Marvin Mandel, Governor                         519

The Governor shall contract and do such other things as necessary
and proper to develop an agency and programs for comprehensive
health planning throughout the State in order to assure the highest
level of health attainable for every person in an environment, which
contributes positively to healthful individual and family living. He
shall participate in inter-governmental collaboration and in official
and voluntary efforts to identify health goals and needs as well as to
stimulate action to coordinate all existing and planned facilities, serv-
ices, and manpower in the fields of physical, mental, and environ-
mental health.

(b)   Specifically, the Governor shall:

(1)   Designate or provide for the establishment of a single State
agency hereinafter referred to as the State's Comprehensive Health
Planning Agency, which shall be part of the Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene, with the Secretary of Health and Mental Hy-
giene as chairman, as the sole agency for administering or super-
vising the administration of the State's health planning functions;

(2)  Appoint a State Health Planning Council, which shall include
representatives of State and local agencies and nongovernmental or-
ganizations and groups concerned with health, to advise the State's
Comprehensive Health Planning Agency in carrying out its func-
tions. A majority of the membership of such Council shall consist
of representatives of consumers of health services.

(c)  State's Comprehensive Health Planning Agency shall (1) set
forth policies and procedures which are designed to provide for
comprehensive State planning for health services (public and pri-
vate), including the facilities and persons required for the provision
of such services, to meet the health needs of the people of the State
except that it shall not direct where or in what field any practitioner
may practice; and (2) encourage cooperative efforts among govern-
mental or nongovernmental health, education, welfare, and rehabili-
tation agencies, organizations, and groups concerned with or affect-
ing health services, facilities, or manpower.

(d)   State's Comprehensive Health Planning Agency may accept
such federal and other funds as may be available to carry out the
purposes of this section.

(e)   The Governor may direct any State officer or agency to co-
operate with the State's Comprehensive Health Planning Agency in
carrying out such functions as are necessary to further the purposes
of this section.

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

Approved April 29, 1971

CHAPTER 223
(Senate Bill 196)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 9 (b) of
Article 77A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replace-
ment Volume and 1970 Supplement), title "Higher Education,"