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<section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="5-204" title_number="5" title_name="Maryland Public Ethics Law" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="State Ethics Commission">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A majority of the authorized membership of the Ethics Commission is a quorum.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Ethics Commission may act only on the affirmative vote of at least a majority of its authorized membership.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Ethics Commission shall meet at the call of the chair or a majority of the members then serving.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Each member of the Ethics Commission is entitled to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>compensation in accordance with the State budget; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of official duties.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Ethics Commission shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>appoint to serve at its pleasure:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>an executive director;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>a general counsel; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>a staff counsel; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>have other staff, including such counsel as may be required to advise persons who are subject to the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission, in accordance with the State budget.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The general counsel and the staff counsel of the Ethics Commission shall be individuals admitted to practice law in the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Ethics Commission may ask the Attorney General or Comptroller for professional assistance to assist in the performance of the Commission’s functions.</text>
  </level>
</section>
