SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor

in which counties become code counties AND ABANDON THIS
STATUS, and to their operations as such, and relating generally
to the status, powers, duties, and functions of code counties in this
State AND TO THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF CERTAIN
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES OF THE STATE GOVERN-
MENT AND OF ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS IN RELA-
TION THERETO.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Article 25B be and it is hereby added to the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition and 1966 Supplement), to follow
immediately after Article 25A thereof, and to be under the new
title "Home Rule for Code Counties," and to read as follows:

Article 25B

HOME RULE FOR CODE COUNTIES
Definitions and Limitations

1.    Definitions and limitations.

(a)    "Code county" (as defined in Article 11F of the Constitu-
tion, Sec. 1) means a county which is not a charter county under
Article 11A of the Constitution and which has adopted the optional
powers of home rule provided in Article 11F of the Constitution
and this Article.

(b)    "Code home rule status" means a county under and having
the authority of Article 11F of the Constitution and this Article.

(c)    "Public local law" (as defined in Article 11F of this Con-
stitution, Sec. 1) means a law applicable to the incorporation,
organization, or government of a code county and contained in the
county's code of public local laws. The term does not include: (1)
the charters of municipal corporations under Article 11E of the
Constitution, (2) the laws or charters of counties under Article 11A
of the Constitution, (3) laws, whether or not State-wide in applica-
tion, in the code of public general laws, (4) laws which apply to
more than one county, (5) ordinances and resolutions of a code
county enacted under public local laws.

(d)    "Registered voter" means a person who is registered to vote
in State and county elections under the provisions of Article 33 of
this Code.

Classification

2.    Classification of code counties.

The General Assembly determines that there is one classification
of code counties. All counties functioning under the provisions of
Article 11F of the Constitution are members of that class and subject
to the constitutional and statutory law applicable thereto.

Adoption of Code Form of Home Rule

3. Authority.

Authority to adopt the code form of home rule is vested in the
Board of County Commissioners of the county, subject to being ap-
proved by the registered voters of the county at referendum.