1754                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 825

upon payment of a fee of $.50 in addition to any other fees re-
quired by this article, the Department shall issue for said passenger
motor vehicle special registration plates upon which shall be inscribed
in letters and numerals not less than three inches high and in strokes
of not less than one-quarter inch in width the letters VFW followed
by appropriate LETTER AND numerals in lieu of the numerals re-
quired to be displayed on such registration plates under other pro-
visions of this article.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1963.

Approved May 6, 1963.

CHAPTER 824
(House Bill 731)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 1 (15) of
Article 738 73B of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition),
title "Pensions," subtitle "In General," amending the State Em-
ployees' Retirement System laws to make applicable to certain
members of the system the average final compensation as defined
by an amendment enacted in 1955.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 1 (15) of Article 73B of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1957 Edition), title "Pensions," subtitle "In General," be and
it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as
follows:

1.

(15) "Average final compensation" shall mean the average annual
earnable compensation of an employee for the five consecutive years
of service as an employee during which his earnable compensation
was highest, or if he had less than five years of service, then his
average earnable compensation for his total service.

Beginning July 1, 1963, the provisions of this subsection shall apply
to members who retired prior to July 1, 1955 as well as to those
who retired on or after that date.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1963.

Approved May 6, 1963.

CHAPTER 825
(House Bill 3)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with amendments Section 30 of Article
19 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition and 1962
Supplement), title "Comptroller", sub-title "State Auditor", to