Marvin Mandel, Governor                         1771

of State Planning shall determine which of said regional planning
projects shall qualify for State assistance, and the Commission shall
furnish the Secretary with such information as the Secretary may
require to make said determinations. On or before August 1, 1972,
and on or before August 1 of each year thereafter, the Commission
shall furnish to the Secretary its proposed budget for the following
fiscal year. Thereafter, the Commission shall promptly notify the
Secretary of and obtain his approval for any changes in the proposed
budget for regional projects funded under this section. Notwith-
standing any of the provisions of Chapter 780 of the Laws of Mary-
land, (1959), as amended, the Secretary may require an annual audit
of the Commission's operations relating to any projects financed in
whole or in part by payments to the Commission from the Department
of State Planning.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1972.

Approved May 31, 1972.

CHAPTER 696
(House Bill 280)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 40A of
Article 77A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement
Volume and 1971 Supplement), title "Higher Education," subtitle
"Scholarships," to provide that reimbursement of firemen for
tuition for fire service technology courses shall be made at the
completion of each academic year of study.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 40A of Article 77A of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1969 Replacement Volume and 1971 Supplement), title "Higher
Education," subtitle "Scholarships," be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

40A.

Firemen and volunteer firemen shall be entitled to reimbursement
by the State for tuition costs of programs of study which are
credited toward the requirements of a collegiate degree in "fire serv-
ice technology" in accredited institutions in Maryland. Reimburse-
ment shall be made one year after successful completion of each [se-
mester] academic year of study, and shall only be made upon the
condition that the individual applying for such reimbursement is
still employed as a fireman in any organized fire department in the
State, or is still actively engaged as volunteer fireman in an organized
volunteer fire department in the State. Reimbursement requests shall
be administered by the State Scholarship Board.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1972.

Approved May 31, 1972.