SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                       619

and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

37.

(d) In case death ensures from the injury within five years,
reasonable funeral expenses shall be allowed, not to exceed the sum
of [five hundred dollars] one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) SEVEN
HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS ($750.00). Any bill for funeral
expenses contracted for an amount in excess of [five hundred dollars]
one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY
DOLLARS, ($750.00) shall be null and void and uncollectible out of
the compensation allowed or out of the personal assets of the person
or persons to whom such compensation is payable, unless and until
said bill is approved by the Commission; provided, however, that if
there are no dependents all expenses of last sickness and burial shall
be paid by the employer or insurance company, or out of the State
Accident Fund, as the case may be.

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

Approved April 10, 1968.

CHAPTER 431
(House Bill 982)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections 36(8)
(a) and (b) of Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1964 Replacement Volume and 1967 Supplement), title "Work-
men's Compensation," subtitle "Claims and Compensation; Bene-
fits," to provide for a change in the amount of benefits payable,
both maximum and minimum, to the dependents of employees
dying from compensable injuries.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 36(8) (a) and (b) of Article 101 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume and 1967 Supplement),
title "Workmen's Compensation," subtitle "Claims and Compensa-
tion; Benefits," be and they are hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

36.

(8) (a) In case the injury causes death within the period of
five years the benefits shall be in the amounts and to the persons
following: If there are wholly dependent persons at the time of
death, the payment shall be sixty-six and two-thirds per centum of
the average weekly wages, not to exceed, however, a maximum of
[fifty-five dollars ($55.00)] seventy dollars ($70.00) per week, and
not less than a minimum of [eighteen] twenty-five dollars per week
unless the deceased employee's established weekly wages were less
than [eighteen] twenty-five dollars per week at the time of the
injury in which event the compensation shall be an amount equal to