SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                       1173

CHAPTER 603
(Senate Bill 622)

AN ACT to add new Section 201 to Article 56 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Licenses,"
to follow immediately after Section 200 thereof and to be under
the new subtitle "Police Dogs—Licensing Of," to provide that
all publicly owned police dogs, popularly referred to as K-9
dogs, used by the State or any of its political subdivisions for
police work, shall be licensed, without charge, by the Maryland
State Police Department; providing that such dog licenses shall
be valid anywhere in the State until revoked by the Maryland
State Police or until the licensed dog shall cease to be used as
a police dog; and providing that the license shall be issued to
the officer to whom the dog is assigned.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 201 be and it is hereby added to Article 56 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume),
title "Licenses," to follow immediately after Section 200 thereof
and to be under the new subtitle "Police Dogs—Licensing Of,"
and to read as follows:

201.

(a)  From and after January 1, 1969 all publicly owned dogs
used by the State or any of its political subdivisions for police
work shall be licensed only as provided by this Section.

(b)   The licensing authority shall be the Maryland Department
of State Police.

(c)  Licenses shall be issued on forms prepared and supplied by
the Department and shall be valid for all dog licensing purposes
anywhere in the State.

(d)  Licenses shall be valid until revoked by the Department or
until the licensed dog is removed from police work, whichever
shall occur sooner, and each license shall be issued to that officer
to which the licensed police dog is assigned.

(e)  Licenses shall be dated and numbered, shall state the agency
to which the dog belongs, and shall contain a description of the
dog licensed. The Department shall also furnish with each license
a metal tag, stamped Maryland State Police and bearing the
license number. Such tag shall be affixed to a substantial collar to
be furnished by the agency to which the dog belongs and the tag
and collar shall at all times be kept on the dog except when the
licensed dog is confined in a kennel or is under the personal
charge of the officer to whom the dog is assigned.

(f)  Neither the Department, nor any officer or employee thereof,
shall be liable for any action of a licensed dog or the officer to
whom it is assigned by virtue of the licensing responsibility as-
signed under this Section.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1968.

Approved May 7, 1968.