S.B. 180

VETOES

Currently, only the Michie publication is considered evidence of the law. The bill also
provides that the code of public general laws compiled and maintained by the
Department of Legislative Services is evidence of the law and modifies certain duties
of the department relating to the code of public general laws.

House Bill 287, which was passed by the General Assembly and signed by me,
accomplishes the same purpose. Therefore, it is not necessary for me to sign Senate
Bill 180.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Governor

Senate Bill No. 180

AN ACT concerning

Public General Laws - Evidence of the Law

FOR the purpose of establishing a rule of interpretation that provides that certain
references in the codified laws of the State to the "Code", "Annotated Code", and
similar terms shall mean any code adopted as evidence of the public general
laws of the State under a certain provision of law; adopting the 2002 Edition of
the Annotated Code of Maryland as published by the editorial staff of West,
Eagan, Minnesota (West Code), and all replacement volumes and supplements
to the West Code; providing that the West Code and all replacement volumes
and supplements to the West Code are evidence of the Public General Laws of
Maryland and shall be considered as evidence of the law in all courts of the State
and by all public offices and officers of the State and its political subdivisions;
providing that the code of public general laws compiled and maintained by the
Department of Legislative Services is adopted as evidence of the law and shall
be considered as evidence of the law in all courts of the State and by all offices
and officers of the State and its political subdivisions; altering and clarifying
certain duties of the Department of Legislative Services and the Office of Policy
Analysis with respect to the codified laws of the State; requiring the
Department to create and maintain a statutory database of the public general
laws of the State and to correct certain manifest errors in that code subject to
ratification by the General Assembly; making certain technical, stylistic, and
conforming changes; providing for the construction of this Act; and generally
relating to the adoption of the West Code as public general laws of the State and
evidence of the law in Maryland.

BY adding to

Article 1 - Rules of Interpretation

Section 2A

Annotated Code of Maryland

(2001 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

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