Marvin Mandel, Governor                         819

dollars per week unless the deceased employee's established weekly-
wages were less than twenty-five dollars per week at the time of the
injury in which event the compensation shall be an amount equal
to the average weekly wages, and to continue for no more than five
hundred weeks after the date of death and not to amount to more
than a maximum of twenty-seven thousand five hundred dollars
($27,500) nor less than a minimum of three thousand six hundred
and fifty dollars ($3,650).

(b) If there are no wholly dependent persons at the time of the
death, but there are partly dependent persons, those partly depen-
dent shall receive compensation as follows: The weekly payments to
such dependents shall be in the amount of [not exceeding] sixty-six
and two-thirds per centum of the average weekly wages [or seventy
dollars ($70.00) per week] not to exceed, however, a maximum of
sixty-six and two-thirds of the average weekly wage of the State of
Maryland as determined by the Department of Employment Security,
as provided in Section 36(2) of this Article but may, in the discretion
of the Commission, be for less amount per week and to continue for
all or such portion of the period of 416 weeks, after the date of death,
as the Commission in each case may determine, and not to amount to
more than a maximum of nine thousand dollars ($9,000).

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall not apply to
accidental injuries or occupational diseases occurring prior to July 1,
1971.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved May 6, 1971.

CHAPTER 404
(House Bill 544)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 36(1) of
Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Supplement),
title "Workmen's Compensation," subtitle "Claims and Com-
pensation; Benefits," to change the maximum amount of benefits
payable in cases of permanent total disability.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 36(1) of Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1970 Supplement), title "Workmen's Compensation," subtitle
"Claims and Compensation; Benefits," be and it is hereby repealed
and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

36.

(l)(a) In case of total disability, adjudged to be permanent
sixty-six and two-thirds per centum of the average weekly wages
shall be paid to the employee by the employer or insurer during the
continuance of such total disability, not to exceed a maximum of