ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 430

currently administered by the Department of Human Resources and the Department of
Housing and Community Development by the beginning of fiscal year 2006. The report
shall include information on statutory changes necessary to merge the programs.

SECTION 21. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section(s) 3, 5, 11, 12,
and 15 of Chapter 53 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2003 be repealed.

SECTION 23. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:

(a)     Notwithstanding the provisions of § 13-1406 of the Health - General
Article or any other provision of law, in fiscal year 2005, $442,210 from the Spinal
Cord Injury Research Trust Fund is authorized to be transferred by budget
amendment to the Maryland Department of Aging to be used exclusively to supplement
federal grants to local agencies under titles IIIB, IIIC1, IIIC2, and IIIE of the Older
Americans Act.

(b)     The Governor shall include in the budget bill for fiscal year 2006 a general
fund appropriation in an amount not less than $442,210 to the Maryland Department
of Aging to supplement federal grants to local agencies under titles IIIB, IIICl, IIIC2,
and IIIE of the Older Americans Act.

(c)     In fiscal years 2005 and 2006, these funds shall be used to hold rural
jurisdictions harmless from reductions that would occur under a strictly census-based
allocation and shall be allocated to the Area Agency on Aging as follows:

Allegany                                                                                                 $97,747

Carroll                                                                                                       1,035

Cecil                                                                                                           6,436

Frederick                                                                                                   3,659
MAC, Inc. - Serving Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester 219,573

Queen Anne's                                                                                           15,784

St. Mary's                                                                                                     519

Upper Shore Aging, Inc. - Serving Caroline, Kent, and Talbot             50,898

Washington                                                                                              46,559

(d)     The Governor shall submit proposed legislation to the General Assembly for
consideration in the 2005 legislative session that specifies a formula for distributing
federal funds under the Older Americans Act to local jurisdictions beginning in fiscal
year 2007.

SECTION 24. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, notwithstanding the
provisions of § 11-105(b)(3) of the Education Article or any other provision of law, the
biennial review of the State Plan for Higher Education due to be submitted by July 1,
2004 to the Governor and the General Assembly by the Maryland Higher Education
Commission may be submitted on or before December 1, 2004.

SECTION 25. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before December
15, 2004, the Department of Budget and Management and the Public Service
Commission shall jointly conduct a study and report to the Senate Budget and
Taxation Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Committee on Ways
and Means, the House Economic Matters Committee, and the House Appropriations

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