J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      693

CHAPTER 492
(Senate Bill 9)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 3(r) of
Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title
"County Commissioners," subtitle "General Provisions," and to
add new Subsections (t), (u), (v), (w), (x), (y), (z), and (aa)
to said Section 3 to follow immediately after Section 3(s) thereof
(1957 Edition and 1964 Supplement), amending the laws which
enumerate certain powers for those Boards of County Commis-
sioners to which said Section 3 applies, in order to add additional
powers for the counties, and to amend the procedure for adopting
an act, ordinance, or resolution under these powers.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 3(r) of Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title "County Commissioners," subtitle "General Pro-
visions," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments; and that new Subsections (t), (u), (v), (w), (x), (y), (z),
and (aa), be and they are hereby added to said Section 3 to follow
immediately after Section 3(s) thereof (1957 Edition and 1964 Sup-
plement) , to read as follows:

3.

(r) No act, ordinance or resolution shall be adopted by the
county commissioners, under the powers conferred by this section,
until [ten days after a copy of such proposal has been advertised,
in one or more newspapers of general circulation published in the
county, at least once a week for three weeks with a date therein
specified, giving an opportunity for hearing any protests or obliga-
tions thereto] ten days after a public hearing has been held on the
proposed act, ordinance, or resolution. Prior notice of such public
hearing, together with a fair summary of the proposed act, ordinance,
or resolution, shall be published in at least one newspaper of general
circulation in the County once each week for three successive weeks.

(t) Building, Electrical, Plumbing Codes. To make reasonable
regulations in regard to buildings and signs to be erected, constructed,
or reconstructed in the County, and to grant building permits for the
same; to formulate a building code, plumbing code, or electrical code
and to provide for inspections for and enforcement of such codes
and to require reasonable charges for permits and inspections; to
authorize and require the inspection of all buildings and structures
and to authorize the condemnation thereof as provided under public
general laws, in whole or in part, when dangerous or insecure, and
to require that such buildings and structures be made safe or be
taken down; to require the inspection and licensing of elevators and
to prohibit their use when unsafe or dangerous or without a license. ;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ANY ELECTRICAL CODE
ADOPTED OR PROMULGATED HEREUNDER SHALL NOT
APPLY TO ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL APPLI-
ANCES AND DEVICES USED BY PUBLIC UTILITIES IN
FURNISHING THEIR SERVICES OR TO WORK PERFORMED
BY SUCH PUBLIC UTILITIES OR THEIR AFFILIATED COM-
PANIES.