Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1035

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 149T be and it is hereby added to Article 43 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and
1969 Supplement), title "Health," subtitle "Practitioners of Medi-
cine," to follow immediately after Section 149S thereof, and to read
as follows:

149T.

(a)  Valid Consent—A minor who has attained the age of 18 years
and who has or professes to have a mental or emotional disorder may
consent to diagnosis or treatment of the disorder by a physician or
clinic. Consent given under this section shall have in all respects
the same effect as if the minor had reached majority.

(b) Informing spouse, parent, custodian or guardian—Upon the ad-
vice and direction of a treating physician or if more than one, any one
of them, member of the medical staff of a clinic or physician licensed
to practice medicine, may but shall not be obligated to, inform the
spouse, parent, custodian or guardian of any such minor in the
circumstances as enumerated in subsection (a) hereof, as to the
treatment given or needed, and such information may be given to,
or withheld from the spouse, parent, custodian or guardian without
the consent of the minor patient and even over the express refusal
of the minor patient providing such information, the providing or
withholding of such information to rest in the sole discretion of a
member of the medical staff of a clinic or the physician licensed to
practice medicine, as the case may be.

(c)  Liability of parent, custodian, or guardian for costs, etc.—
The parent, custodian, or guardian of a minor consenting to diagnosis
and treatment under this section shall not be liable for any costs,
fees, or other expenses on account of such diagnosis and treatment
unless the parent, custodian, or guardian consents thereto.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1970.

Approved April 28, 1970

CHAPTER 453
(Senate Bill 695)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 123½
(a) of the Code of Public Local Laws of Calvert County (1963
Edition, being Article 5 of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland), title "Calvert County," subtitle "County Commission-
ers," as added by Chapter 586 of the Acts of 1966; to repeal and
re-enact, with amendments, Section 54A (a) of the Code of Public
Local Laws of Charles County (1969 Edition, being Article 9 of
the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Charles
County," subtitle "County Commissioners," and to repeal and re-
enact, with amendments, Section 52A (a) of the Code of Public
Local Laws of St. Mary's County (1965 Edition, being Article 19
of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "St. Mary's