J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      827

CHAPTER 606
(House Bill 1190)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 1 of
Article 68 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Supplement),
title "Notaries Public," and to add new Sections 1A and 1B to
the said Article of the Code (1957 Edition), clarifying the law
relating to the terms of office of notaries public; to provide a
term of office for notaries public beginning May 3, 1965, and to
provide for the appointment of notaries public to this term; to
provide for the effect of appointment and qualifications of suc-
cessors; relating generally to the terms of office of notaries public;
providing for the severability of the provisions of this Act; and
declaring this Act to be an emergency measure.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 1 of Article 68 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1964 Supplement), title "Notaries Public," be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, and that new Sections
1A and 1B be, and they are, hereby added to the said Article of
the Code (1957 Edition), to read as follows:

1. The Governor on the approval of the application by the
Senator of the county or legislative district of Baltimore City in
which the applicant resides, shall appoint and commission in his
discretion and judgment any number of persons, male or female,
at least eighteen (18) years of age, of known good character, and
integrity and abilities, citizens of the United States, and who have
resided in this State two (2) years previous to their appointments
as notaries public for the State of Maryland; provided that such
residence requirement shall not be applicable to persons appointed
as an official court reporter by any court of Baltimore City. The
term of office of notaries public shall be [for] two years [from the
first day of July of the year in which appointed.] and shall begin
on the first day of July of the year 1965 and of each odd-numbered
year thereafter. In the case of a person who is holding a notary's
commission and wishes to renew it, a formal application for re-
newal is not necessary; in such event a notification to the Secretary
of State of the name and address of the person, together with the
written approval of the Senator of the county or legislative district,
is a sufficient application for renewal, and the renewal shall be
issued subject to the other provisions of this article. Notification
of renewals of notary commissions shall be mailed to the notaries
public in envelopes addressed by the office of the Secretary of State
when requested by the State Senator. When addressed envelopes
are not so requested, lists of notaries public receiving renewed
commissions shall be delivered to each State Senator.

No distinction shall be made between male and female applicants,
who shall take the oath of office before the clerk of the circuit
court for each of the counties in the State, and the clerk of the
Superior Court in Baltimore City, respectively, and shall receive
a commission signed by the Governor and Secretary of State under
the great seal of the State. They shall pay the sum of five ($5)
dollars for each commission so issued, to the treasury of the State
of Maryland, and the further sum of fifty cents (50¢) to the clerk