Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1585

functions with respect to Baltimore City as of July 1, 1971 1972,
and further providing for the employment of certain persons in
connection therewith PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT
OF A STATE REGISTRAR OF VITAL RECORDS IN THE
MERIT SYSTEM, CORRECTING CERTAIN REFERENCES IN
THE LAW AND RELATING GENERALLY THERETO.

Section 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 14 (b) (3) AND SECTION 15 of Article 43 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume, 1970 SUP-
PLEMENT), title "Health," subtitle "Vital Records," be and it is
hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

14.

(b) (3) Delegation of Duties to Commissioner of Health of
Baltimore City.

The State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene is authorized to
delegate to the commissioner of health of Baltimore City its responsi-
bility for the designing of birth, death and fetal death certificates and
for the collecting, preserving and indexing of records of birth, death
and fetal deaths occurring within Baltimore City, according to rules
and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Health and Mental
Hygiene. On and after July 1, 1971 1972, the Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene of Maryland shall assume the vital records func-
tions under this subtitle with respect to Baltimore City and as of that
date the Department shall employ all persons engaged in such work
who are then employed by the health department of Baltimore City.
All such persons who were so employed as of June 30, 1971, shall be

employed by the Department under the merit system of this State

without the necessity of an examination.. ANY EMPLOYEE OF
THE BUREAU OF VITAL RECORDS OF THE BALTIMORE CITY
HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHO, WHILE SO EMPLOYED, AP-
PLIES TO THE SECRETARY OF PERSONNEL FOR APPOINT-
MENT UNDER THE STATE MERIT SYSTEM ON OR BEFORE
JULY 1, 1971 1972, SHALL BE SO APPOINTED, AND WITH-
OUT FURTHER EXAMINATION OR QUALIFICATION SHALL
BE CLASSIFIED IN THE JOB CLASSIFICATION UNDER THE
STATE MERIT SYSTEM WHICH IS COMPARABLE OR WHICH
CLOSELY COMPARES WITH HIS LAST JOB CLASSIFICATION
AS A BALTIMORE CITY EMPLOYEE. AN EMPLOYEE AP-
POINTED TO THE STATE MERIT SYSTEM UNDER THIS
SECTION SHALL BE GIVEN CREDIT THEREUNDER FOR
THE YEARS OF SERVICE RENDERED IN BALTIMORE CITY
FOR THE PURPOSES OF ESTABLISHING RETIREMENT AND
DEATH BENEFITS COMPENSATION RATES, INCLUDING
LONGEVITY STEPS, AND THE BASIC RATES FOR VACATION
AND SICK LEAVE CREDIT EARNINGS AND FOR PURPOSES
OF CALCULATING HIS RATE OF CONTRIBUTION INTO THE
STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM. AN EM-
PLOYEE APPOINTED TO THE STATE MERIT SYSTEM UN-
DER THIS SECTION SHALL TRANSFER RETIREMENT
CREDIT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SEC. 32A OF ARTICLE
73B OF THIS CODE, AS AMENDED. NO SUCH EMPLOYEE
WHO HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM THE BALTIMORE
CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO THE STATE MERIT SYS-