Marvin Mandel, Governor                           963

related to mental retardation; and to promote public understanding.
The provisions of this article shall be construed in a manner con-
sistent with the policy of the State as herein defined,.

3. Definitions

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the mean-
ings indicated unless a contrary meaning is clearly intended from
the context in which the term appears:

(a)    "Administration" means the Mental Retardation Administra-
tion of the State of Maryland.

(b)    "Admission" means that process by which any person has
been determined to be mentally retarded and is accepted to an in-
residence service of any facility of OR Veterans' Administration Hos-
pital in this State intended to be used for the care of any person with
mental retardation and shall include the physical act of entering
the facility or Veterans' Administration Hospital by any such person.
The process by which any person enters any facility or Veterans'
Administration Hospital for purposes of receiving comprehensive
evaluation shall not constitute an admission except for the purpose of
reimbursement of cost of care and treatment.

(e) "Comprehensive evaluation" means a study including a se-
quence of observations and examinations of an individual leading to
conclusions and recommendations formulated jointly by a team of
persons with special training and experience in the diagnosis and
management of the mentally retarded. The team shall include not
less than one member professionally qualified in each of the fields of
medicine, psychology, and social work, and may utilize such other
specialists as the individual case may require. The team shall take
into consideration the needs of the mentally retarded person, the
family unit and the resources of the community before making rec-
ommendations.

(d)    "Comprehensive evaluation center" means a facility so desig-
nated by the Administration providing comprehensive evaluation.

(e)    "Cost of care" means and includes the cost of care, mainte-
nance, treatment and support of each individual mentally retarded
person in a public residential facility.

(f)    "Department" means the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene of the State of Maryland.

(g)    "Director" means the Director of the Mental Retardation
Administration of the State of Maryland.

(h) "Facility" means any place providing a clinic, hospital, day,
residential, or other programs, public or private, other than a
Veterans' Administration Hospital, which purports to or does
provide treatment for mentally retarded persons.

(i) "Mental retardation" means significant subaverage general
intellectual functioning which originates during the developmental
period OR WHICH IS CAUSED BY TRAUMA RESULTING IN A
MENTAL INCAPACITY IN WHICH THERE IS A DEMON-
STRATED NEED FOR CARE AND TREATMENT TO THE
SAME EXTENT AS THAT REQUIRED IF ORIGINATED DUR-
ING THE DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD, and is associated with an