WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 1037

supported by three-fifths of all of the members elected to
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, the same
shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 16, 1947.

CHAPTER 507.
(Senate Bill 164)

AN ACT to add a new Article to the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1939 Edition), to be under title "Housing
Rent Control", said new Article to be known as Article
44C and to follow immediately after Article 44B of said
Code authorizing the cities and counties of the State to
provide for emergency housing rent control, including
practices relating to changes in form or quality, and for
this purpose to exercise the police powers of the State,

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new Article be and it is hereby added to the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), to be under title
"Housing Rent Control", said new Article to be known as
"Article 44C, to follow immediately after Article 44B of
said Code, and to read as follows:

ARTICLE 44C.

1. It is hereby declared that a public emergency may
exist in the housing of a considerable number of persons
in certain sub-divisions and areas of the State, in the
event the federal law regulating the rental of dwellings is
permitted to expire according to the terms of such law;
and in order to prevent any hardships and perils and to
avoid any serious consequences of the failure of Congress
to continue or extend rent regulation and control, the provi-
sions of this Article are declared to be necessary and
designed to protect the public health, safety and general
welfare.

2. (a) For the purpose of preventing the conse-
quences hereinbefore described and to make effective the
policy of the State as declared in Section 1 of this Article,
the Mayor and City Council of every city and the County
Commissioners of every county in this State are hereby
authorized and empowered, by ordinance or resolution, to