WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 1499

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1947.

Approved April 25, 1947.

CHAPTER 599.

(Senate Bill 7)

AN ACT to repeal Sections 78, 78A, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 and 84
of Article 16 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939 Edi-
tion), title "Chancery", sub-title "Infants", Section 78A
thereof having been enacted by Ch. 343 of the Acts of 1945,
and to enact in lieu thereof 19 new sections, to be under the
new sub-title "Adoption", to be known as Sections 85A to
85S, inclusive, and to follow immediately after Section 85 of
said Article; and to add a new section to Article 93 of said
Code, title "Testamentary Law", sub-title "Distribution", to
be known as Section 139A, and to follow immediately after
Section 139 of said Article 93; revising the adoption laws of
the State, specifying the legal requirements for the adoption
of any person, defining the legal rights and obligations of all
parties to a proceeding for adoption; and defining the status
of an adopted child for purposes of testamentary distribu-
tion, and excepting certain counties from the provisions of
this Act.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sections 78, 78A, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, and 84 of Article
16 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title
"Chancery", sub-title "Infants", Section 78A thereof having
been enacted by Ch. 343 of the Acts of 1945, be and the same
are hereby repealed.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That 19 new sections be
and they are hereby added to said Article 16 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Chancery", to be under
the new sub-title "Adoption", to be known as Sections 85A to
85S, inclusive, to follow immediately after Section 85 of said
Article, and to read as follows:

ADOPTION

85A. (Legislative Policy.) The General Assembly hereby
declares its conviction that the policies and procedures for
adoption contained in this sub-title are socially necessary and
desirable, having as their purpose the three-fold protection of