Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1129 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb1129
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1129
8	8	P1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 5lr2167
9	9	CF SB 733
10	10	By: Delegates D. Jones, Addison, Allen, Bagnall, Bhandari, Cullison, Ebersole,
11	11	Fair, Feldmark, Foley, Forbes, Guyton, Guzzone, Hill, J. Lewis, Lopez,
12	12	Mireku–North, Patterson, Taylor, Terrasa, Toles, Valderrama,
13	13	White Holland, Williams, and Wolek
14	14	Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
15	15	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
16	16
17	17	A BILL ENTITLED
18	18
19	19	AN ACT concerning 1
20	20
21	21	Constitutional Officers – Gender–Neutral Language 2
22	22
23	23	FOR the purpose of altering terminology in the Maryland Constitution that refers to 3
24	24	constitutional officers to be gender–neutral. 4
25	25
26	26	BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 5
27	27	Article II – Executive Department 6
28	28	Section 1, 1A, 1B, 5, 9, 10, 10A, 11, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 7
29	29
30	30	BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 8
31	31	Article V – Attorney–General and State’s Attorneys 9
32	32	Section 1 and 3 10
33	33
34	34	BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 11
35	35	Article VI – Treasury Department 12
36	36	Section 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 13
37	37
38	38	BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 14
39	39	Article IX – Militia and Military Affairs 15
40	40	Section 2 16
41	41
42	42	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY TH E GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
43	43	(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 18
44	44	proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 19
45	45
46	46	Article II – Executive Department 20
47	47
48	48	1. 21 2 HOUSE BILL 1129
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	The executive power of the State shall be vested in a Governor, whose term of office 1
53	53	shall commence on the third Wednesday of January next ensuing [his] THE GOVERNOR ’S 2
54	54	election, and continue for four years, and until [his] THE GOVERNOR ’S successor shall 3
55	55	have qualified; and a person who has served two consecutive popular elective terms of office 4
56	56	as Governor shall be ineligible to succeed [himself] THEMSELF as Governor for the term 5
57	57	immediately following the second of said two consecutive popular elective terms. 6
58	58
59	59	1A. 7
60	60
61	61	There shall be a Lieutenant Governor, who shall have only the duties delegated to 8
62	62	[him] THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR by the Governor and shall have such compensation 9
63	63	as the General Assembly shall provide by law, except that beginning in the year 1978 the 10
64	64	salary of the Lieutenant Governor shall be as provided under Section 21A of this Article. 11
65	65	No person who is ineligible under this Constitution to be elected Governor shall be eligible 12
66	66	to hold the office of Lieutenant Governor. 13
67	67
68	68	1B. 14
69	69
70	70	Each candidate who shall seek a nomination for Governor, under any method 15
71	71	provided by law for such nomination, including primary elections, shall at the time of filing 16
72	72	for said office designate a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and the names of the said 17
73	73	candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be listed on the primary election 18
74	74	ballot, or otherwise considered for nomination jointly with each other. No candidate for 19
75	75	Governor may designate a candidate for Lieutenant Governor to contest for the said offices 20
76	76	jointly with [him] THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR without the consent of the said 21
77	77	candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and no candidate for Lieutenant Governor may 22
78	78	designate a candidate for Governor, to contest jointly for said offices with [him] THE 23
79	79	CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR without the consent of the said candidate for 24
80	80	Governor, said consent to be in writing on a form provided for such purpose and filed at the 25
81	81	time the said candidates shall file their certificates of candidacy, or other documents by 26
82	82	which they seek nomination. In any election, including a primary election, candidates for 27
83	83	Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be listed jointly on the ballot, and a vote cast for 28
84	84	the candidate for Governor shall also be cast for Lieutenant Governor jointly listed on the 29
