Marvin Mandel, Governor                         971

necessary for the proper care and treatment of aged, convalescent,
and chronically ill residents of the county and shall have the follow-
ing powers and duties:

(1)  To accept gifts, legacies, bequests or endowments for pur-
poses of the Board. Unless otherwise specified by the donor making
such gift, legacy, bequest or endowment, the Board, in its discretion,
may expend both principal and income of any such gift, bequest,
legacy or endowment to support the Board's nursing home program;

(2)  To acquire and hold real and personal property in the name
of the county commissioners by any means, to sell or otherwise dis-
pose of such property so acquired, and to preserve and administer
such properties;

(3)   To provide adequate facilities and services for the care and
treatment of the aged, convalescent, and chronically ill citizens of the
county. These facilities and services will or may include physical care,
medical, nursing, recreational, rehabilitative, special education, and
other similar activities, and, in addition, dissemination of informa-
tion relative to causes and prevention of chronic and debilitating
illnesses;

(4) To charge such fees for admission to and maintenance in
such facilities and for use of such services as may support the facili-
ties and services subject, however, to the provision that where aged,
convalescent, and chronically ill residents of the county are in need
of such facilities and services and are sufficiently impecunious as to
be unable to pay the full cost of such care, then the charges to such
residents shall be in direct proportion to their ability to pay for the
services;

(5)  To apply all monies, assets, property or other things of value
it may receive to the general purposes of the Board;

(6)  To adopt, subject to the terms of this section, such rules and
regulations of any facilities or services that it establishes as may be
necessary for their proper operation;

(7)   To cooperate with and assist, insofar as practicable, any
agency of the State of Maryland, the United States of America, any
subdivision of either, or any private agency or person in furtherance
of any of the purposes of this section;

(8)   To hire a director of any facility or service that it establishes
and to provide for such additional employees, their qualifications and
wages as are necessary to properly operate such facilities;

(9)   To require that all facilities and services that it establishes
maintain such standards that they may qualify for licenses as hos-
pitals from the State Board of Health as required in Article 43,
Section 566 of the Code as amended from time to time;

(10)   To integrate its facilities with, accept funds from, and co-
operate with the State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene in any
facet or facets of its operations insofar as deemed advisable by this
Board.

(d) The Board shall elect one of its members to serve as chairman
for any period it may designate. It shall hold such meetings as may
be necessary for the proper conduct of its business, not, however,