1054                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                         CH. 556

to Article 59 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replace-
ment Volume), title "Lunatics and Insane," to follow immediately
after Section 21 thereof and to be under the new subtitle "Pay-
ment of Counsel Fees," to provide that counsel fees due to any
attorney who shall be appointed to defend an indigent person
charged with the crime of escaping from a penal facility in this
State STATE PENAL OR CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION or
to represent an indigent patient of a mental institution of this
State in a petition seeking release shall be paid by the State of
Maryland upon receipt of a statement therefor from the political
subdivision in which the facility or institution is located.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 139½ be and it is hereby added to Article 27 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967 Replacement Volume), title
"Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Escaping from Penitentiary,"
to follow immediately after Section 139 thereof, and to read as
follows:

Counsel fees due to any attorney who shall be appointed to defend
an indigent person charged with the crime of escaping from a peni-
tentiary, jail, house of correction, reformatory, station house or any
other place of penal confinement in this State PENAL OR CORREC-
TIONAL INSTITUTION UNDER THE SUPERVISION AND
CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION shall be a
responsibility of the State of Maryland. Funds for such payments
shall be included in the annual budget of the Department of Correc-
tion. After receipt of a list of such payments from the county or
Baltimore City in which the escape occurred, the Department shall
reimburse the county or city.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That new Section 21A be and
it is hereby added to Article 59 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1964 Replacement Volume), title "Lunatics and Insane," to follow
immediately after Section 21 thereof, to be under the new subtitle
"Payment of Counsel Fees," and to read as follows :

Payment of Counsel Fees
21A.

Counsel fees due to any attorney who shall be appointed to repre-
sent an indigent patient of a mental institution of this State in a
petition seeking release from such an institution shall be a responsi-
bility of the State of Maryland. Funds for such payments shall be
included in the annual budget of the Department of Mental Hygiene.
After receipt of a list of such payments from the county or Balti-
more City in which the institution is located, the Department shall
reimburse the county or city.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1968.

Approved May 7, 1968.

139½.