SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                      1105

ment", to follow immediately after Section 15 (b-4) thereof, and
to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 15 (d) of the
said Article and subtitle of the Code, to change the rate of assess-
ment for purposes of county taxation of the stock in business of
persons engaged in Howard County in any manufacturing or com-
mercial business in order to provide for the total exemption of
such stock in business gradually over a period of years.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 15 (b-5) be and it is hereby added to Article 81
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and
1966 Supplement), title "Revenue and Taxes", subtitle "Method of
Assessment", to follow immediately after Section 15 (b-4) thereof,
and that Section 15 (d) of the said Article and subtitle of the Code,
be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to
read as follows:

15 (b-5).

For the purpose of county taxation in Howard County, such stock
in business shall be assessed at the rate of fifty percentum (50%)
of such fair average value for the twelve months ending December
31, 1966; and at the rate of forty percentum (40%) of such fair
average value for the twelve months ending December 31, 1967; and
at the rate of thirty percentum (30%) of such fair average value
for the twelve months ending December 31, 1968. Such assessment
shall be diminished by ten percentum (10%) annually in regular
progression in succeeding years until on and after December 31,
1970 when, for the purposes of county taxation, such stock in busi-
ness shall be entirely exempt from valuation, assessment, and taxa-
tion under the provision of this section. Provided, however, in
Howard County the first three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) of said
business stock or inventory of any person, firm or corporation en-
gaged in commercial business in said county shall be exempt from
county taxation.

(d) For the purpose of county taxation in Allegany, Baltimore,
Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett,
Harford, [Howard,] Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicom-
ico and Worcester counties, such stock in business shall be assessed
at sixty per centum (60%) of such fair average value for the twelve
months preceding the date of finality. For the purpose of county
taxation in Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, stock in busi-
ness shall be assessed at fifty per centum (50%) of such fair aver-
age value for the twelve months preceding the date of finality.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1967.

Approved April 21, 1967.

CHAPTER 500
(Senate Bill 405)

AN ACT to add new Section 8A to Article 51 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Juries", subtitle