2202 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 910

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That in the event that
any part of this Act, or the application of this Act to any
particular facts and circumstances, should be determined
to be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the re-
maining parts of the Act, and the application of the Act to
other facts and circumstances, shall continue in full force
and effect.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency law and necessary for the imme-
diate preservation of the public health and safety, and having
been passed by a yea and nay vote, supported by three-fifths
of all the members elected to each of the two Houses of the
General Assembly of Maryland, the same shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved May 7, 1947.

CHAPTER 916.
(House Bill 708)

AN ACT to add a new section to Article 27 of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Crimes and
Punishments", said new section to be known as Section
162A, to follow immediately after Section 162 of said
Article, and to be under the new sub-title "Fire Escapes",
relating to fire escapes required on certain hotels and
similar places in this State.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That a new section be and it is hereby added to Ar-
ticle 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1930 Edition),
title "Crimes and Punishments", said new section to be
known as Section 162A, to follow immediately after Section
162 of said Article, and to read as follows:

162A. (a) Every building hereafter constructed, recon-
structed or adapted for use as a hotel shall be equipped with
a fire escape or fire escapes, so designed and constructed as
to offer a means of egress from every floor thereof above
the second floor.

(b) Every door or other opening offering a means of
egress to such fire escape shall be plainly marked and
labelled with a lighted sign, upon which shall be the word
"Exit".