ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 388

million, the amount that Baltimore City appropriated in fiscal 2001 to match the
State funds provided in fiscal 2001 for school construction in Baltimore City.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 2001. It shall remain effective for a period of [3] 4 years and, at the end of
June 30, [2004] 2005, with no further action required by the General Assembly, this
Act shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect.

Chapter 288 of the Acts of 2002

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:

(a)     There is a Task Force to Study Public School Facilities.

(b)     The Task Force shall review, evaluate, and make findings and
recommendations regarding the following issues relating to the State's school
construction program:

(1)     whether public school facilities are adequate to support programs
funded through an adequate operating budget as proposed by the Commission on
Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence in its January 2002 Final Report;

(2)     the equity of the State's school construction program, particularly the
equity of the State and local cost shares for school construction projects;

(3)     whether the Aging Schools Program should be continued as a
permanent program AND IF SO, WHETHER THE CURRENT ALLOCATION OF PROGRAM
FUNDS SHOULD BE CONTINUED PERMANENTLY OR SHOULD BE MODIFIED; [and]

(4)     WHETHER THE STATE SHOULD PROVIDE A GREATER SHARE OF
ELIGIBLE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR:

(I)      SCHOOLS WITH 50% OR MORE OF THE STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR
FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS;

(II)     SMALL SCHOOLS CONSTRUCTED OR RENOVATED IN A PRIORITY
FUNDING AREA; AND

(III)   SCHOOLS IN QUALIFIED DISTRESSED COUNTIES AS DEFINED
IN ARTICLE 83A, § 5-701 OF THE CODE; AND

[(4)] (5) any other matter that the Task Force determines to be relevant
to an evaluation of the adequacy and equity of the State's school construction
program.

(c)      The Commission shall be composed of [21] 23 members as follows:

(1)     a chairman appointed by the Governor;

(2)     two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President
of the Senate;

(3)     two members of the House of Delegates of Maryland, appointed by
the Speaker of the House;

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