1366                                      LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 655

HYGIENE, THE ELECTION TO BECOME EFFECTIVE AS OF THE
BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING CALENDAR YEAR. ANY
ELECTION SHALL REMAIN IN FORCE UNTIL MODIFIED BY THE
LEGALLY LIABLE PERSON AND ANY MODIFICATION SHALL
BECOME EFFECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CALENDAR YEAR
NEXT SUCCEEDING THE YEAR DURING WHICH IT IS MADE. IF A
LEGALLY LIABLE PERSON FAILS TO ELECT WITHIN THE TIME
LIMITED, THE SECRETARY SHALL DETERMINE WHICH SCHEDULE
IS TO APPLY.

(E) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION BOTH PARENTS OF A
PATIENT SHALL BE CONSIDERED A SINGLE LEGALLY LIABLE
RELATIVE. LIABILITY OF LEGALLY LIABLE RELATIVES, AS SUCH,
FOR THE SUPPORT OF A PATIENT IN A STATE RESIDENTIAL
FACILITY FOR THE RETARDED SHALL CEASE WHEN THE PATIENT
HAS REACHED THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE OR WHEN SUPPORT HAS
BEEN CHARGED FOR A PERIOD OR PERIODS AMOUNTING TO
SIXTEEN YEARS, WHICHEVER OCCURS SOONER.

SECTION [[2.]] 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1973.

Approved May 24, 1973.

CHAPTER 656
(Senate Bill 160)

AN ACT to add new subsection (f-1) to Section 35A of Article 27 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement Volume), title "Crimes and
Punishments," subtitle "Crimes and Punishments," subheading "Child Abuse,"
to follow immediately after subsection (f) thereof, to empower the local
department of social services [[caseworker]] representative to enter the home
in certain reported child abuse cases, and to provide that the child may be
removed temporarily from the home without court approval in certain cases,
and mandating a physical examination of a child so removed, and providing for
the inclusion of the results of the examination in the department's report to the
local State's attorney.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That new subsection (f-1) be and it is hereby added to Section 35A
of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement Volume),
title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Crimes and Punishments," subheading
"Child Abuse," to follow immediately after subsection (f) thereof, and to read as
follows:

(F-1).

IF, IN THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY THE
LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF SUBSECTION (E), [[THE CASEWORKER]] A
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT [[DETERMINES]] HAS
PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHILD OR CHILDREN
[[MAY BE]] IS OR ARE IN SERIOUS PHYSICAL [[OR EMOTIONAL]]
DANGER AND THAT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION EXISTS, THE
[[CASEWORKER]] REPRESENTATIVE MAY ENTER THE HOUSEHOLD ,