776                                 Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 370

period of time will stand for election) and the civilian member will
be elected.

In years when elections are to be held, nominations will be sub-
mitted to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees in writing and
signed by not less than 20 members of the Department; and no more
than half of the persons signing the nomination may be from the
same district or unit. Nominations must be received by the Secretary
not less than 15 days prior to the date established for such election.
The nominees corresponding with the number of members to be
elected who receive the highest number of votes shall be declared
elected. Persons so elected shall serve a term of four years and until
their respective successors are elected and qualified. Election of mem-
bers to the Board of Trustees of the Death Relief Fund may be held
concurrent with the election of members to the Personnel Service
Board as provided in the Code of Public Local Laws of Baltimore
City, 1969 Edition, Section 16-12.

(b) Vacancies.—In the event an elected member dies, resigns, re-
tires or ceases to be a member of the Department, his vacated posi-
tion will be filled from those nominees of comparable rank or status
who received the next highest number of votes in descending order
from those nominees actually elected during the preceding election,
and this member will serve the uncompleted term of the member
whom he replaces. In the event there is no such nominee available,
the Board of Trustees shall elect from the Department at large a
member of the same rank to serve in his stead until the next sched-
uled election at which time a replacement shall be elected in accord-
ance with the foregoing procedure.

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

Approved May 6, 1971.

CHAPTER 370
(Senate Bill 249)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 3 of
Article 96½ of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Supple-
ment), title "Veterans," subtitle "Relief Fund," to increase the
membership of the Veterans Commission, and to provide that
each congressional district shall be represented, with one member
at-large. , AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE MEMBERS OF SAID
COMMISSION SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 3 of Article 96½ of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1970 Supplement), title "Veterans," subtitle "Relief Fund,"
be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to
read as follows:

3.

The Secretary of Employment and Social Services, with the ap-
proval of the Governor, THE GOVERNOR shall appoint a Commis-