MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                         1497

CHAPTER 657
(House Bill 401)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 139½
of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967 Replace-
ment Volume and 1968 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punish-
ments," to be under the new subtitle "Payment of Counsel Fees,"
providing that counsel fees for indigent persons charged with
a crime COMMITTED while incarcerated in a penal or correctional
institution shall be borne by the State of Maryland.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 139½ of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1967 Replacement Volume and 1968 Supplement), title "Crimes and
Punishments," to be under the new subtitle "Payment of Counsel
Fees," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments,
to read as follows:

139½.                        Payment of Counsel Fees

Counsel fees due to any attorney who shall be appointed to defend
an indigent person charged with [the] any crime COMMITTED [of
escaping from] while incarcerated in a penal or correctional 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
Correction. After receipt of a list of such payments from the county
or Baltimore City in which the [escape] crime occurred, the Depart-
ment shall reimburse the county or city.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1969.

Approved May 14, 1969.

CHAPTER 658
(House Bill 410)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 290 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Baltimore City (1949 Edition, being
Article 4 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title
"Baltimore City," subtitle "Register of Wills," amending the local
laws of Baltimore City concerning the duties of the Register of
Wills in order to make its provisions current and in accord with
present practices.

Whereas, Section 290 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Balti-
more City relating to the office of Register of Wills contains pro-
visions which do not accurately reflect current practices and condi-
tions in the office; and

Whereas, The Register of Wills of Baltimore City has recom-
mended amendments to this section in order to make its provisions
reflect present-day conditions; now therefore