2064                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 739

15.

(a) Except as hereinafter provided, [as soon as convenient]
within one month after the filing with the Department of any appli-
cation, the Department shall set a day for a public hearing upon the
application for any of the following permits: (1) appropriation or
use of any waters of the State; (2) construction or reconstruction of
a reservoir, dam, or waterway obstruction; (3) construction in a
waterway; and (4) dredging or filling or bulkheading or shore line
changes.

The applicant shall give notice to the public of the application and
hearing [, either in the manner prescribed by the Department, or]
by publication once in each week for two successive weeks prior to
the hearing in a daily newspaper published in the city or cities,
county or counties, [or] and in[a] every MORE THAN ONE weekly
newspaper of general circulation in the city or cities, county or coun-
ties, which the Department determines may be directly affected by the
proposed appropriation or use, or construction, reconstruction, or re-
pair. The county commissioners of each such county, the mayor or
chief executive officials of each such city and the proper officials of any
interested agency of the State, or political subdivision thereof shall
also be notified by the applicant by registered or certified mail. In the
public notice of the application, the date, place, and time fixed by the
Department for the public hearing on the application shall be stated,
at the public hearing, the applicant and any other interested person
shall be given an opportunity to present facts, evidence, and argu-
ments for or against the granting of the application.

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

Approved May 26, 1970.

CHAPTER 739
(House Bill 166)

AN ACT to add new Section 551A(c) to Article 27 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1967 Replacement Volume and 1969 Supple-
ment), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Shoplifting," to
follow immediately after Section 551A(b) thereof and to provide
immunity as A DEFENSE to civil liability for a merchant, agent
or employee of the merchant who detains or arrests a person or
persons for the crime of shoplifting as defined in Section 551A and
who had probable cause to detain or cause the arrest of said person
or persons as to shoplifting.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 551A(c) be and it is hereby added to Article 27 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967 Replacement Volume and
1969 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Shop-
lifting," to follow immediately after Section 551A (b) thereof and
to read as follows: