J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR 279

to follow immediately after Section 11 thereof and to be under the
new sub-title "Facsimile Signatures of Public Officials", enacting
the Uniform Facsimile Signatures of Public Officials Act, and re-
lating generally to the use of facsimile signatures AND FAC-
SIMILE SEALS on certain certificates of indebtedness by
public officials in this State,, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES
FOR THE MISUSE THEREOF.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Sections 12 to 17, inclusive, be and they are hereby added
to Article 31 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition),
title "Debt—Public", to follow immediately after Section 11 thereof
and to be under the new sub-title "Facsimile Signatures of Public
Officials", all to read as follows:

Facsimile Signatures of Public Officials

12. Definitions. As used in this sub-title.

(a) "Public Security" means a bond, note, certificate of indebted-
ness, or other obligation for the payment of money, issued by this
State or by any of its departments, agencies, public bodies, or other
instrumentalities or by any of its political subdivisions.

(b) Instrument of Payment" means a check, draft, warrant,
or order for the payment, delivery, or transfer of funds.

(c) "Authorized Officer" means any official of this State or any
of its departments, agencies, public bodies, or other instrumentalities
or any of its political subdivisions whose signature to a public secur-
ity or instrument of payment is~required or permitted.

(d) "Facsimile Signature" means a reproduction by engraving,
imprinting, stamping, or other means of the manual signature of an
authorized officer.

13. Facsimile Signature. Any authorized officer, after filing
with the Secretary of State his manual signature certified by him
under oath, may execute or cause to be executed with a facsimile
signature in lieu of his manual signature-:

(a) Any public security, provided that at least one signature re-
quired or permitted to be placed thereon shall be manually sub-
scribed, and

(b) Any instrument of payment.

Upon compliance with this sub-title by the authorized officer, his
facsimile signature has the same legal effect as his manual signature.

14. Use of Facsimile Seal. When the seal of this State or any
of its departments, agencies, public bodies, or other instrumentalities
or of any of its political subdivisions is required in the execution of
a public security or instrument of payment, the authorized officer
may cause the seal to be printed, engraved, stamped or otherwise
placed in facsimile thereon. The facsimile seal has the same legal
effect as the impression of the seal.

15. Violation and Penalty. Any person who with intent to
defraud uses on a public security or an instrument of payment:

(a) A facsimile signature, or any reproduction of it, of any
authorized officer, or