85	85	ballot with [him] THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, and the election of Governor, or the 30
86	86	nomination of a candidate for Governor, also shall constitute the election for the same term, 31
87	87	or the nomination, of the Lieutenant Governor who was listed on the ballot or was being 32
88	88	considered jointly with [him] THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. 33
89	89
90	90	5. 34
91	91
92	92	A person to be eligible for the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor must have 35
93	93	attained the age of thirty years, and must have been a resident and registered voter of the 36
94	94	State for five years next immediately preceding [his] THE CANDIDATE ’S election. 37
95	95
96	96	9. 38 HOUSE BILL 1129 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	[He] THE GOVERNOR shall take care that the Laws are faithfully executed. 1
101	101
102	102	10. 2
103	103
104	104	[He] THE GOVERNOR shall nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of 3
105	105	the Senate, appoint all civil and military officers of the State, whose appointment, or 4
106	106	election, is not otherwise herein provided for, unless a different mode of appointment be 5
107	107	prescribed by the Law creating the office. 6
108	108
109	109	10A. 7
110	110
111	111	(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a Governor may not 8
112	112	appoint a person to an office in the Executive Branch of State Government during: 9
113	113
114	114	(1) The period between a primary election in which the Governor is not 10
115	115	renominated or is ineligible to succeed [himself] THEMSELF AS GOVERNOR and the 11
116	116	inauguration of the next succeeding Governor; or 12
117	117
118	118	(2) If the Governor is nominated in the primary election but defeated in the 13
119	119	general election, the period between the general election and the inauguration of the next 14
120	120	succeeding Governor. 15
121	121
122	122	(b) In an emergency during the periods described in subsection (a) of this section, 16
123	123	a Governor may appoint a person to an office in the Executive Branch that the Governor 17
124	124	has the power to fill on a temporary basis upon filing a statement of emergency with the 18
125	125	Secretary of State. Appointments made under this subsection are subject to the approval 19
126	126	of the next succeeding Governor, who may remove the temporary officeholder and appoint 20
127	127	a replacement. 21
128	128
129	129	11. 22
130	130
131	131	In case of any vacancy during the recess of the Senate, in any office which the 23
132	132	Governor has power to fill, [he] THE GOVERNOR shall appoint some suitable person to 24
133	133	said office, whose commission shall continue in force until the end of the next session of the 25
134	134	Legislature, or until some other person is appointed to the same office, whichever shall first 26
135	135	occur; and the nomination of the person thus appointed during the recess, or of some other 27
136	136	person in [his] THE PERSON’S place, shall be made to the Senate on the first day of the 28
137	137	next regular meeting of the Senate. 29
138	138
139	139	16. 30
140	140
141	141	The Governor shall convene the Legislature, or the Senate alone, on extraordinary 31
142	142	occasions; and whenever from the presence of an enemy, or from any other cause, the seat 32
143	143	of Government shall become an unsafe place for the meeting of the Legislature, [he] THE 33
144	144	GOVERNOR may direct their sessions to be held at some other convenient place. 34 4 HOUSE BILL 1129
145	145
146	146
147	147
148	148	19. 1
149	149
150	150	[He] THE GOVERNOR shall, from time to time, inform the Legislature of the 2
151	151	condition of the State and recommend to their consideration such measures as [he] THE 3
152	152	GOVERNOR may judge necessary and expedient. 4
153	153
154	154	20. 5
155	155
156	156	[He] THE GOVERNOR shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons, except in 6
157	157	cases of impeachment, and in cases, in which [he] THE GOVERNOR is prohibited by other 7
158	158	Articles of this Constitution; and to remit fines and forfeitures for offences against the 8
159	159	State; but shall not remit the principal or interest of any debt due the State, except, in cases 9
160	160	of fines and forfeitures; and before granting a nolle prosequi, or pardon, [he] THE 10
161	161	GOVERNOR shall give notice, in one or more newspapers, of the application made for it, 11
162	162	and of the day on, or after which, [his] THE GOVERNOR’S decision will be given; and in 12
163	163	every case, in which [he] THE GOVERNOR exercises this power, [he] THE GOVERNOR 13
