J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1243

located in such amount, if any, as may be set by mutual agreement
between such authority and city or political subdivision of the State;
provided, however, that the sum to be paid to the city or political sub-
division shall not exceed an amount equal to the regular taxes levied
upon similar property.

In the event that an authority, set up under the provisions of this
article either by a city or a county, takes over the federal project
in Prince George's County, known as Greenbelt the provision of
this article limiting the amounts payable in lieu of taxes shall not
apply and such payments shall be subject to agreement between
such authority and the public body involved.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby declared
to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immediate pres-
ervation of the public health and safety, and having been passed
by a yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of the members
elected to each of the two houses of the General Assembly, the same
shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved May 6, 1966.

CHAPTER 705
(House Bill 531)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 707 of
Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Supple-
ment), title "Natural Resources," subtitle "Oysters and Clams,"
to provide certain duties of the Department of Chesapeake Bay
Affairs and to repeal certain duties of the Department of Tide-
water Fisheries and generally dealing with the law as it refers
to the regulation of the oyster industry in the State of Maryland.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 707 of Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1965 Supplement), title "Natural Resources," subtitle "Oysters and
Clams," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

707.

(a)    It shall be the duty of the Department of [Tidewater Fish-
eries] Chesapeake Bay Affairs to take such measures as in its judg-
ment shall seem best calculated to increase the productivity or utility
of any part of the natural oyster bars of this State.

(b)    The Department is authorized to close [any portion] in any
year not to exceed three per cent of the natural oyster bars in
the waters of this State or of any county thereof and to prohibit
or restrict the taking or catching of oysters thereon whenever in the
judgment of the Department such [bar is no longer productive from
a commercial standpoint and such action shall seem necessary or
desirable to protect or promote the growth of oysters or whenever
in the case of a bar that has commercial utility it is the judgment
of the Department that the need for the closing of such bar for
restorative purposes from the standpoint of the public welfare