1430                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                       CH. 709

Volume) title, "Health," subtitle "Maryland Hospital Commission,"
be, and hereby is, enacted to read as follows:

568A.

After July 1, 1968 all of the functions, powers, and duties hereto-
fore assigned to the Maryland Hospital Commission shall be vested
in the Department of Health. The Department of Health is hereby
substituted, in place of the Hospital Commission, in any and all
instruments, contracts, and agreements heretofore executed by the
Commission. Such substitution shall be effective as a written as-
signment of all rights and privileges inuring to the benefit of the
Commission and shall give the Department the right to enforce such
contract or agreement according to its terms.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That Sections 568B and 568D
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume)
title, "Health," subtitle "Maryland Hospital Commission," be, and
hereby are, repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as
follows:

568B.

Powers and duties of [Commission] Department of Health; pro-
cedure for granting State loan funds.

(a)    The [Maryland Hospital Commission] Department of Health
has, generally, the duty and responsibility of administering matters
and problems of hospital construction under this program and of
any State funds hereunder, provided for the construction, expansion,
replacement, relocation or modernization of hospital buildings, facil-
ities and equipment, for voluntary nonprofit hospitals in this State.
For this purpose, the [Commission] Department has the responsibil-
ity and authority to receive and examine, and to approve or dis-
approve applications from voluntary nonprofit hospitals for loans to
be made from State funds for the construction, expansion, relocation
or modernization of hospital buildings, facilities and equipment be-
longing to and used by voluntary nonprofit hospitals in this State.
The approval or disapproval of loans so requested by the several
hospitals shall be submitted by the [Commission] Department to
the Board of Public Works. Any such approval or disapproval, to-
gether with any recommendations made to the Board of Public Works
by the [Commission] Department are only for the consideration of
the Board of Public Works, and are not binding upon the Board of
Public Works. The [Maryland Hospital Commission] Department
of Health shall not consider any application from any voluntary
nonprofit hospital if the purpose of such application is to obtain
funds for refinancing an existing loan. This shall not prohibit the
submission of an application in those cases where the term of
an existing loan has expired and there is a necessity for new financ-
ing for the balance.

(b)    In the performance of its duties and responsibilities in re-
lation to such State loans, the [Maryland Hospital Commission]
Department of Health shall give general consideration to the current
status and operations of voluntary nonprofit hospitals throughout
the State, and shall study and consider also plans and needs con-
cerning the adequacy of hospital facilities throughout the State. In