496                              Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 221

(a)    The person to be adopted, if he is ten years of age or over;
and also,

(b)    Both the natural parents, if married, if they are alive and
have not lost their parental rights through court action or voluntary
relinquishment or abandonment; or

(c)    One natural parent, if the other is not alive or has lost his
parental rights as mentioned in (b) above; or

(d)    The mother of a child born out of wedlock, if she is alive
and has not lost her parental rights through court action or volun-
tary relinquishment or abandonment, except that if the child has
been legitimated according to the laws of any jurisdiction, the
consent of the father shall then also be required, if he is alive and
has not subsequently lost his parental rights through court action or
voluntary relinquishment or abandonment; or

(e)    The mother of a child born in wedlock, if she is alive and
has not lost her parental rights through court action or voluntary
relinquishment or abandonment, and if the illegitimacy of the child
has been established to the satisfaction of the court; or

(f)    The legal guardian of the person to be adopted, if parental
rights with right to consent to adoption, or long-term care short of
adoption, as provided in Section 72 above, has been transferred by
court action to such guardian; or

(g)    The executive head of any public or private child care or
child placement institution or agency which through court action
under Section 72 above, or voluntary relinquishment has been given
the care, custody and control of the person to be adopted, including
the right to consent to such an adoption, or long-term care short of
adoption; or

(h) The State Department of Social Services or its local unit
within the jurisdiction of the court, in any condition of fact not
hereinbefore covered.

Any consent obtained under the provisions of this section may be
revoked and cancelled at any time before final decree, but not
after a guardianship decree under Section 72 above, if one be had,
or not after an interlocutory decree, if one be had.

Minority of a natural parent shall not place such parent under
a disability in adoption or guardianship [with the right to consent
to adoption] proceedings under this subtitle and such parent, if he
has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, may give a valid con-
sent to adoption or guardianship [with the right to consent to
adoption] under this subtitle and/or join as a party in such pro-
ceedings and shall be considered sui juris and no adoption or guard-
ianship [with right to consent to adoption] under this subtitle
shall be invalidated because of the minority of a natural parent.

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

Approved April 15, 1970