296 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 334

mother, brother, sister, stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, or
stepsister, uncle, or aunt, in a place of residence maintained by
one or more of such relatives as his or their own home. "Child"
shall include an illegitimate child; for the purpose of clause
(a), such illegitimate child shall be considered the child of
both parents although paternity has not been established by
legal proceedings or otherwise, or is in fact unknown; for
the purposes of clause (b), such child shall be treated as if it
were legitimate in determining relationships through its
mother, and also through its father, when the paternity of
such child is established to the satisfaction of the local unit
by such proof as it deems adequate. Support from relatives
shall be regarded as a potential resource and evaluated as to
amount and availability, as determined by rule and regulation
of the State Department.

"Assistance" means money payments with respect to a de-
pendent child or children, and payments necessary for services
for such children.

No provisions of this section shall be repealed by any other
law unless this section is specifically referred to in such repeal.

44. (Granting of Assistance. ) Upon the completion of such
investigation, the local unit shall decide whether the child is
eligible for assistance under the provisions of this sub-title
and determine, in accordance with the rules and regulations of
the State Department, the amount of such assistance and the
date on which such assistance shall begin. It shall make an
award which shall be binding upon the county or Baltimore
City as the case may be, and be complied with until such an
award is modified or vacated. The local unit shall notify the
applicant of its decision. Such assistance shall be paid
monthly to the applicant upon order of the local unit out of
any funds available for said purpose. Should the fund or
funds available be sufficient to permit a grant to only a part
of the dependent children coming within the provisions of
this sub-title, the local unit shall select in its discretion those
in most urgent need of such assistance.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1945.

Approved March 24, 1945.

CHAPTER 334.
(House Bill 77)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections 12,
15, 19 and 31 of Article 30 of the Annotated Code of Mary-