<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gec" article_name="Economic Development" number="2.5-206" title_number="2.5" title_name="Department of Commerce" subtitle_number="2">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Commission may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>hire consultants; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>do anything necessary or convenient to carry out its powers and the purposes of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Commission shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>develop and update an economic development strategic plan for the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>seek ideas and advice from each region of the State to develop the economic development strategic plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>recommend to the Governor and the Secretary the program and spending priorities needed to implement the economic development strategic plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>review the allocation of financing incentives;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>participate in encouraging new businesses to locate in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>conduct periodic reviews of the economic development activities of the Department, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, and the Maryland Public–Private Partnership Marketing Corporation for compliance with the economic development strategic plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>make recommendations to the Governor and the Secretary to improve economic development activities that fail to achieve economic development strategic goals or are inconsistent with priorities under the economic development strategic plan; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>carry out other economic development activities that the Governor or the Secretary requests.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