164	164	shall report to either Branch of the Legislature, whenever required, the petitions, 14
165	165	recommendations and reasons, which influenced [his] THE GOVERNOR’S decision. 15
166	166
167	167	21. 16
168	168
169	169	The Governor shall reside at the seat of government, and, from and after the fourth 17
170	170	Wednesday in January 1967, shall receive for [his] THE GOVERNOR’S services an annual 18
171	171	salary of twenty–five thousand dollars, except that beginning in the year 1978 the salary 19
172	172	of the Governor shall be as provided in Section 21A of this Article. 20
173	173
174	174	22. 21
175	175
176	176	A Secretary of State shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and 22
177	177	consent of the Senate, who shall continue in office, unless sooner removed by the Governor, 23
178	178	till the end of the official term of the Governor from whom [he] THE SECRETARY OF 24
179	179	STATE received [his] THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S appointment, and receive such 25
180	180	annual salary as the General Assembly may from time to time by law prescribe. 26
181	181
182	182	23. 27
183	183
184	184	The Secretary of State shall carefully keep and preserve a Record of all official acts 28
185	185	and proceedings, which may at all times be inspected by a committee of either Branch of 29
186	186	the Legislature; and [he] THE SECRETARY OF STATE shall perform such other duties as 30
187	187	may be prescribed by Law, or as may properly belong to [his] THE SECRETARY OF 31
188	188	STATE’S office, together with all clerical duty belonging to the Executive Department. 32
189	189
190	190	Article V – Attorney–General and State’s Attorneys 33
191	191
192	192	1. 34 HOUSE BILL 1129 5
193	193
194	194
195	195
196	196	There shall be an Attorney–General elected by the qualified voters of the State, on 1
197	197	general ticket, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November, 2
198	198	nineteen hundred and fifty–eight, and on the same day, in every fourth year thereafter, 3
199	199	who shall hold [his] THE office OF ATTORNEY GENERAL for four years from the time of 4
200	200	[his] THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ’S election and qualification, and until [his] THE 5
201	201	ATTORNEY GENERAL’S successor is elected and qualified, and shall be re–eligible thereto, 6
202	202	and shall be subject to removal for incompetency, willful neglect of duty or misdemeanor in 7
203	203	office, on conviction in a Court of Law. 8
204	204
205	205	3. 9
206	206
207	207	(a) The Attorney General shall: 10
208	208
209	209	(1) Prosecute and defend on the part of the State all cases pending in the 11
210	210	appellate courts of the State, in the Supreme Court of the United States or the inferior 12
211	211	Federal Courts, by or against the State, or in which the State may be interested, except 13
212	212	those criminal appeals otherwise prescribed by the General Assembly. 14
213	213
214	214	(2) Investigate, commence, and prosecute or defend any civil or criminal 15
215	215	suit or action or category of such suits or actions in any of the Federal Courts or in any 16
216	216	Court of this State, or before administrative agencies and quasi legislative bodies, on the 17
217	217	part of the State or in which the State may be interested, which the General Assembly by 18
218	218	law or joint resolution, or the Governor, shall have directed or shall direct to be 19
219	219	investigated, commenced and prosecuted or defended. 20
220	220
221	221	(3) When required by the General Assembly by law or joint resolution, or 21
222	222	by the Governor, aid any State’s Attorney or other authorized prosecuting officer in 22
223	223	investigating, commencing, and prosecuting any criminal suit or action or category of such 23
224	224	suits or actions brought by the State in any Court of this State. 24
225	225
226	226	(4) Give [his] THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S opinion in writing whenever 25
227	227	required by the General Assembly or either branch thereof, the Governor, the Comptroller, 26
228	228	the Treasurer or any State’s Attorney on any legal matter or subject. 27
229	229
230	230	(b) The Attorney General shall have and perform any other duties and possess 28
231	231	any other powers, and appoint the number of deputies or assistants, as the General 29
232	232	Assembly from time to time may prescribe by law. 30
233	233
234	234	(c) The Attorney General shall receive for [his] THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S 31
235	235	services the annual salary as the General Assembly from time to time may prescribe by 32
