Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1329

formerly residing in, and charged to that county, and the amount
for such patient being charged to the county. Payment of the accounts
rendered shall be due within thirty days after the account is rendered.

(d)    Each county shall levy a tax sufficient to pay the charges made
under subsection (c) above; and shall thereafter pay such charges.
If any county fails to levy the tax, or pay the charges, the Attorney
General shall institute an action in the name of the State to enforce
the levying of a tax sufficient to pay the charges aforesaid. Interest
shall be charged on delinquent accounts of counties at the rate of one
per cent per month.

(e)    Any county objecting to a charge for a patient as being
improperly charged to that county, may file such objection with the
Department. The Department shall thereupon investigate and may
require any county involved to present information as to the residence
of the patient. A determination by the Department shall be final.

(f)    Payment by the county or State of patient cost of care does
not relieve the patient, his responsible relatives or others responsible
for such payment, from their obligation to repay such cost of care.]

The total cost of care of patients in any public facility shall be the
responsibility of the State. This responsibility does not relieve the
patient, his responsible relatives or others responsible for his care of
their obligation to repay such cost of care.

Sec. 2. 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Act are hereby repealed to the extent of any such inconsistency.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved May 24, 1971.

CHAPTER 632

(Senate Bill 11)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 601(e) of
Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement
Volume), title "Health," subtitle "Chronic Hospitals and Infir-
maries," and to repeal Sections 601 (e-1) and (e-2) and 602 of the
said article and subtitle of the Code, to repeal the requirement
that the counties of the State and Baltimore City pay a specific sum
to the State for the cost of care of patients at State chronic disease
hospitals, and to repeal related provisions providing for the han-
dling and disposition and crediting to local accounts of monies re-
covered by the State for the cost of such patient care.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 601 (e) of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1965 Replacement Volume), title "Health," subtitle, "Chronic Hos-
pitals and Infirmaries," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows: