MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                          369

RETAIN THEIR MERIT SYSTEM STATUS EXCEPT AS OTHER-
WISE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED IN THIS ACT.

12B. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT ALL BOOKS,
PAPERS, FILES, RECORDS, FURNITURE, FIXTURES, AND
ALL OTHER PERSONAL PROPERTY OWNED BY OR IN THE
CUSTODY OF THE BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES IM-
MEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
ACT SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO AND BE IN THE OWNER-
SHIP OR CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES CREATED IN THIS ACT.

12C. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT ALL APPRO-
PRIATIONS AND CREDITS ON THE BOOKS, PAPERS, AND
ACCOUNTS OF ANY DEPARTMENT OR OTHER AGENCY OF
THIS STATE, FOR AND TO THE CREDIT OF THE BOARD OF
NATURAL RESOURCES, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EF-
FECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT, AND ALL LIABILITIES AND
OBLIGATIONS OF THE BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES,
IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
ACT, SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO AND BECOME THE AP-
PROPRIATIONS, CREDITS, LIABILITIES, AND OBLIGA-
TIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
HEREIN CREATED.

12D. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT ALL REFER-
ENCES TO THE BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AS IT
EXISTED IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE
OF THIS ACT, ON THE BOOKS, PAPERS, AND RECORDS OF
ANY DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY OF THE STATE GOVERN-
MENT OR OF ANY DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY OF THE PO-
LITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE OR IN ANY REGU-
LATIONS, ORDERS, OR DIRECTIVES OF ANY SUCH DE-
PARTMENT OR AGENCY, FROM AND AFTER THE EFFEC-
TIVE DATE OF THIS ACT, SHALL BE DEEMED AND CON-
STRUED TO BE REFERENCES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL RESOURCES HEREIN CREATED.

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That if any part of this act,
or any section or part of the section thereof, shall be held to be uncon-
stitutional or invalid for any reason, such unconstitutionality or
invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this Act, or any sec-
tion or part of a section hereof, the General Assembly hereby declar-
ing that it would have passed the remaining parts of this act, or
sections or parts of sections hereof, if such unconstitutionality or
invalidity had been known; and to this end, all parts, sections, and
parts of sections of this act are declared to be severable.

Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That all laws or parts of laws,
public general or public local, inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act, are hereby repealed to the extent of any such inconsistency.

SEC. 14A. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT IF SEC-
TION 660 OF ARTICLE 66C OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF
MARYLAND IS AMENDED OR OTHERWISE CHANGED BY