1014                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 623

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20A. (A) THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 20 HEREINABOVE
SHALL APPLY IN THE COUNTIES OF MARYLAND, BUT
SHALL APPLY IN BALTIMORE CITY ONLY TO THE EXTENT
TO WHICH THEY ARE NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE PRO-
VISIONS OF THIS SECTION. IN BALTIMORE CITY, THE FOL-
LOWING ENTITIES, WHETHER INCORPORATED OR NOT,
AND THE FOLLOWING PERSONS SHALL OBTAIN LICENSES
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELfaRE, AS
HEREINAFTER SET FORTH:

(B) (LICENSING OF PLACEMENT AGENCIES.) 1. ANY
INSTITUTION, AGENCY OR SOCIETY, WHICH ACTS AS A
CHILD PLACEMENT AGENCY, SHALL OBTAIN A LICENSE
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF WELfaRE.

2. ANY PERSON MAY NOT ACT AS A PLACEMENT AGENCY
OR PLACE A CHILD, EXCEPT THAT

(I) THE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD WITH A PERSON OR
PERSONS RELATED TO THE CHILD BY BLOOD OR MAR-
RIAGE SHALL BE PERMITTED AND SHALL REQUIRE NO
LICENSE; AND

(II) THE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD BY THE CHILD'S NAT-
URAL PARENT OR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS WITH A
PERSON NOT RELATED BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE SHALL BE
PERMITTED AND SHALL REQUIRE NO LICENSE; PRO-
VIDED, THE PLACEMENT BE MADE DIRECTLY BY SUCH

PERSON OR PERSONS WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF
ANY PERSON OR PERSONS AIDING OR ABETTING THE
PLACEMENT; AND PROVIDED FURTHER, THAT NO SUCH
PLACEMENT, WHEN MADE IN CONTEMPLATION OF ADOP-
TION, SHALL BE MADE PRIOR TO THE FILING OF A PETI-
TION FOR ADOPTION IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURIS-
DICTION AND OBTAINING THE COURT'S CONSENT TO SUCH