J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       1499

two (2) years of the date of such acknowledgement or the last such
payment or provision; provided, that the institution of proceedings
under the former Article 12 of this Code, title "Bastardy and
Fornication," prior to June 1, 1968, shall suspend the further run-
ning of the period of limitations provided for herein.

Paternity Proceedings
66A.

The General Assembly declares its conviction that the State has a
duty to ameliorate the deprived social and economic status of children
born out of wedlock and that the policies and procedures as con-
tained in this subtitle and in Section 66 of this Article relative
to establishing the paternity of such children, determining who
shall have their custody or guardianship and who shall be charged
with their maintenance and support are socially necessary and
desirable, having as their threefold purpose (1) the promotion of
the general welfare and best interests of such children by securing
to them, as near as practical, the same right to support, care and
education as legitimate children; (2) the imposition upon both
parents of such children the basic obligations and responsibilities of
parenthood and (3) the simplification of procedures.

66B.

(a) Except as hereinafter provided, every bill or petition filed pur-
suant to Section 66 of this Article with respect to an illegitimate
child shall be supported by the oath of the woman who is pregnant
with or has been delivered of such child, whether or not she is a
formal party to said proceedings. If the woman is dead or other-
wise physically or mentally incapable of making said oath or if she
refuses to become the complainant or petitioner or to disclose the
father of the child or to make such oath, the bill or petition may
be filed without the oath, but the fact of the pregnancy or birth
shall be verified by the complainant or petitioner and the woman
if living, shall be made a party defendant.

(b)  No bill or petition shall be filed or received by the Clerk of the
Court unless there is attached thereto the consent or authorization
of the State's Attorney of the county or city where the same is to
be filed, unless the Court directs otherwise after being satisfied
by such affidavits and testimony as the Court deems sufficient that
the complaint is bona fide and meritorious.

66C.

If the complainant or petitioner is a public welfare official or if any
other complainant or petitioner makes oath that he or she is with-
out funds to obtain private counsel, it is the duty of the State's
Attorney of the county or city where the bill or petition is filed
to act on behalf of the complainant or petitioner without charge
and in such cases no prepayment of court costs shall be required.

66D.

(a) The State's Attorney of the county or city, as the case may be,
for the purpose of facilitating the performance of his duties under this
subtitle, at any time either before or after the filing of a bill or