THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                   279

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1955.

Approved March 29,1955.

CHAPTER 199

(Senate Bill 391)

AN ACT to add a new section to Article 14 of the Code of Public
Local Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "Howard County",
sub-title "Fire Protection", said new section to be known as
Section 198-1, and to follow immediately after Section 198-H, as
said section was enacted by Chapter 862 of the Acts of 1947,
providing for the levy and collection of a special tax in Howard
County to be paid to certain volunteer fire companies, relating
to the accounting and disbursement of said funds and providing
certain rules and regulations which must be complied with by
said volunteer fire companies.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new section be and it is hereby added to Article 14 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "How-
ard County", sub-title "Fire Protection", said new section to be
known as Section 198-1, and to follow immediately after Section
198-H, as said section was enacted by Chapter 862 of the Acts of
1947, and to read as follows:

198-I. (a) The County Commissioners of Howard County are
hereby authorized and empowered to pay annually unto each of the
volunteer fire companies presently organized and existing in each
of the election districts of Howard County, for operating and main-
tenance expenses, a sum not to exceed two thousand ($2,000.00)
dollars, and for that purpose, to levy an annual tax on all of the
taxable property of Howard County.

(b) Subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth, the County
Commissioners of Howard County are hereby further authorized
and empowered to levy annually a special district tax in any or all
of the election districts of Howard County and upon all property
assessed for taxation in the district or districts wherein such tax is
levied for the benefit of the volunteer fire companies, designated in
the preceeding subsection, provided, however, that:

(1) Said volunteer fire company or companies for whose bene-
fit said special tax is levied shall have filed with said County Com-
missioners on or before the first day of September, next preceeding
their annual levy, a petition, duly executed by an appropriate officer
of said company, requesting that said special district tax be levied
in the district wherein the petitioning volunteer fire company is
located and setting forth the amount which the petitioning com-

EXPLANATION: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.