J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      241

purchase or offer to purchase at any time or to have in possession
any black bass whether said fish be caught in tidal or nontidal
waters within the State of Maryland, or the waters of any other
state and brought into this State; provided, however, that anglers
catching said fish by rod, hook and line as hereinbefore provided,
and not in excess of the creel limit imposed by Section 316 of this
article, shall be entitled to possess and transport said fish so caught;
and further provided that nothing in this section shall be so con-
strued as to prevent the shipment in interstate commerce of live
bass for propagating, breeding or stocking purposes in accordance
with Section 215 of this article, or to prevent anyone from catching
or engaging in the catching of black bass under the direction of [the
Board of Natural Resources] any State department or agency for
propagation purposes or for restocking any waters of this State in
accordance with Section 218. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUB-
SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE CATCHING, SELLING,
PURCHASING, OR POSSESSION OF BLACK SEA BASS (Cen-
tropristes striatus).

329.

No such rules or regulations of the Department of [Tidewater
Fisheries] Chesapeake Bay Affairs shall become effective under
Section 328 until said Department has held public hearings on same,
and such public hearings shall be advertised as to time, place and
purpose in one newspaper of general daily circulation in the State,
and at least in two newspapers circulated in the tidewater counties
for two successive weeks in advance of said hearings [and until the
Commission has transmitted a copy of the proposed rules or regula-
tions, together with the reasons for adopting them, to the Board
of Natural Resources and has received the written recommenda-
tion of the Board on the rules or regulations]. After such hearings
and upon adoption of such rules and regulations, the same shall be
published for one week in the newspapers bearing notice of the
hearing and shall thereafter have all the force and effect of law.
Any person or persons found guilty before a justice of the peace
qualified to try same, or before any court on appeal, of violating any
such rules and regulations, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be
fined not less than $10.00, nor more than $100.00 in the case of
any person or persons taking or catching crabs, and not less than
$10.00, nor more than $100.00 in the case of any buyer, packer, or
shipper of crabs.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1964.

Approved April 7, 1964.

CHAPTER 75
(Senate Bill 144)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections 343 and
344 of Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957
Edition and 1963 Supplement), title "Natural Resources," sub-