SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                         275

(i) No consideration shall be given to the question of whether
or not the ability of an employee to understand speech is improved
by the use of a hearing aid.

(j) No employer shall be liable for the payment of scheduled
income benefits for occupational deafness unless the employee claim-
ing benefits shall have worked for such employer in employment
exposing the employee to harmful notice NOISE for a total period
of at least ninety (90) days.

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

Approved April 14, 1967.

CHAPTER 156
(House Bill 474)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 37(d)
of Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replace-
ment Volume), title "Workmen's Compensation," subtitle "Claims
and Compensation; Benefits," to increase the amount of money
required to be paid by an employer under the Workmen's Com-
pensation Laws where death results from a compensation injury
and to extend the period within which death if it occurs, after
such an injury , RESULTING FROM A COMPENSABLE IN-
JURY, will cause the payment of funeral expenses.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 37(d) of Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Workmen's Compensation,"
subtitle "Claims and Compensation; Benefits," be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

37.

(d) In case death ensues from the injury within [three] five
years, reasonable funeral expenses shall be allowed, not to exceed
the sum of [five hundred dollars] one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).
Any bill for funeral expenses contracted for an amount in excess of
[five hundred dollars] one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) shall be
null and void and uncollectible out of the compensation allowed or
out of the personal assets of the person or persons to whom such
compensation is payable, unless and until said bill is approved by
the Commission; provided, however, that if there are no dependents
all expenses of last sickness and burial shall be paid by the em-
ployer or insurance company, or out of the State Accident Fund,
as the case may be.

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

Approved April 14, 1967.