Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-08-04
PROCLAMATIOD!
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CON-
STITUTION OF MARYLAND CREATING
A BUDGET SYSTEM

General Assembly OF Maryland, held IN the
year 1915, an Act was passed, to-wit
Chapter 1853 of said Acts. being an Act to
propose an amendment to Section So of
Article iii, title. Legislative Department"
Of the Constitution of this State; and
which said Act is in words and figures
following:
CHAPTER 159.
An Act to propose an amendment to
Section So Of Article iii. title. Legislative
Department, of tho Constitution of this
State, regulating the making of appropria-
tons by the General Assembly of Mary
land in regular session, and to provide for
the submission Of said amendment to the
qualified voters Of this State for adoption
or rejection.
Section l. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly Of Maryland three-ffths of all
the members of each of the two houses
concurring). That the following be and the
same is hereby proposed as an amendment
to Section So Of Article iii. title Leeisla-
tive Department, of the Constitution of
this State, the same. il adopted by the
legally qualified voters of the State, as
herein provided, to become Section So Of
Article iii Of the Constitution of Maryland.
Sec. So. The General Assembly shall not
appropriate any money out Of the Treasury
except in accordance with the following
provisions:
Subsection A:
Every appropriation bill shall be either
Budget Bill, or Supplementary Appro-
priation Bill, as hereinafter mentioned.
Subsection B:
First. Within twenty days after the
converting of the General Assembly Tex
cept in the case Of newly elected Gov
ernOr, and then within thirty days after
his inauguration), unless such time shall
be extended by the General Assembly for
the session at which the Budget is to be
submitted. the Governor shall submit to
the General Assembly two budgets, one for
each OF the ensuing fiscal years. Each
budget shall contain a complete plan Of
proposed expenditures and estimated reve-
nues for the particular fiscal year to which
1t relates and shall show the estimated
surplus or deficit Of revenues at the end of
such year. Accompanying each budget
shall be statement showing: "a the
revenues and expenditures for each of the
two fiscal years next preceding (2) the
current assets. liabilities, reserves and sur
plus or deficit of the State go the debts
and funds Of the State; "a an estimate
Of the States financial condition as of the
beginning and end Of each of the fiscal
years covered by the two budgets above
provided; (5) any explanation the Gov
ernor may desire to make as to the i'm
pOrtant features Of any budget and any
suggestion as to methods for the reduc-
ton or increase Of the States revenue.
Second. Each budget shall be divided
into two parts, and the first part shall be
designated Governmental Appropriations"
and shall embrace an itemized estimate Of
the appropriations: % for the General AS
sembly as certified to the Governor in the
manner hereinafter provided; (2) for the
Executive Department; (3) for the Judi
ciary Department, as provided by law, GER
tilted to the Governor by the Comptroller
(4) to pay and discharge the principal and
interest of the debt of the State of Mary
land in conformity with Section 81 of Ar
ticle iii of the Constitution, and all laws
enacted in pursuance thereof (5) for the
salaries payable by the State under the
Constitution and laws Of the State; (6)
for the establishment and maintenance
throughout the State of thorough and
efficient system Of public schools in con-
formity with Article VIII of the Constitu-
ton and with the laws of the State; "a
Constitution of the State.
Third. The second part shall be desig-
mated General Appropriations" and shall
include all other estimates Of appropria-
tons.
The Governor shall deliver to the presid-
ing officer Of each house the budgets and
bill for all the proposed appropriations of
the budgets clearly itemized and classified
and the presiding officer Of each house
shall promptly cause said bill to be intro
duced therein, and such bill shall be known
as the Budget Bill" The Governor NAV.
before final action thereon by the General
Assembly. amend or supplement either of
said budgets to correct an oversight or in
case OF an emergency, with the consent of
the General Assembly by delivering such
an amendment or supplement to the pre-
siding officers Of both houses; and such
amendment or supplement shall there
by become part Of said budget bill as an
addition to the items of said bill or as a
modification of or a substitute for any
item Of said bill such amendment or sup
plement may affect.
The General Assembly shall not amend
the budget bill so as to affect either the
obligations of the State under Section "a
of Article iii of the Constitution, or the pro-
visions made by the laws of the State for
the establishment and maintenance of a
system of public schools, or the payment
OF any salaries required to be paid by the
State Of Maryland by the Constitution
thereof; and the General Assembly may
amend the bill by increasing or diminish
ing the items therein relating to the Gen
eral Assembly and by increasing the items
therein relating to the judiciary. but except
as hereinbefore specified. may not alter
the said bill except to strike out or reduce
items therein, provided, however. that the
salary or compensation of any public
officer shall not be decreased during his
term OF office; and such bill when and as
passed by both houses shall be a law i'm
mediately without further action by the
Governor.
Fourth The Governor and such repre-
sentatives Of the executive departments.
boards. officers and commissions of the
State expending or applying for States
money. as have been designated by the
Governor for this purpose. shall have the
right, and when requested by either house
OF the Legislature. it shall be their duty to
appear and be heard with respect to any
budget bill during the consideration there
Of. and TO answer inquiries relative thereto.
Subsection c. Supplementary -Appropria-
ton Bills.
Neither house shall consider other ap-
propriations until the Budget Bill has been
finally acted upon by both houses, and no
such other appropriations shall be valid ex-
cept in accordance with the provisions fol-
lowing: % Every such appropriation shall
be embodied in separate bill limited to
some single work, object or purpose therein
stated and called herein a Supplementary
Appropriation Bill (a) Each Supplement.
tary Appropriation Bill shall provide the
revenue necessary to pay the appropriation
thereby made by a tax. direct or indirect, to
be laid and collected as shall be directed in
said Bill; (3) No Supplementary appro-
priation Bill shall become law unless il be
passed in each house by a vote of a major
ity OF the whole number of the members
elected; and the yeas and nays recorded
on its final passage; ca Each Supple
mentary Appropriation Bill shall be pre-.
scented to the Governor of the State as pro-
vided in Section II Of Article II of the
Constitution and ehasaoFeo. III