HARRY HUGHES, Governor

1669

often have no place to live. They have no independent source
of income and as a result are economically dependent on
their abusing spouses.

The General Assembly further finds and declares that
until recently, these battered spouses have been ignored. As
a result, there is a lack of quality emergency public or
private housing available to provide a place to live for
these homeless victims and their children.

The intention of this subtitle is to establish a [model
shelter home] PROGRAM to provide necessary temporary housing
for those battered spouses and their children made homeless
by the abuse.

103.

(A) The Secretary of Human Resources shall establish
[and administer] a program to assist battered spouses and
their children. As one component of the State program, a
shelter shall be established in a major population center of
the State and shall serve the surrounding area. It is the
purpose of the program to provide battered spouses and their
children, in each geographical region of the State, as funds
are provided in the budget, temporary shelter, or assistance
in obtaining shelter, counseling, information, referral, and
rehabilitation.

[(a)] (B) The following requirements govern [each] THE
shelter[;] ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION
AND ANY OTHER SHELTER THAT IS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PROGRAM:

(1)  The shelter shall provide battered spouses
and their children with a temporary residence and necessary
[counselling] COUNSELING.

(2)  The Social Services Administration shall
supervise each shelter home.

(3)  The Social Services Administration shall
establish standards of care and admission policies. The
Administration shall monitor the operation of each shelter
home and annually evaluate its effectiveness.

(4)  THE SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION SHALL BY
RULE AND REGULATION SET CHARGES FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY
EACH SHELTER HOME.

[(4)] (5) Each shelter home is subject to rules
and regulations promulgated by the Social Services
Administration. The home shall accept, from the police and
other referral sources in the community, battered spouses
and their children for temporary shelter. Housing may be
provided under this subtitle only if the applicant for
housing is a resident of Maryland at the time application
for housing is made.