Since the enactment of the Ethics Law 20 years ago, the business of
lobbying has grown enormously, with a substantial increase in the number of
regulated lobbyists, their compensation, and their impact on the legislative process
and the functioning of the Executive Branch; and