236	236	law, but [he] THE ATTORNEY GENERAL may not receive any fees, perquisites or rewards 33
237	237	whatever, in addition to [his] THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S salary, for the performance of 34
238	238	any official duty. 35
239	239	6 HOUSE BILL 1129
240	240
241	241
242	242	(d) The Governor may not employ any additional counsel, in any case whatever, 1
243	243	unless authorized by the General Assembly. 2
244	244
245	245	Article VI – Treasury Department 3
246	246
247	247	1. 4
248	248
249	249	(a) There shall be a Treasury Department, consisting of a Comptroller chosen by 5
250	250	the qualified electors of the State, who shall receive such salary as may be fixed by law; and 6
251	251	a Treasurer, to be appointed on joint ballot by the two Houses of the Legislature at each 7
252	252	regular session in which begins the term of the Governor, who shall receive such salary as 8
253	253	may be fixed by law. 9
254	254
255	255	(b) The terms of office of the Comptroller and Treasurer shall be for four years, 10
256	256	and until their successors shall qualify; and neither of the officers shall be allowed, or 11
257	257	receive any fees, commissions or perquisites of any kind in addition to [his salary] THEIR 12
258	258	SALARIES for the performance of any duty or services whatsoever. 13
259	259
260	260	(c) (1) In case of a vacancy in the office of the Comptroller by death or 14
261	261	otherwise, the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall fill such 15
262	262	vacancy by appointment as provided in this subsection. 16
263	263
264	264	(2) The Governor shall appoint one of three individuals whose names are 17
265	265	submitted to the Governor in writing, within 30 days after the occurrence of the vacancy, 18
266	266	by the State Central Committee of the political party, if any, with which the vacating 19
267	267	Comptroller had been affiliated at the time of the Comptroller’s last election or 20
268	268	appointment. 21
269	269
270	270	(3) Each individual whose name is submitted to the Governor must have 22
271	271	been a registered voter affiliated with the political party of the vacating Comptroller on the 23
272	272	date immediately preceding the date on which the vacancy occurred. 24
273	273
274	274	(4) The Governor shall make the appointment within 15 days after names 25
275	275	are submitted by the State Central Committee of the appropriate political party. 26
276	276
277	277	(5) If names are not submitted by the State Central Committee of the 27
278	278	appropriate political party within 30 days after the occurrence of the vacancy, the Governor 28
279	279	shall appoint within another period of 15 days any qualified individual who was a 29
280	280	registered voter affiliated with the political party of the vacating Comptroller on the date 30
281	281	immediately preceding the date on which the vacancy occurred. 31
282	282
283	283	(6) If the vacating Comptroller was not affiliated with a political party at 32
284	284	the time of the Comptroller’s last election or appointment, the Governor shall appoint any 33
285	285	qualified individual within 15 days after the occurrence of the vacancy. 34
286	286	HOUSE BILL 1129 7
287	287
288	288
289	289	(7) Except as provided in paragraph (8) of this subsection, an individual 1
290	290	appointed under this subsection shall serve until a successor is elected under paragraph (9) 2
291	291	of this subsection to fill the remainder of the term. 3
292	292
293	293	(8) An individual appointed under this subsection shall serve for the 4
294	294	remainder of the term if the vacancy occurs after the date that is 21 days before the deadline 5
295	295	for filing certificates of candidacy for the regular statewide election that is held in the 6
296	296	second year of the term. 7
297	297
298	298	(9) If the vacancy occurs on or before the date that is 21 days before the 8
299	299	deadline for filing certificates of candidacy for the regular statewide election that is held in 9
300	300	the second year of the term, the Governor shall issue a proclamation immediately after the 10
301	301	occurrence of the vacancy declaring that a special primary election and a special general 11
302	302	election shall be held at the same time as the regular statewide primary election and 12
303	303	regular statewide general election that are held in the second year of the term. 13
304	304
305	305	(d) In case of a vacancy in the office of the Treasurer by death or otherwise, the 14
306	306	Deputy Treasurer shall act as Treasurer until the next regular or extraordinary session of 15
307	307	the Legislature following the creation of the vacancy, whereupon the Legislature shall 16
