MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                        1583

in the distribution of the proceeds of the fire tax to the various fire
departments in Charles County; expanding the uses to which said
funds can be allocated; providing that any excess proceeds from
this tax shall be used to reduce the indebtedness of the various
fire departments, or assist in the formation of new departments,
or set up an emergency fund in order to provide assistance to new
or existing departments that have suffered losses through no fault
of their own; providing for the documentation, by the Charles
County Volunteer Fireman's Association, of any fire department
that has failed to meet the standards of said Association; provid-
ing for changes when the department shall submit their respective
financial reports; providing that if a fire department shall cease
its operation, the assets and liabilities of said department shall
revert to the County Commissioners; providing for certain changes
in the procedure should any fire department fail to comply with
the various standards that have been imposed upon them; and
providing that the Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners shall
review all proposals for capital expenditures RENUMBERING
CERTAIN OF THESE SECTIONS, AND RELATING GENER-
ALLY TO THE SEVERAL FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES
AND TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN CHARLES
COUNTY.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 117(c)(d)(e), 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, AND 123, and
434 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Charles County (1965 Edi-
tion, being Article 9 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland),
title "Charles County," subtitle "Fire Companies," last amended by
Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1968; be and they are hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments; AND THAT SECTION 124 OF SAID
ARTICLE AND SUBTITLE BE REPEALED AND THIS SEC-
TION RE-ENACTED, WITH AMENDMENTS, AS SECTION 123A
THEREOF TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY AFTER SECTION 123;
and that new Sections SECTION 117(f) and 118A of said Article,
title and subtitle be and they are IT IS hereby added; to follow im-
mediately after Sections SECTION 117(e) and 118 448 thereof, and
all to read as follows:

117.

(c) The proceeds collected from said County fire tax shall there-
after be paid by the County Commissioners semi-annually June 30
and December 31 of each year, commencing December 31, 1965,
to all the fire departments in Charles County. The [amount of the
proceeds to be distributed to each department shall be determined]
proceeds shall be distributed as directed by the Board of Fire and
Rescue Commissioners, which is hereby created and which shall
be composed of six members, one of whom shall be a County Com-
missioner of Charles County, one of whom shall be appointed by
the Charles County Volunteer Firemen's Association, one of whom
shall be appointed by the Charles County Volunteer Rescue Squad
Association and three of whom shall be appoi