SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                         65

Prince George's County (1963 Edition) and new Section 71-5A
to the Montgomery County Code (1965 Edition), being Articles
17 and 16, respectively, of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland, titles "Prince George's County" and "Montgomery
County," subtitle "Washington Suburban Sanitary District," pro-
viding for an optional procedure for the acquisition of land and
interests in land in Prince George's County by the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission for the construction and extension
of water supply, sewerage and drainage systems and relating to
the manner and procedure of exercising the optional, additional
method of acquisition authorized by Article III, Section 40C of
the Constitution of the State of Maryland.

Whereas, Section 40C of Article III of the Constitution of the
State of Maryland, adopted and approved by the legally qualified
voters of the State of Maryland, provides that the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission may be authorized to take land or
interests in land, except any building or buildings, necessary for
water supply, sewerage and drainage systems to be extended or con-
structed by it, by payment to the owners or into the Court for
the use of the owners and upon the other conditions and procedures
specified in said Constitutional provision; and

Whereas, the Commission, pursuant to its statutory responsibilities
and authority, has commenced a program for the augmentation of
water supply and distribution to areas in Prince George's County,
and particularly after the experience of the public in the summer
of 1966 it is deemed imperative that the several construction proj-
ects under the program be expedited, not only to provide an ade-
quate, safe and potable supply of drinking water but to provide
for the vital needs of water for fire protection and other public
health requirements; and

Whereas, the emergency needs for expedited construction of the
water supply lines indicate a desirability of implementing the con-
stitutional authority as soon as may be possible and it is desirable
and feasible to provide at the same time for the Commission's ex-
ercise of the authority in the other situations in which it may be
utilized; now, therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 83-60A of the Public Local Laws of Prince
George's County (1963 Edition) and new Section 71-5A of the Mont-
gomery County Code (1965 Edition), being Articles 17 and 16,
respectively, of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland, titles
"Prince George's County" and "Montgomery County," subtitle
"Washington Suburban Sanitary District," be and they are hereby
added, said new section to follow immediately after Sections 83-60
and 71-5 of the respective Codes, and to read as follows:

83-60 A. (71-5 A).

(a) Whenever the Commission has acquired or is acquiring by
purchase or other procedures, including the condemnation procedures
provided for in Article 33A of the Annotated Code of Maryland and
Section 83-60 (71-5) of this subtitle, one-half or more of the several
takings of land or interest in land required for the extension or con-
struction of a water supply, sanitary sewerage or drainage project, as