784                             laws of Maryland                      [ch. 475

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any provision of this
Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
invalid for any reason, such invalidity shall not affect the other
provisions or any other application of this Act which can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end,
all the provisions of this Act are hereby declared to be severable.

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

Approved April 29, 1966.

CHAPTER 475
(House Bill 836)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 18 (b) of
Article 62B of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replace-
ment Volume), title "Maryland Port Authority," relating to taxes,
benefit assessments, payments in lieu of taxes and benefit assess-
ments and voluntary contributions with respect to tax exempt
property AND RELATING TO THE PAYMENT OF SUMS IN
LIEU OF TAXES IN LEASES OF CARGO HANDLING FACIL-
ITIES BETWEEN THE MARYLAND PORT AUTHORITY AND
LESSEES, AND PROHIBITING SAID AUTHORITY FROM
ACQUIRING LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS ON A LEASE
BACK BASIS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 18(b) of Article 62B of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1964 Replacement Volume), title "Maryland Port Authority," be
and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

18.

(b) The right and power of any county and the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore to impose annually taxes on land and improve-
ments thereon, present and future, acquired and developed by the
Authority, within their respective limits, shall be retained by such
political subdivisions; but this right to impose taxes shall not apply
to land and improvements thereon acquired from the political sub-
division, nor shall such right to impose taxes apply to any cargo
handling facilities on or appurtenant to land owned by the Authority

or leased by it as lessor or lessee, all such cargo handing facilities

and all appurtenances to such cargo handling facilities and the land
on or appurtenant to which such cargo handling facilities are located,
OWNED OR LEASED, AS LESSOR OR LESSEE, BY THE PORT
AUTHORITY, AND THE LAND USED SOLELY IN CONJUNCTION
THEREWITH, whether purchased, erected, constructed or leased
prior to or subsequent to the effective date of this Act, SAID CARGO
HANDLING FACILITIES AND LAND to be exempt from all ordi-
nary taxes and benefit assessments to the owner of such facilities, to
the Authority, and to the lessees of the Authority from the date
when such property was or may hereafter be purchased, erected,