666                               Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 448

(b)   Make such rules and regulations and take such action as may
be necessary or desirable for carrying out the provisions of this
Article. Such rules and regulations shall recognize that the needs and
problems of blind persons are special to them and may differ mate-
rially from the needs and problems of other classes of aid recipients.
Printed copies of such rules and regulations, together with copies
of the laws contained in this sub-title, shall be made available upon
request for distribution to any person or group engaged in work for
or with the blind. All rules and regulations made by the State De-
partment shall be binding upon the counties and shall be complied
with by the respective county boards;

(c)  Prescribe the form of and print and supply to the county
boards such forms as it may deem necessary and advisable;

(d)   Cooperate with the Federal government in matters of mutual
concern pertaining to assistance to the needy blind;

(e)   Make such reports in such form and containing such infor-
mation, as the Federal government may, from time to time require,
and comply with such provisions as the Federal government may
from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and veri-
fication of such reports;

(f)   Perform such duties as are imposed upon it by Article 88A
of the Annotated Code of Maryland and any amendments thereto •
or supplements thereof.

15. (Eligibility for Public Assistance to the Needy Blind.)
Public assistance shall be granted under this sub-title to any person
who:

(a)  Lost his eyesight while a resident of the State, or shall have
resided in the State continuously for a period of one year imme-
diately preceding the filing of the application for public assistance;
provided, however, that the State Department is authorized and
empowered to make reciprocal arrangements with other States to
waive residence requirement when, in their judgment, the same is
deemed necessary, so long as the waiver does not invalidate Federal
matching. In the event that future Federal legislation shall require
the abolition of State residence requirements as a condition for Fed-
eral matching, the aforegoing State residence requirement shall be
considered abrogated and rendered null and void simultaneously with
the effective date of such Federal enactment. Any blind person who
has received assistance under this sub-title between June 1, 1947,
and Nov. 10, 1947, is hereby declared to have been eligible to receive
the same.

(b)   Has not sufficient income or other available resources to pro-
vide a reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health.
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, except that the term "relatives"
shall be construed to include only a mother, father, child, husband
or wife of the person requesting assistance. No provision of this
sub-section shall be repealed by any other law unless this sub-section
is specifically referred to in such repeal.

(c)   Is not an inmate of any public institution at the time of
receiving assistance. An inmate of such institution may, however,