§ 2-73. Publication of bills and council proceedings.

(a) The Council is responsible for publication as required by Section 3, Article XI-A of the Maryland Constitution. The title or a summary of all laws and ordinances proposed must be published once a week for 2 successive weeks before enactment in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the County, so that the taxpayers and citizens may have notice of all proposed laws and ordinances. The requirement of publication of proposed legislation may be satisfied by including the title or summary in the notice of hearing. The validity of expedited legislation is not affected if the law is enacted before the law is advertised. If the publication requirements of the Maryland Constitution are changed, the Council must comply with any amended requirements of the Constitution and state and County law.

(b) The council shall provide for publication of the proceedings of the council by making available promptly after approval by the council copies of the written minutes of all public sessions and copies of the written journal of all legislative sessions of the council. The copies of the minutes and journal shall be in printed or typewritten form, and sufficient number of copies shall be reproduced to meet all reasonable public requests for copies in addition to a true copy being made available to any members of the public for reading at the office of the county council. (1970 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1; 1971 L.M.C., ch. 43, § 1; 1973 L.M.C., ch. 26, § 1; 1987 L.M.C., ch. 35, § 2; , § 1.)

Editor's note—The Maryland appellate courts have held that § 2-73 amended the notice requirements of chapter 808(c), Laws of 1963, codified in § 52-47 through 52-59 of the Montgomery County Code, in Montgomery County v. Waters Landing Limited Partnership, 99 Md. App. 1, 635 A.2d 48, aff'd, 337 Md. 15, 650 A.2d 712 (1994).

Charter reference-Publication of legislation, § 113.