ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 713

Hygiene, " to be known as Section 21-A, to follow immediately
after Section 21 of said Article, and to read as follows:

21-A. Where a veteran of any War, military occupation or
expedition, is, or has been, adjudged mentally incompetent by
a Court of competent jurisdiction and commitment to a hospital
for the insane is necessary, such Court is hereby authorized to
communicate with the official in charge of the II. S. Veterans'
Hospital within the State of Maryland with reference to the
eligibility of such veteran to be hospitalized in such United
States Veterans' Hospital. If the Court is advised by the
official in charge of such hospital that such veteran is entitled
to hospitalization and. the veteran is acceptable for same and
Bureau facilities within the State of Maryland are available,
the Court may direct such veteran's commitment to such United
States Veterans' Hospital within the State of Maryland and
such veteran upon admission shall be subject to the rules and
regulations of such hospital and the officials of such hospital
shall be invested with the same powers now exercised by Super-
intendents of State hospitals for insane with reference to the re-
tention of custody of veterans so committed, if it is. deemed
advisable to assume such powers.

Provided, however, that any veteran, as prescribed above,
who shall have been duly committed to a State hospital for the
insane within the State of Maryland prior to the passage of
this Act, may be transferred to the custody of the official in
charge of the U. S. Veterans' Hospital as provided above and
such transfer of custody shall not affect the efficacy of the orig-
inal order of commitment in such case.

This legislation is intended as an addition to and does not
affect the repeal of any existing legislation governing matters
of this nature which are not in conflict with the provisions of
this section.

SEC. 2. 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 being
passed upon a yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of
all the members elected to each of the two Houses of the Gen-
eral Assembly, the same shall take effect from the date of its
passage.

Approved April 26, 1927.