Until recently, Maryland, like most states, had
experienced a steady proliferation of governmental
agencies, boards, and commissions as the need for
public services increased. Between 1969 and 1972,
the executive branch of government was reorganized
to bring agencies with related functions together
under a new departmental structure. The General
Assembly created twelve cabinet-level departments,
encompassing nearly 250 separate governmental en-
tities. In order of their creation, the twelve depart-
ments were: Health and Mental Hygiene, Budget and
Fiscal Planning, Natural Resources, State Planning,
Personnel, General Services, Human Resources, Pub
he Safety and Correctional Services, Licensing and
Regulation, Economic and Community Develop-
ment, Transportation, and Agriculture. The State
Department of Education became a principal depart-
ment in 1976, and in 1983, the Department of
Employment and Training was created.

A second major reorganization of government
was enacted by the General Assembly in 1987. The
Departments of Economic and Community Devel-
opment and Employment and Training were abol-
ished. Their functions were reorganized under the
Department of Economic and Employment Devel-
opment, 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.

Governmental reorganization has continued.
The General Assembly in 1989 reassigned duties of
the Department of State Planning to other agencies
and formed a new Department of Juvenile Services.
In 1994, the Maryland State Police became the
Department of Maryland State Police and, in 1995,
the Department of State Police. In 1995, the Divi-
sion of Employment and Training transferred from
the Department of Economic and Employment
Development to the Department of Licensing and
Regulation. Restructured, the latter became the
Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.
The same year, the Department of Economic and
Employment Development reformed as the De-
partment of Business and Economic Development,
and the Department of Juvenile Services was re-
named the Department of Juvenile Justice. In
1996, the Department of Personnel was abolished.
Its functions were assigned to the Department of
Budget and Fiscal Planning, which reorganized as
the Department of Budget and Management.

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 sixteen 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
agencies are augmented by special study commis-
sions and task forces at the discretion of the Gov-
ernor.

The Legislative Branch consists of the General
Assembly and its supporting agencies. The General
Assembly is the Maryland legislature. Sometimes,
the General Assembly is considered the "popular"
branch of government, because its members more
directly represent the electorate than do officials of
either the executive or judiciary. Legislators are
elected to both houses of the General Assembly
from districts redrawn every ten years after the
federal census to ensure equal representation based
on the concept of "one person, one vote." Geo-
graphical size of the districts varies according 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.

To facilitate its work during and between ses-
sions, the General Assembly refers work to various
committees—statutory, standing (or continuing),
and joint. The legislative branch also encompasses
several State agencies The Department of Legisla-