J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                              83

tide 4 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland, title "Bal-
timore City", sub-title "General Powers", said new paragraph to
be known as Paragraph (23A), to follow immediately after Para-
graph (23) of said Section 6, and to be under the new sub-heading
"Pensions for Policemen and Firemen", authorizing the Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore to establish and maintain a separate
system of pensions and retirement benefits for certain of the of-
ficers and employees of the Department of Aviation, of the Police
Department and of the Fire Department of Baltimore City, relat-
ing generally to the terms and conditions applicable to said retire-
ment system and providing that the provisions of this Act shall
be in addition to and not in substitution of any powers and authori-
zations now conferred upon the Mayor and City Council of Bal-
timore.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new paragraph be and it is hereby added to Section 6 of the
Charter and Public Local Laws of Baltimore City (1949 Edition),
being Article 4 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland, title
"Baltimore City", sub-title "General Powers", said new paragraph
to be known as Paragraph (23A), to follow immediately after Para-
graph (23) of said Section 6, to be under the new sub-heading "Pen-
sions for Policemen and Firemen", and to read as follows:

(23A) Pensions for Policemen and Firemen.

To establish and maintain a separate system of pensions and re-
tirement benefits for such officers and employees of the Department
of Aviation, of the Police Department and of the Fire Department of
Baltimore City as may be designated or described by Ordinance of
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore; to fix the terms of and
restrictions on admission to such system and the classifications there-
in; to provide that persons eligible for admission in such pension
system shall not be eligible except as hereinafter provided for ad-
mission to any other pension system, the revenues of which are de-
rived wholly or in part from appropriations made by the City, from
license fees or from fines and forfeitures imposed under the laws or
ordinances in force in Baltimore City; to provide for the optional
transfer to such pension system of any officer or employee of either
the Department of Aviation, the Police Department or the Fire De-
partment of Baltimore City who is eligible to join such separate
pension system, from any other system of pensions and retirement
benefits operated and maintained by the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore; to provide in connection with such pension system, a sys-
tem of benefits payable to the beneficiaries and dependents of any
participant in such pension system after the death of such partici-
pant (whether accidental or otherwise and/or whether occurring
in the actual performance of duty or otherwise), subject to such ex-
ceptions, conditions, restrictions and classifications as may be pro-
vided by ordinance; provided, however, (1) that upon the adoption
of an ordinance providing for their participation in such pension
system, eligible officers and employees of the Department of Avia-
tion, of the Police Department and of the Fire Department who do
not elect to participate in such pension system, shall be entitled to
the pensions, retirement benefits, other benefits or allowances for
themselves, their widows or dependents, under the laws or ordinances
in force immediately prior to the adoption of such ordinance; (2)