798                                 Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 390

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 54 (9) of Article 88B of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1970 Supplement), title "State Police," subtitle "State Police
Retirement System," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

54.

(9) The board of trustees shall elect from its membership a chair-
man. The Secretary of Personnel shall be secretary to the board,
and shall be responsible for such administrative functions as had
been previously performed by the Director of retirement systems to
carry out the duties and business of the retirement system. The
board shall engage such actuarial and other professional services as
shall be required to transact the business of the retirement system,
and the board shall determine the amounts of compensation to be
paid for such services. The board of trustees [and all other expenses
of the board necessary for] shall engage the services of such per-
sons as are at the date of establishment of the retirement system,
administering the Employees' Retirement System of the State of
Maryland to the extent that the same may be practicable. The com-
pensation of all other persons engaged by the retirement system,
and all other expenses of the board necessary for the operation of
the retirement system, shall be paid at such rates and in such
amounts as the Secretary of Personnel shall approve, and in accord-
ance with appropriations made by the General Assembly. The Sec-
retary of Personnel is authorized to delegate to the assistant secretary
of personnel for retirement systems such administrative duties con-
ferred upon the Secretary by this section as the Secretary deems
appropriate.

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

Approved May 6, 1971.

CHAPTER 390
(House Bill 1)

AN ACT to repeal Section 33 of Article 30 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1969 Supplement), title "Deaf, Mute or Blind," sub-
title "Miscellaneous," to repeal said subtitle, and to enact new Sec-
tion 33 in lieu thereof, to stand in the place of the section repealed,
to be under the new subtitle "White Cane Law," providing for
equal rights and treatment for blind and OR visually handicapped
persons in employment, public accommodations, and housing; pro-
viding for the admittance of accompanied guide dogs, without
charge, to facilities open to the public, CLARIFYING THE LAW
OF NEGLIGENCE IN REFERENCE TO THE BLIND OR
VISUALLY HANDICAPPED; providing that the Governor
proclaim annually October 15th to be "White Cane Day," and
matters generally relating to blind and visually handicapped
persons.