652                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 365

199 in lieu thereof, to stand in the place of the Section 199 repealed,
and to change the subheading "Fraud—Debtors" to be "Fraud—
Use of Simulated Court Process," to revise the laws prohibiting the
use, sale, sending or delivering of simulated summons, complaints
or court process or of documents implying association with any
governmental department or agency for the purpose of inducing
payment of a debt, and prohibiting the use of any seal, insignia or
other format simulating that of a governmental department or
agency for the same purpose, providing for the scope and limita-
tions of this Act, for proof of the offense, and providing penalties
for violations.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 199 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title and subtitle "Crimes and Punishments," sub-
heading "Fraud—Debtors," be and it is hereby repealed, and that new
Section 199 be and it is hereby enacted in lieu thereof to stand in the
place of the section so repealed, and to be under the new subheading
"Fraud—Use of Simulated Court Process," and to read as follows:

199.

(a)  It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to use, sell,
send or deliver to another any document which simulates a summons,
complaint, or court process of any kind with intent thereby to induce
the payment of a claim or which implies that the person, firm or cor-
poration is a branch of or associated with any department or agency
of the Federal government or of any State or municipal government.
It is also unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to use any seal,
insignia, envelope or any other format which simulates that of any
governmental department or agency, with intent thereby to induce
payments of a claim.

(b)  Proof that the document was mailed or was delivered to any
person with intent that it be forwarded to the intended recipient is
sufficient proof of sending.

(c)   The provisions of this section are applicable notwithstanding
that the simulating document contains a statement to the effect that it
is not legal process or a governmental document.

(d)   Violation of this section may be prosecuted in either the county
or Baltimore City where the document was used, sent or sold or in
which it was delivered.

(e)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the print-
ing, publication or distribution of blank forms of genuine court or
legal process.

(f)   Violation of this section is punishable upon conviction by fine
not to exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for the first offense and
by fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for any sub-
sequent offense.

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

Approved April 29, 1966.