308	308	choose a successor to serve for the duration of the unexpired term of office. 17
309	309
310	310	(e) The Comptroller and the Treasurer shall keep their offices at the seat of 18
311	311	government, and shall take such oaths and enter into such bonds for the faithful discharge 19
312	312	of their duties as are now or may hereafter be prescribed by law. 20
313	313
314	314	2. 21
315	315
316	316	The Comptroller shall have the general superintendence of the fiscal affairs of the 22
317	317	State; [he] THE COMPTROLLER shall digest and prepare plans for the improvement and 23
318	318	management of the revenue, and for the support of the public credit; prepare and report 24
319	319	estimates of the revenue and expenditures of the State; superintend and enforce the prompt 25
320	320	collection of all taxes and revenue; adjust and settle, on terms prescribed by law, with 26
321	321	delinquent collectors and receivers of taxes and State revenue; preserve all public accounts; 27
322	322	and decide on the forms of keeping and stating accounts. [He] THE COMPTROLLER , or 28
323	323	such of [his] THE COMPTROLLER ’S deputies as may be authorized to do so by the 29
324	324	Legislature, shall grant, under regulations prescribed by Law, all warrants for money to be 30
325	325	paid out of the Treasury, in pursuance of appropriations by law, and countersign all checks 31
326	326	drawn by the Treasurer upon any bank or banks in which the moneys of the State, may, 32
327	327	from time to time, be deposited. [He] THE COMPTROLLER shall prescribe the formalities 33
328	328	of the transfer of stock, or other evidence of the State debt, and countersign the same, 34
329	329	without which such evidence shall not be valid; [he] THE COMPTROLLER shall make to 35
330	330	the General Assembly full reports of all [his] THE COMPTROLLER ’S proceedings, and of 36
331	331	the state of the Treasury Department within ten days after the commencement of each 37
332	332	session; and perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by law. 38
333	333
334	334	3. 39 8 HOUSE BILL 1129
335	335
336	336
337	337
338	338	The Treasurer shall receive the moneys of the State, and, until otherwise prescribed 1
339	339	by law, deposit them, as soon as received, to the credit of the State, in such bank or banks 2
340	340	as [he] THE TREASURER may, from time to time, with the approval of the Governor, select 3
341	341	(the said bank or banks giving security, satisfactory to the Governor, for the safekeeping 4
342	342	and forthcoming, when required of said deposits), and [he] THE TREASURER or such of 5
343	343	[his] THE TREASURER’S deputies as may be authorized to do so by the Legislature shall 6
344	344	disburse the same for the purposes of the State according to law, upon warrants drawn by 7
345	345	the Comptroller, or [his] THE COMPTROLLER ’S duly authorized deputy, and on checks 8
346	346	countersigned by the Comptroller, or [his] THE COMPTROLLER ’S duly authorized deputy. 9
347	347	The Legislature may prescribe, by law, for the Treasurer to disburse the moneys of the 10
348	348	State by a system other than by the use of checks. The Treasurer or such of [his] THE 11
349	349	TREASURER’S deputies as may be authorized to do so by the Legislature shall take receipts 12
350	350	for all moneys paid from the Treasury Department; and receipt for moneys received by 13
351	351	[him] THE TREASURER shall be endorsed upon warrants signed, by the Comptroller, or 14
352	352	such deputy as may be authorized to do so by law, without which warrants, so signed, no 15
353	353	acknowledgment of money received into the Treasury shall be valid; and upon warrants 16
354	354	issued by the Comptroller, or [his] THE COMPTROLLER ’S duly authorized deputy, the 17
355	355	Treasurer shall make arrangements for the payment of the interest of the public debt, and 18
356	356	for the purchase thereof, on account of the sinking fund. Every bond, certificate, or other 19
357	357	evidence of the debt of the State shall be signed by the Treasurer, Chief Deputy Treasurer, 20
358	358	or a Deputy Treasurer, and countersigned by the Comptroller, Chief Deputy Comptroller, 21
359	359	or a Deputy Comptroller; and no new certificate or other evidence intended to replace 22
360	360	another shall be issued until the old one shall be delivered to the Treasurer, and authority 23
361	361	executed in due form for the transfer of the same filed in [his] THE TREASURER’S office, 24
362	362	and the transfer accordingly made on the books thereof, and the certificate or other 25
363	363	evidence cancelled; but the Legislature may make provisions for the loss of certificates, or 26
364	364	other evidences of the debt; and may prescribe, by law, the manner in which the Treasurer 27
