Marvin Mandel, Governor                         119

the terms to which they were appointed expire. CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENTS OR AGENCIES WHICH
CONSTITUTE PARTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOY-
MENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE
OF THIS ACT SHALL RETAIN THEIR MERIT SYSTEM
STATUS, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY PRO-
VIDED IN THIS ACT.

Sec. 9. 8. And be it further enacted, That all forms of the boards,
commissions, offices or other agencies included within the Depart-
ment of Employment and Social Services existing on August 31, 1970
together with all rules, regulations, orders and other directives re-
lating thereto, or promulgated thereby, and then in effect, shall
continue in force pending exercise by the Secretary or the boards,
commissions, offices or agencies of the powers, duties and responsi-
bilities vested in him or them by this Act or by other provisions
of law.

Sec. 10. 9. 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
unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such unconstitutionality
or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this Act, or any
section or part of a section hereof, the General Assembly hereby
declaring 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. 11. 10. 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of this Act, are hereby repealed to the extent of any such incon-
sistency.

Sec. 12. 11. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect September 1, 1970.

Approved April 15, 1970

CHAPTER 97
(House Bill 464)

AN ACT to repeal Section 231 of Article 41 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1957 Edition, 1965 Replacement Volume and 1969
Supplement), title "Governor—Executive and Administrative De-
partments," subtitle "Department of Public Improvements"; and
to add ENACT Sections 231, 231A, 231B, 231C, 231D, 231E, 231F,
231G, 231H, 231-I, 231J, 231K and 231L to Article 41 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition, 1965 Replacement
Volume and 1969 Supplement), to be under the title "Governor--
Executive and Administrative Departments," and to be under the
new subtitle "The Department of General Services," to follow im-
mediately after Section 230 thereof IN LIEU THEREOF, TO
STAND IN THE PLACE OF THE SECTION REPEALED, AND