240                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 148

18.

Whenever a [county board] local unit receives an application for
assistance under this subtitle, an investigation and record shall
promptly be made of the circumstances of the applicant to ascertain
the facts supporting the application made under this subtitle and
such other information as may be required by the rules of the State
[Board.] Department.

19.

Upon the completion of such investigation, the [county board]
local unit shall decide whether the applicant is eligible for public
assistance under the provisions of this subtitle, and determine, in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Department,
the amount of such assistance and the date on which such assistance
shall begin. The (county board] local unit shall notify the ap-
plicant of its decision. Such assistance shall be paid upon order of
the [county board] local unit from funds allocated to the [county
board] local unit for this purpose. Should the fund or funds avail-
able be insufficient to make payments in accordance with the amount
of assistance established to be needed, the State Department shall,
by rule and regulation, provide for a uniform method of adjusting
individual payments.

20.

On the death of the recipient, reasonable funeral expenses, not
exceeding two hundred dollars ($200.00), may be paid by the [county
board] local unit, if the estate of the deceased is insufficient to pay
the same and the persons legally responsible for the support of the
deceased are unable to pay the same. The cost of any such payments
shall be charged two thirds to State funds and one third to local
funds. The provisions of this section are subject to the require-
ments of Section 18A of Article 88A of this Code.

22.

If an application is not acted upon by the local unit [county
board] within a reasonable time after the filing of the application,
or is denied in whole or in part, or if an award of assistance is
modified or cancelled under any provision of this subtitle, the ap-
plicant or recipient may appeal to the State Department in the man-
ner and form prescribed by the State Department. The State De-
partment shall, upon receipt of such appeal, give the applicant or
recipient an opportunity for a fair hearing. The State Department
may also, upon its own motion, review any decision of a [county
board] local unit and may consider any application upon which a
decision has not been made by the [county board] local unit within
a reasonable time. The State Department may make such additional
investigation as it may deem necessary, and shall make such deci-
sion as to the granting of public assistance and the amount of
assistance to be granted as in its opinion is justified and in con-
formity with the provisions of this subtitle. Applicants or recipients
affected by such decisions of the State Department shall, upon re-
quest, be given reasonable notice and opportunity for a fair hearing
by the State Department. If the applicant or recipient shall feel
aggrieved by any decision of the State Department in respect to