May18,2000

The Honorable Casper R. Taylor, Jr.
Speaker of the House
State House
Annapolis MD 21401

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 277 - Public Records - Privacy Policies and Data Security.

This bill provides that State agencies shall not create personal records unless the need for the information has been clearly established and relevant to the purpose for which it is collected. When information is collected from an individual, official custodians are required to disclose the agency's privacy policies with regard to that information. All units of State government are required to post the privacy policies on their Internet site.

Senate Bill 199, which was passed by the General Assembly and signed by me on April 25, 2000, accomplishes the same purpose. Therefore, it is not necessary for me to sign House Bill 277.

Sincerely,
Parris N. Glendening
Governor