J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       799

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 12 of Article 14B of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1965 Supplement), title "State Boat Act," be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

12.

(a)    The Department of [Tidewater Fisheries] Chesapeake Bay
Affairs is charged with the duty primarily of enforcing the provisions
of this article and any other laws applicable to boats using the waters
of Maryland, and all enforcement officers in the exercise thereof
shall have the authority to stop, board, inspect any vessel. Other
duties shall comprise the clearing of waterways of logs, debris, and
other material detrimental to navigation; and cooperation with fed-
eral, State or local agencies which make funds available for the
purposes of this article.

(b)    The Department shall also have the duty of towing disabled
vessels upon any tidal waters of the State to the nearest safe harbor
or to location where commercial towing facilities are available for
the purpose of protecting life and property. This duty shall not
authorize the Department to engage in towing in any situation where
commercial towing service are available, it being the intention
of the General Assembly that the Department shall not engage in
towing in competition with commercial towing services.

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

Approved April 29, 1966.

CHAPTER 487
(House Bill 959)

AN ACT to add new Section 377B to Article 48A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Insurance,"
subtitle "Insurance Contracts Generally," to follow immediately
after Section 377A thereof, to make any clause in an insurance
contract which limits the time for filing claims to less than that
as set by the statute of limitations to be illegal and void.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 377B be and it is hereby added to Article 48A
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume),
title "Insurance," subtitle "Insurance Contracts Generally," to fol-
low immediately after Section 377A thereof, and to read as follows:

377B.

All provisions and stipulations contained in any Contract of In-
surance or suretyship, whatsoever, heretofore or hereafter issued,
fixing the time in which suits or actions may be instituted under or
upon any such Contracts at a period of time less than that provided
at the time of the issuance or delivery of any such Contract by the
laws or statutes of Maryland in respect of limitations are hereby