1332                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 429

"Health," subtitle "Miscellaneous Provisions," to follow immediately
after Section 33 thereof and that new Section 6A be and it is
hereby added to Article 62 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1972 Replacement Volume), title "Marriages," to follow imme-
diately after Section 6 thereof and all to read as follows:

33A.

(a)  For the purposes of this section:

(1)  "Sickle cell anemia" shall mean the hereditary disease causing
hemoglobin to crystallize within the red blood cells upon their emit-
ting of oxygen;

(2)  "Sickle cell trait" shall mean the condition caused by the
presence of the inheritable gene which, if present in both parties
to a marriage, shall lead to a high probability of the occurrence of
sickle cell anemia in children born of that marriage;

(3)  "Secretary" shall mean the Secretary of Health and Mental
Hygiene.

(b)  In a manner prescribed by the Secretary each applicant for
a marriage license in this State shall be informed at the time of the
application of the existence of the disease known as sickle cell
anemia. This information shall include but not be limited to the
following:

(1)  that there exists a simple and inexpensive test to identify
those persons who have the disease and those persons who carry the
sickle cell trait;

(2)  that the occurrence of the sickle cell trait in both parties to a
marriage leads to a high probability of the occurrence of sickle cell
anemia in children born of that marriage.

(c)  Each applicant shall be informed of the nearest available fa-
cility where persons may be tested for sickle cell anemia and the
sickle cell trait, and also be informed of the fee charged by the fa-
cility for the testing.

(d)  Each applicant shall be informed of the local, State and
national organizations which are approved by the Secretary and
which can provide further information and personal counseling con-
cerning sickle cell anemia and the sickle cell trait.

(e)   To protect public health and safety the Secretary shall compile
a list of all local, State and national sickle cell anemia organizations,
and shall approve only those organizations which can provide a high
quality of services to the citizens of this State.

(f)  The Secretary shall establish in each health district of the
State facilities for the testing of sickle cell anemia and the sickle cell
trait, and shall maintain at each health district information con-
cerning sickle cell anemia and the sickle cell trait which shall be
available to the public at no cost.

(g)  Facilities for this testing and providing of information may
be established on a contractual basis by the Secretary with another
organization or community agency located within the health district,
and laboratory services located either within or beyond the bound-
aries of the health district may be utilized.