365	365	shall receive and keep the moneys of the State. 28
366	366
367	367	4. 29
368	368
369	369	The Treasurer shall render [his] THE TREASURER’S Accounts, quarterly, to the 30
370	370	Comptroller; and shall publish, monthly, in such newspapers as the Governor may direct, 31
371	371	an abstract thereof, showing the amount of cash on hand, and the place, or places of deposit 32
372	372	thereof; and on the third day of each regular session of the legislature, he shall submit to 33
373	373	the Senate and House of Delegates fair and accurate copies of all Accounts by [him] THE 34
374	374	TREASURER, from time to time, rendered and settled with the Comptroller. [He] THE 35
375	375	TREASURER shall, at all times, submit to the Comptroller the inspection of the money in 36
376	376	[his] THE TREASURER’S hands, and perform all other duties that shall be prescribed by 37
377	377	Law. 38
378	378
379	379	5. 39
380	380
381	381	The Comptroller shall qualify, and enter on the duties of [his] THE 40
382	382	COMPTROLLER ’S office, on the third Monday of January next succeeding the time of [his] 41 HOUSE BILL 1129 9
383	383
384	384
385	385	THE COMPTROLLER ’S Election, or as soon thereafter as practicable. And the Treasurer 1
386	386	shall qualify within one month after [his] THE TREASURER’S appointment by the 2
387	387	Legislature. 3
388	388
389	389	6. 4
390	390
391	391	Whenever during the recess of the Legislature charges shall be preferred to the 5
392	392	Governor against the Comptroller or Treasurer, for incompetency, malfeasance in office, 6
393	393	willful neglect of duty, or misappropriation of the funds of the State, it shall be the duty of 7
394	394	the Governor forthwith to notify the party so charged, and fix a day for a hearing of said 8
395	395	charges; and if, in the case of the Comptroller, from the evidence taken, under oath, on said 9
396	396	hearing before the Governor, the said allegations shall be sustained, it shall be the duty of 10
397	397	the Governor to remove the Comptroller and appoint another in [his] THE 11
398	398	COMPTROLLER ’S place, who shall hold the office for the unexpired term of the Comptroller 12
399	399	so removed. However, if, in the case of the Treasurer, from the evidence taken under oath 13
400	400	in the hearing before the Governor, the allegations are sustained, it is the duty of the 14
401	401	Governor to remove the Treasurer, and the deputy treasurer shall act as Treasurer until 15
402	402	the next regular or extraordinary session of the Legislature following the appointment, 16
403	403	whereupon a successor shall be chosen by the Legislature who shall serve for the unexpired 17
404	404	term of the Treasurer so removed. 18
405	405
406	406	Article IX – Militia and Military Affairs 19
407	407
408	408	2. 20
409	409
410	410	There shall be an Adjutant General, appointed by the Governor, by and with the 21
411	411	advice and consent of the Senate. [He] THE ADJUTANT GENERAL shall hold [his] THE 22
412	412	office until the appointment and qualification of [his] A successor, or until removed in 23
413	413	pursuance of the sentence of a Court Martial. [He] THE ADJUTANT GENERAL shall 24
414	414	perform such duties, and receive such compensation, or emoluments, as are now, or may be 25
415	415	prescribed by Law. [He] THE ADJUTANT GENERAL shall discharge the duties of [his] 26
416	416	THE office at the seat of Government, unless absent, under orders, on duty; and no other 27
417	417	officer of the General Staff of the Militia shall receive salary or pay, except when on service, 28
418	418	and mustered in with troops. 29
419	419
420	420	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 30
421	421	determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 31
422	422	Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 32
423	423	Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 33
424	424
425	425	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 34
426	426	Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 35
427	427	voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2026 for adoption or 36
428	428	rejection in accordance with Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general 37
429	429	election, the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on 38
430	430	each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment” and 39 10 HOUSE BILL 1129
431	431
432	432
433	433	“Against the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the 1
434	434	election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 2
435	435	amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 3
436	436	proceedings had in accordance with Article XIV. 4