Marvin Mandel, Governor                         931

licensing requirements, suspension and revocation of licenses, fi-
nancing of mental health services, persons and governmental units
liable for such financing, enforcement of liability, patients' records
and civil rights, penalties, civil and criminal, and relating generally
to all phases of the law pertaining to mental health and mentally
ill persons.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section IE of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition, 1965 Replacement Volume, 1969 Supplement), title
"Health," subtitle "Department of Health and Mental Hygiene," be
and it is hereby repealed.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That Article 59 of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition, 1968 Replacement Volume,
1969 Supplement), title "Lunatics and Insane," be and it hereby is
repealed in its entirety and a new Article 59 is hereby enacted to
stand in place of the Article so repealed, to be under the new title
"Mental Hygiene," and to read as follows:

ARTICLE 59
Subtitle: Short Title, Statement of Policy and Definitions

1.    Short Title

This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "Mental
Hygiene Law."

2.    Statement of Policy.

It is the policy of the State of Maryland that the mental hygiene
of its citizens be fostered and preserved to the best of the ability
of the State. To that end, care and treatment to or for all citizens
of the State affected by or afflicted with mental illness or mental
retardation shall be provided without partiality. It is also the policy
of this State that those persons who have financial resources suffi-
cient to pay the cost of their care and treatment shall do so. The
provisions of this Article shall be construed in a manner consistent
with the policy of the State as herein defined.

3.    Definitions.

As used in this Article, the following terms shall have the mean-
ings indicated unless a contrary meaning is clearly intended from
the context in which the term appears:

(a)  "Admission" shall mean that process by which any person
is admitted as an inpatient to any facility or Veterans' Administra-
tion Hospital in the State intended to be used for the care of any
person suffering any mental disability and shall include the physical
act of entering the facility or Veterans' Administration Hospital by
any such person.

(b)  "Commissioner" shall mean the Commissioner of Mental Hy-
giene of the State of Maryland.

(c)  "Cost of care" shall mean and include the cost of care, main-
tenance, treatment and support of each individual patient in a public
facility.