20                                 LAWS OF MARYLAND                           [CH. 9

amendments, Section 45 of Article 16 of said Code, title "Chancery",
sub-title "Inebriates", amending the laws concerning the charges
for care in certain institutions in this State with respect to certain
insane or feeble-minded persons and with respect to certain inebri-
ates or drunkards, modifying the laws concerning payments made
by the several counties and the City of Baltimore for the care of
such persons, and relating generally to the institutions and the
charges for the care of certain insane or feeble-minded persons
and of certain inebriates or drunkards.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 4, 5, 6, 13 and 44 of Article 59 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Lunatics and Insane", sub-titles
"Lunatics and Insane Paupers", "Insanity As a Defense in Criminal
Cases", and "Department of Mental Hygiene", be and the same are
hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments; and that Sec-
tion 45 of Article 16 of said Code, title "Chancery", sub-title "Inebri-
ates", be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments,
all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 59

4.   No person shall be deemed entitled to the benefit of [the pre-
ceding] Sections 1 and 3 of this Article who shall possess or be
entitled to receive sufficient income for his or her maintenance and
support as a patient in any home, retreat or hospital for the insane
of this State, or who has relatives or others legally chargeable with
his or her support, or who are able to pay for the maintenance and
support of the said person as a patient at any retreat or hospital for
the insane of this State. The County Commissioners or County
Council of any County or the Department of Welfare of the City of
Baltimore may consent in writing to the commitment in accordance
with the provisions of SECTION 1. of any indigent insane or feeble-
minded person from the respective counties or the city aforesaid not
able to pay the whole cost of his or her maintenance, but who may be
able to pay for part thereof, as a reimbursing patient, and [designate
the rate which shall be reimbursed to the County or City of Balti-
more from which said patient is committed] the Department of
Mental Hygiene shall designate the rate at which said patient, or his
relatives, or others legally chargeable with his or her maintenance
and support, shall pay for the same.

5.   (a) The Department of Mental Hygiene shall fix a rate to be
chargeable to all persons who have been or who are hereafter com-
mitted or admitted to State institutions under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Mental Hygiene, not to exceed the actual cost per
capita for maintenance of such persons the actual cost per capita to
be determined annually between September 1 and December 1, by
the Commissioner of Mental Hygiene, the State Comptroller, and the
State Budget Director; except with respect to those patients who
have been or shall remain in such institution for a period in excess
of thirty (SO) months, the rate chargeable to the family of the
patient shall thereafter not exceed 25% of the per capita cost.
[The County Commissioners or the Department of Welfare of
Baltimore City, as the case may be] The Department of Mental
Hygiene shall investigate the financial condition of all such persons
[hereafter to be committed under the provisions of the preceding