H.B. 873                                                 VETOES

(2) May arrest the violator.

(g) Any person who violates subsection (c) of this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $2,500,
imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both.]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the
General Assembly that local education agencies, working with the State Department
of Education, develop their own local policies regarding the use of portable pagers and
cellular telephones on public school property and, in enacting Section 1 of this Act, it
is not the intent of the General Assembly to encourage the use of portable pagers and
cellular telephones on public school property during school hours.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2003.

May 21, 2003

The Honorable Michael E. Busch
Speaker of the House
State House
Annapolis MD 21401

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, today I have
vetoed House Bill 873 - Education - Study Commission on Educators' Time and
Paperwork.

House Bill 873 establishes a 16-member Study Commission on Teachers' Time and
Paperwork to: (1) conduct a survey on workload, administrative tasks, and other
intrusions on time that detract from teaching and learning; (2) analyze best practices
used in other states; (3) analyze the benefits of a statewide individualized education
program (IEP) form; and (4) pursue any other strategies to reduce paperwork and
intrusions on time. The commission must report its findings and recommendations by
December 31, 2003.

Teachers spend a considerable amount of time doing administrative tasks. That is a
fact. The reason for my veto is that the Superintendent of Schools and the Maryland
State Department of Education (MSDE) already recognize that workload is one of
many factors that impact classroom instruction. Moreover, they have implemented a
number of initiatives with the goal of improving teacher quality, including the
Teacher Quality Workgroup, the Teacher Preparation Task Force for Special
Education, and the Statewide IEP Task Force. Finally, a Task Force already has
issued a report regarding the feasibility of a statewide IEP form. Currently, MSDE is
acting on the Task Force's recommendations. Therefore, House Bill 873 is
unnecessary, duplicative, and an inefficient use of time and resources.

For the above-stated reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 873.

Sincerely,

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