668                                 Laws of Maryland                          [Ch. 448

(b) In determining the need of an applicant for or recipient of
aid to the blind only such income and resources as are actually and

immediately available to the individual for his support, shall be
taken into consideration in computing the amount of aid to which

such individual is entitled, except that the first Fifty Dollars ($50.00)

per month of net earned income shall be entirely disregarded in

making such determination. Net income so disregarded in the case

of an individual claiming aid to the blind shall not be considered in
any case as income available for the support of any member of his
family or other relative applying for any form of relief or assistance
in the State. All expenses incident to the earning of such disregarded
income shall be deducted from the individual's gross earnings in

determining net earned income. If, when and during such times as

the amount of earned income permitted or required to be disre-

garded, in determining need, by statute or regulations of the Federal

government shall be increased, the amount of net earned income

required to be disregarded under the provisions of this section shall
be immediately increased to the maximum extent permitted or re-
quired by the statute or regulations of the Federal government.

21. (Funeral Expenses.) On the death of the recipient, reason-
able funeral expenses, not exceeding [One Hundred Dollars ($100)]
One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150), may, subject to the rules and
regulations of the State Board, be paid by the County Board, if the
estate of the deceased is insufficient to pay the same and the persons
Legally responsible for the support of the deceased are unable to pay
the same. The cost of any such payments shall be charged two-thirds
to State funds and one-third to local funds.

23. (Appeal to the State Department.) If an application is not
acted upon by the County Board within a reasonable time after
the filing of the application, or is denied in whole or in part, or if
an award of assistance is modified or cancelled under any provision
of this sub-title, the applicant or recipient may appeal to the State
Department in the manner and form prescribed by the State De-
partment. [This] The State Department shall, upon receipt of such
appeal, give the applicant or recipient an opportunity for a fair
hearing. The State Department may also, upon its own motion,
review any decision of a County Board, and may consider any ap-
plication upon which a decision has not been made by the County
Board within a reasonable time. The State Department may make
such additional investigation as it may deem necessary, and shall
make such decision as to the granting of public assistance and the
amount of assistance to be granted as in its opinion is justified and
and in conformity with the provisions of this sub-title. Applicants
or recipients affected by such decisions of the State Department
shall, upon request, be given reasonable notice and opportunity for
a fair hearing by the State Department. [All decisions of the State
Department shall be final and shall be binding upon the County in-
volved and shall be complied with by such County Board.] If the
applicant or recipient shall feel aggrieved by any decision of the
State Department in respect to his case, he shall have the right to
appeal such decision to the circuit court of the county in which he
resides or to the Baltimore City Court if he resides in the City of
Baltimore, and those courts shall have jurisdiction to review the
case with respect to all matters of fact and law.