1198                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 673

Bay Affairs are hereby authorized and directed to select such amount
of oysters from any pile, hold, bin, house or place as they think proper
and to require the same to be culled and disposed of, as provided in sub-
section (a) of this section; and any person violating any of the pro-
visions of this section shall be subject to the penalties and fines as
provided in Section 717 in precisely the same manner as if he were
a captain or master of a boat; and it shall be unlawful for any person
to transport, or attempt to transport, outside of this State, for any
purpose whatsoever, unmerchantable oysters as declared herein
whether the unmerchantable oysters be taken from or caught on the
natural beds or bars of this State, or from private beds and lots in
this State.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1966.

Approved May 6, 1966.

CHAPTER 673
(House Bill 566)

AN ACT to add new Section 556A to Article 43 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume), title "Health,"
subtitle "Hospitals and Related Institutions," to follow immediately
after Section 556 thereof, abolishing the defense of charitable
immunity of hospitals and related institutions, with exceptions.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 556A be and it is hereby added to Article 43 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume), title
"Health," subtitle "Hospitals and Related Institutions," to follow im-
mediately after Section 556 thereof, and to read as follows:

556A.

No hospital or related institution as defined in this subtitle shall be
immune from liability for negligence or any other tort on the grounds
that it is a charitable institution; provided, however, that a hospital
or related institution which is a charitable institution and which is
insured against such liability in an amount not less than $100,000
shall not be liable for damages in excess of the limits of such insur-
ance.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act shall
apply to claims for acts of negligence or other torts occurring before
June 1,1966.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1966.

Approved May 6, 1966.