Marvin Mandel, Governor                         409

to adoption, or long-term care short of adoption, shall terminate
parental responsibilities as well as parental rights, legal duties,
DUTIES and obligations.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 72 of Article 16 of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
(1969 Supplement) title "Chancery," subtitle "Adoption," is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

72.

(a)    A petition for adoption, as hereinafter described, may be
preceded by a petition for guardianship with the right to consent to
adoption, and such guardianship decree, which the courts having
jurisdiction of adoption matters may require and shall have power
to grant after such hearing and investigation as the court may deem
appropriate, shall terminate natural parental rights, have the legal
effect upon parental rights, duties and obligations of a decree of
adoption, and the duly appointed guardian's consent to an adoption,
for which the petition may be filed in the same proceeding, shall
eliminate the necessity of further notice to the natural parent or
parents. In all respects not mentioned in this section, adoption pro-
ceedings preceded by a guardianship petition, as herein described,
shall conform to the procedure outlined in this subtitle and in the
Maryland Rules for adoptions generally.

(b)    Any person permitted to file a petition under subsection (a)
of this section may file a petition for guardianship with the right to
consent to long-term care short of adoption. Said petition may be
filed in addition to or as part of a petition filed under subsection (a)
hereof. The court, after such hearing and investigation as it may
deem appropriate, shall have the power to grant a decree awarding
guardianship and vesting in the guardian the right to consent
to arrangements for the long-term care of the child short of adopt-
tion. Such a decree, shall terminate natural parental rights, have
the legal effect upon parental rights, duties and obligations of a
decree of adoption, and the consent of the guardian to arrange-
ments for long-term care shall eliminate the necessity of further
notice to the natural parent or parents. The consent of the guardian
to such arrangements shall not be valid until approved by the court
upon appropriate petition and after such hearing and investigation
as the court may require.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immedi-
ate preservation of the public health and safety and having been
passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of all the
members elected to each of the two houses of the General Assembly,
the same shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 15, 1970

CHAPTER 145
(House Bill 17)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections 23(a)
and (d) of Article 17 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1966