1634                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 760

2.

And be it further enacted, That the Board of Public Works is
hereby authorized and directed EMPOWERED to have prepared
proper certificates of indebtedness of the State in good and sufficient
form to aggregate the amount of [six hundred thousand dollars
($600,000)] eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000), INCLUD-
ING LOANS BOTH HERETOFORE AND HEREAFTER ISSUED
PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT as evidence
of such loan; such certificates of indebtedness shall bear date as of
the time of their issue as provided in Section 1 of this Act. Each of
said certificates shall be signed and countersigned in the manner
prescribed by Section 3 of Article VI of the Maryland Constitution.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved May 28, 1971.

CHAPTER 760
(Senate Bill 306)

AN ACT to add new Section 13 C to Article 35 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and 1970 Supple-
ment), title "Evidence," subtitle "Competency of Witness," to
follow immediately after Section 13B thereof, providing that a
character witness in any proceeding shall be permitted to give
evidence to prove character based on personal opinion.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 13C be and it is hereby added to Article 35 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and 1970
Supplement), title "Evidence," subtitle "Competency of Witness," to
follow immediately after Section 13B thereof and to read as follows:

13C.

No WHERE CHARACTER EVIDENCE IS OTHERWISE RELE-
VANT TO THE PROCEEDING, NO person offered as a character
witness WHO HAS AN ADEQUATE BASIS FOR FORMING AN
OPINION AS TO ANOTHER PERSON'S CHARACTER shall here-
after be excluded from giving evidence based on personal opinion to
prove character, either in person or by deposition, in any suit, action
or proceeding, civil or criminal, in any court or before any judge,
jury, magistrate or justice of the peace of this State.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved May 28, 1971.