department in 1976, and in 1983, the Department
of Employment and Training was created.

In 1987, a second major reorganization of gov-
ernment was enacted by the General Assembly. The
Departments of Economic and Community Devel-
opment and Employment and Training were abol-
ished. Their functions were reorganized under the
new Department of Economic and Employment
Development, and the Department of Housing and
Community Development. At the same time, the
Department of the Environment was created to
assume those environmental responsibilities pre-
viously overseen by the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Natural
Resources.

The General Assembly in 1989 formed a new
Department of Juvenile Services and reassigned
functions of the Department of State Planning to
other agencies.

Within the executive branch now are fifteen
principal departments. Each, except for Education,
is headed by a secretary, who serves at the pleasure
of the Governor and is appointed by the Governor
with Senate consent. Each secretary carries out the
Governor's policies pertaining to that department
and is responsible for the department's operation.
The State Department of Education is headed by
the State Board of Education, which appoints the
State Superintendent of Schools to direct the de-
partment. Certain State agencies whose purpose or
functions do not permit easy integration into one
of the fifteen cabinet-level departments have re-
mained independent, such as the State Department
of Assessments and Taxation, the Public Service
Commission, and the University of Maryland Sys-
tem. Executive departments and independent agen-
cies are augmented by special study commissions
and task forces at the discretion of the Governor.

The Legislative Branch consists of the General
Assembly and its supporting agencies. General As-
sembly is the legal name of the Maryland legislature.
The General Assembly sometimes is considered the
"popular" branch of government, because its mem-
bers more directly represent the electorate than do
officials of either the executive or judiciary. Legisla-
tors are elected to both houses of the General
Assembly from districts redrawn every ten years
after the federal census to ensure equal repre-
sentation based on the concept of "one person, one
vote." Geographical size of the districts varies ac-
cording to population density.

Like all states but Nebraska, Maryland has a
bicameral legislature. The lower house is the House
of Delegates and the upper house is the Senate.
Representatives to both houses are elected in each

gubernatorial election year for four-year terms.
Candidates for the House of Delegates must be at
least twenty-one years of age and those for the
Senate at least twenty-five. The House of Delegates
consists of 141 members, while the Senate has 47
members. Both houses convene annually on the
second Wednesday in January for a 90-day session.
Sessions may be extended by resolution of both
houses, and special sessions may be called by the
Governor. The General Assembly passes all laws
necessary for the welfare of the State's citizens and
certain laws dealing with the counties and special
taxing districts; determines how State funds are to
be allocated; and adopts amendments to the State
Constitution, subject to ratification by the voters.
Bills may be introduced in either house, and when
passed by both houses and signed by the Governor,
they become law. Current laws are compiled in the
Annotated Code of Maryland.

The General Assembly employs various commit-
tees—statutory, standing (or continuing), and
joint—to facilitate its work during and between
sessions. The legislative branch also encompasses
several State agencies. The Department of Legisla-
tive Reference assists in the preparation of legisla-
tion and maintains information services essential for
legislators and the public. The Department of Fiscal
Services prepares financial impact statements and
monitors fiscal functions for the General Assembly

One of the single most important tasks of the
General Assembly, and one that requires close co-
ordination and consultation with the Executive De-
partment, is adoption of the annual budget for
Maryland State government. The Constitution
specifies that it is the responsibility of the Governor
to present the annual budget to the General Assem-
bly within five days of the beginning of each legis-
lative session. The budget of Maryland must not
exceed anticipated revenues. This requirement pre-
vents deficit spending and accounts in large part for
the excellent bond rating enjoyed by the State.
Reflecting the principle of separation of powers
within State government, the Governor must incor-
porate into the budget unchanged requests from
the legislative and judicial departments, as well as
the estimated expenses required for operating the
public schools. Beyond these items and other obli-
gations for certain State debts and the salaries of
officials specified in the Constitution, the Governor
has considerable discretion in determining what
programs and agencies to fund in the budget. The
budget process thus is a major policy-shaping tool
for the Governor. Supplemental budgets may be
submitted by the Governor after adoption of the
annual budget, but all requests for such funds must
be matched bv additional anticipated revenues.