J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      327

(b) If the obligor or his property is not found in the county or
Baltimore City and the State's Attorney or counsel to the county
council or county commissioners discovers by any means that the
obligor or his property may be found in another county or Baltimore
City in this state or in another state he shall so inform the court
and thereupon the clerk of the court shall forward the documents
received from the court in the initiating state to a court in the
other county or Baltimore City or to a court in the other state or
to the information agency or other proper official of the other state
with a request that it forward the documents to the proper court.
Thereupon both the court of the other county or Baltimore City and
any court of this state receiving the documents and the State's

Attorney or counsel to the county council or county commissioners

have the same powers and duties under this article as if the
documents had been originally addressed to them. When the clerk
of a court of this state retransmits documents to another court, he
shall notify forthwith the court from which the documents came.

(c) If the State's Attorney or counsel to the county council or

county commissioners has no information as to the whereabouts of
the obligor or his property he shall so inform the initiating court.

20.

[In any hearing under this law the court shall be bound by the
same rules of evidence that bind the courts of common law juris-
diction in the State of Maryland.]

If the obligee is absent from the responding state and the obligor
presents evidence which constitutes a defense, the court shall con-
tinue the case for further hearing and the submission of evidence
by both parties.

21.

Laws attaching a privilege against the disclosure of communica-
tions between husband and wife are inapplicable to proceedings
under this article. Husband and wife are competent witnesses and
may be compelled to testify to any relevant matter, including
marriage and parentage.

22.

In any hearing under this article, the court shall be bound by
the same rules of evidence that bind the courts of common law
jurisdiction in the State.

[13.] 23.

If the court of the responding state finds a duty of support
[, under the laws of Maryland,] it may order the obligor to furnish
support or reimbursement therefor and subject the property of
the obligor to such order.

[14.] 24.

The court of this State when acting as a responding state shall
cause to be transmitted to the court of the initiating state a copy
of all orders of support or for reimbursement therefor.