1242                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 378

CHAPTER 378
(Senate Bill 18)

AN ACT to add new Section 59C(f) to Article 41 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1971 Supplement), title "Governor—Executive
and Administrative Departments," subtitle "The Executive De-
partment," subheading "Comprehensive Health Planning," to fol-
low immediately after Section 59C(e) thereof; and to repeal and
re-enact, with amendments, Sections 559 (a-1) and (b) of Article
43 of the said Code (1971 Replacement Volume), title "Health,"
subtitle "Hospitals and Related Institutions," to authorize the
State Comprehensive Health Planning Agency to designate local
agencies which will act as regional health planning agencies
in the State, to require licensing of proprietary nursing homes
and related facilities UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, to
change requirements for and duration of licensing of hospitals,
nursing homes and related institutions, and to correct errors
therein.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 59C(f) be and it is hereby added to Article 41
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement Volume and
1971 Supplement), title "Governor—Executive Administrative De-
partments," subtitle "The Executive Department," subheading
"Comprehensive Health Planning," to follow immediately after
Section 59C(e) thereof, and to read as follows:

59C.

(f) The State Comprehensive Health Planning Agency shall des-
ignate appropriate agencies to act as regional comprehensive health
agencies for the purpose of conducting and coordinating compre-
hensive health planning for the various areas of the State.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That Sections 559 (a-1) and
(b) of Article 43 of the said Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement
Volume), title "Health," subtitle "Hospitals and Related Institu-
tions," be and they are hereby repealed and re-enacted with amend-
ments, and to read as follows:

559.

(a-1) After [July 1, 1970] July 1, 1972, a license to [open a
newly created hospital or nonprofit related institution shall not be
issued nor shall a license to continue a hospital or nonprofit related
institution which has relocated its services] operate a hospital or
related institution shall not be issued unless the hospital or [non-
profit] related institution conforms to or is not inconsistent with the
comprehensive health plan developed and applicable for the par-
ticular area. Where no comprehensive health plan has been de-
veloped for a particular area, the State's comprehensive health plan-
ning agency shall make the determinations required. This reference
is to the comprehensive health plan developed and effective under
Section 59C of Article 41 of this Code. Nothing contained in this
subtitle shall be construed as authorizing the medical supervision,
regulation or control of the spiritual care or spiritual treatment of
residents or patients in any hospital, home or related institution