SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                          453

tion in granting permission to the parties to marry and to direct

the judge to refer the parties to the appropriate social agency if

he denies such permission, and to allow the parties so denied a

direct right of appeal to the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 9(b) of Article 62 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1964 Replacement Volume and 1967 Supplement), title "Mar-
riages," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

9.

(b) A male under the age of 18 years or a female under the
age of 16 years may not marry except as allowed by this paragraph.
Such a marriage shall be made only with the consent of the parent
or guardian of the male under 18 years and/or the female under 16
years, as the case may [me] be, upon the presentation of a certificate
from a licensed physician stating that he has examined the female
and positively ascertained that she is pregnant or has given birth
to a child [, and after consultation with the juvenile court judge for
the county or the City of Baltimore]. The consent or consents, as
the case may be, along with the certificate, shall be presented to the

juvenile court judge for the county or the City of Baltimore. Said

judge may refer the matter to a person or agency designated by

him to prepare a report to be submitted to the juvenile court judge.

Said report shall state the background of the parties, all pertinent

information pertaining thereto, as well as a recommendation as to

whether permission should be granted the parties to marry. Said

person or agency shall meet with the parties desiring to be married,

as well as with their parents or guardians. The juvenile court judge

shall consider all information submitted to him, and may, in his
discretion, hold a hearing at which testimony can be offered and

further information can be supplied. The juvenile court judge may,

then, in his discretion, grant permission to the parties to marry,

if in his opinion, such marriage is in the best interests of the parties

and the child born or to be born. In the event the juvenile court

judge denies permission to marry, he shall refer the aforesaid per-

sons to the appropriate social agency or agencies to offer services to

them. The denial of permission to marry by the court, shall create

an immediate right of Appeal to the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

Said Appeal shall be advanced upon the dicket of that Court and

shall be heard as soon as is practicable.

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

Approved April 10, 1968.

CHAPTER 385
(House Bill 1211)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections SEC-
TION 2-7 (f) and 2-7 (g) of Article 33 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1967 Supplement), title "Election Code," subtitle "Elec-