1330                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 632

601.

(e) Upon the death of any person admitted to any chronic hospi-
tal, the collection unit shall be entitled to make claim against the
estate of any such person for his or her care while in such hospital, or
for the balance due therefor if part has been paid. A claim under
this subsection shall not include any charge for such care for a period
longer than three years immediately preceding the death of such
patient; except that if any relative liable for such patient's care in
any such hospital has misrepresented assets or submitted fraudulent
information, and by so doing has avoided such claim or part of such a
claim for the patient's care, there shall be a period of limitations of six
years on the claim against the estate. Such claim shall be a preferred
claim against the estate of any such person, and all claims arising
hereunder against the relatives and any other persons legally charge-
able with the care of such person, shall also constitute preferred
claims. All such claims may be waived, however, by the collection
unit in its discretion, if in its judgment the enforcement of the same
will result in hardship to others, dependent upon those against whom
such claims exist. All payments received as a result of the enforce-
ment of such claims shall be accounted for and paid as hereinbefore
provided. [The collection unit shall credit the account of each county,
for any patient, with any amounts actually collected and received by
the unit from or for that patient whether received from himself, his
relatives, others legally chargeable with his maintenance and support
or others; and the credit allowed to the county for each patient shall
be computed according to the formula in subsection (e-1).]

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That Sections 601 (e-1) and
(e-2) and 602 of the said article and sub-title of the Code, be
and they are hereby repealed.

601.

[(e-1) From the money received in any year from or on behalf
of a patient the collection unit first shall credit the account of the
county for the total of its payment for that patient for that current
year; and next (to the extent that sufficient funds remain) there shall
be allocated to the credit of the general funds of the State an amount
which, together with the payment to the county for this current year,
equals the total amount of payment set for the board, care and treat-
ment of the particular patient for that current year. When the afore-
going allocations are made, and to the extent that additional funds
remain, the collection unit next shall credit the account of the county
for the total of its payment for that patient for the next preceding
year, and then shall allocate to the credit of general funds of the
State an amount which, together with the payment to the county for
that next preceding year, equals the total amount set for the board,
care and treatment of that patient for that next preceding year.
Thereafter, and so long as additional funds remain, the Department
shall similarly credit first the account of the county and then the
account of the State for the amount set for the broad, care and
treatment of the patient for the second preceding year, and then for
the third preceding year, and continuing in this manner until the
monies received in the current year for or on behalf of that patient
are entirely exhausted.

(e-2) It shall be the duty of the collection unit to furnish to
the county commissioners or county council of each county, or the