Ch. 358

2003 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(b) The Office of the Attorney General shall:

(1)     determine whether any conduct identified in MIA No: 2003-02-032
violates any provision of federal or State civil, criminal, or administrative law, other
than those provisions reviewed by the Maryland Insurance Commissioner under
subsection (a)(1) of this section; and

(2)     report, on or before September 1, 2003, to the Governor, and in
accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly on
the determinations made, if any, under item (1) of this subsection, and on any changes
to State law that need to be made to ensure that the public interest is protected.

SECTION 13. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if any provision of this
Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any
reason in a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity does not affect other
provisions or any other application of this Act which can be given effect without the
invalid provision or application, and for this purpose the provisions of this Act are
declared severable.

SECTION 14. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 2 of this Act
shall take effect June 1 , 2003. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and 3
months and, at the end of August 31, 2005, with no further action required by the
General Assembly, Section 2 of this Act shall be abrogated and of no further force and
effect.

SECTION 15. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of all the members elected
to each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and, except as provided in Section
14 of this Act, shall take effect from the date it is enacted.

Approved May 22, 2003.

CHAPTER 358
(Senate Bill 75)

AN ACT concerning

Public Charter School Act of 2003

FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Public Charter School Program;
adding a certain definition; establishing certain authority in certain boards;
specifying certain charter school application requirements; prohibiting a county
board public chartering authority from granting a charter to certain schools;
requiring a county board to review an application to establish a charter school
and render a decision within a certain time period; establishing a certain
appeals process; requiring the State Board of Education to render a certain
decision within a certain time period; authorizing the State Board of Education
to direct a county board to grant a charter under certain circumstances and

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